Should I take creatine (creatine monohydrate) before or after exercise?

Creatine Timing: Post-Exercise Administration is Preferred

Take creatine immediately after exercise rather than before, as emerging evidence suggests post-workout supplementation may be superior for increasing fat-free mass, reducing fat mass, and improving strength gains. 1

Evidence for Post-Exercise Timing

The most relevant controlled trial directly comparing timing found that post-workout creatine supplementation (5g immediately after exercise) demonstrated greater benefits compared to pre-workout administration over 4 weeks of resistance training 1:

• Fat-free mass gains: 2.0 kg (post) vs 0.9 kg (pre)
• Fat mass reduction: -1.2 kg (post) vs -0.1 kg (pre)
• Bench press strength: 7.6 kg increase (post) vs 6.6 kg increase (pre)

While statistical significance wasn't reached due to sample size, magnitude-based inference analysis indicated post-workout supplementation is "possibly more beneficial" for body composition and strength outcomes 1.

Mechanistic Rationale

Post-exercise timing may optimize creatine uptake through several mechanisms 2, 3:

• Enhanced insulin sensitivity: Exercise increases muscle insulin sensitivity, and consuming creatine with ~50g each of protein and carbohydrates post-workout may enhance muscle creatine uptake via insulin stimulation 2, 3
• Increased blood flow: Post-exercise hyperemia to working muscles may facilitate greater creatine delivery to depleted muscle tissue 4
• Depleted phosphocreatine stores: Exercise reduces intramuscular phosphocreatine, potentially creating a gradient favoring creatine uptake during the recovery window 4

Practical Implementation

Standard Dosing Protocol

• Loading phase: 20g/day divided into four 5g doses for 5-7 days 2, 3
• Maintenance phase: 3-5g/day as a single dose post-workout 2, 3
• Alternative approach: 2-5g/day for 28 days (avoids water retention while remaining effective) 2, 3

Optimal Post-Workout Administration

• Consume immediately after exercise (within 30-60 minutes) 1
• Combine with recovery nutrition: Mix with ~50g protein and ~50g carbohydrates to maximize insulin-mediated uptake 2, 3
• On rest days: Timing is less critical; consume at any convenient time 1

Important Caveats

Limitations of Current Evidence

• The timing literature remains limited with only one direct comparison study 4, 1
• Methodological limitations and small sample sizes preclude definitive conclusions 4
• Most creatine benefits occur regardless of timing, as long as daily supplementation maintains elevated muscle creatine stores 5, 6

Expected Outcomes

• Body mass increase: Expect 1-2 kg gain, primarily from water retention or increased protein synthesis 2, 7
• Performance benefits: Improvements in high-intensity repeated sprint performance, maximal strength, and power output 2, 5, 6
• Time to effect: Muscle creatine stores increase by ~20% with supplementation; after cessation, levels return to baseline in 4-6 weeks 2, 3

Safety Considerations

• No significant adverse effects reported with appropriate protocols (up to 30g/day for 5 years studied) 5
• Enzyme elevation: Creatine kinase (CK) levels >3000 U/L can occur after maximal resistance training without pathological significance 2
• Renal function: Creatine may affect creatinine-based GFR calculations but does not impair actual kidney function 7

Bottom Line Algorithm

1. During training phases: Take 5g creatine immediately post-workout with protein/carbohydrate recovery nutrition
2. On rest days: Take 3-5g at any convenient time
3. Consider loading phase: 20g/day (4 × 5g doses) for 5-7 days if rapid saturation desired, otherwise start with 3-5g/day maintenance dose
4. Monitor response: Expect 1-2 kg body mass increase and strength improvements within 2-4 weeks