When Should You Take Creatine To Get The Most Benefits?

Creatine has long been one of the most popular supplements for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. Decades of research1 and hundreds of studies show that consistently taking creatine powder (alongside strength training) enhances lean muscle mass, strength, and even bone health—more so than exercise alone would.*

As mentioned, creatine supplements are particularly helpful in giving you more power during high-energy and intense movement.* 

That’s because creatine plays a role in energy production by helping the body produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). So, if you have more creatine on hand, then your muscles have more energy to tap into. 

About 95% of the body’s creatine2 stores are found in the muscles—with the remaining creatine dispersed in the brain, kidneys, and liver. 

As the body is regularly tapping into these creatine stores—especially for those who exercise often—you need to take in enough creatine to maximize and replenish your creatine reservoir. If your creatine stores aren’t maximized (aka saturated), then you won’t reap the full benefits of the compound.* 

And it’s this saturation that’s most important for capitalizing on creatine’s benefit. So it’s not about when you take creatine, but more about taking the right dose daily to reach and maintain that creatine saturation.*  

For optimal muscle health, that ideal daily dose is around 5 grams a day (bump that up to 10 grams if you’re looking for brain and bone benefits, but more on that here).

Now, that answer might be surprising to you. After all, creatine is a known performance enhancer, so won’t taking it around the time of a workout have even more benefits? 

Maybe, but the research is inconsistent4 and contradictory. Some studies show there’s no difference5 between taking it before or after exercise.

Other studies indicate that taking creatine pre-workout6 is beneficial and then some data indicate greater benefits when consuming creatinine after exercise7. But overall, the evidence supporting taking creatine around the time of a workout is limited to a handful of studies (some of which only include men).  

These discrepancies could be due to different supplementation and exercise protocols as well as the starting fitness level of participants. 

And that means you absolutely should still take creatine on rest days in order to keep your muscle creatine stores high and saturated.*  

Creatine can be taken with or without food. If you’re integrating creatine is your post-workout meal or shake, you’ll just want to make sure you’re also getting at least 25 grams of high-quality protein as well as some carbohydrates (to also promote recovery). 

There are so many creatine powders to choose from—and yes you want to choose a powder over a gummy. 

Low for one that provides at least 5 grams of creatine monohydrate, the most researched form of the compound. 

mindbodygreen's creatine+ provides just that in addition to two grams of taurine per serving. Taurine is an underrated amino acid that also supports muscle health and recovery in addition to heart health, cognition, and recovery.*  

Taking an effective dose of creatine and staying consistent with your supplement is much more important for capitalizing on the benefits than the exact timing of the supplement. But you can take it before or after a workout if you wish.