Creatine is widely recognized as a performance-enhancing supplement found naturally in your body. With a healthy diet of red meat and fish, your body is already creating this chemical to increase muscle endurance and brain function.
With your diet, it becomes difficult to measure whether you are consuming enough of this compound to improve performance in the gym, which is where supplements come into play.
To get the most out of this muscle building, taking it at the right time during the day can help you get the most out of your workout. Is it better to drink it in the morning, before your workout, or a little later?
Below, I wanted to dive deeper into the best time to add creatine to your daily workout routine.
What is the Best Time to Take Creatine Supplements?
It is important to note that creatine is not as effective as caffeine. If you fortify and drink an energy drink before your workout, you benefit from improved energy that dissipates over time. Overall, it doesn’t really matter what time of day you add creatine to your diet to see benefits over time.
Think of creatine as your daily protein intake. The time of day you eat eggs, chicken, and meat doesn’t matter as long as you meet your daily food intake goals. The same can be said for creatine.
While making sure your body has enough creatine to build strong muscles, there is some evidence that taking it at regular intervals during the day can give you a little edge.
There was a 2012 study by PubMed that found that participants who consumed creatine after their workout saw a greater increase in body weight and fat loss than those who took it before their workout.
All in all, it’s best to stick with it taking creatine right after a workout or even before to produce the best results. If you forget to add it to your post-workout shake, all the benefits won’t be lost!
It’s best to take it afterwards, but you’ll still see benefits if you take it in the morning or before your workout.
How to Add Creatine to Your Diet
Overall, I find powdered creatine to be more effective than creatine in pill form. Pills may be lighter than stronger, but they don’t get into your system as easily as powder. The easiest way to incorporate creatine into your daily workout routine is to simply add it to your post-workout protein shake.
At the end of my workout, I like to add a little oat milk, protein powder, and one scoop of creatine to my shaker bottle for a quick and easy post-workout meal. By adding protein powder and creatine together, you get all the benefits of a steak dinner without the extra calories.
In addition, it is difficult to measure the amount of creatine in meat alone, and powders allow you to accurately measure how much creatine you are consuming.
Not only does my post-workout protein and creatine boost my energy levels, but it also helps repair muscles and reduce soreness the next day.
Supplementing with creatine helps muscles repair and recover, which in turn builds strength and muscle. Without creatine, your body doesn’t have the tools it needs to build bigger muscles!
Should I Exercise On The Days I Take Creatine?
Your muscles won’t burst into flames if you take creatine without hitting the gym, but there are a few side effects to be aware of. Taking creatine on non-workout days is not harmful to your health, but it is dangerous it can lead to weight gain.
Don’t worry- the weight you gain by taking creatine on non-workout days is not fat. The bump in weight on the scale is mostly due to water weight.
Creatine works by drawing water from your muscles, and you tend to burn this excess water weight when you exercise. If you take creatine and don’t work out, this excess water weight drawn to your muscles will show up on the scale.
While it is beneficial to take creatine on non-workout days to aid in muscle repair, the time of day is less important on non-workout days. While it is beneficial to take creatine immediately after a workout on days you hit the gym, it is less important on rest days.
BCAAs vs. Creatine
Finding the right supplements for your workout can be overwhelming. Some supplements pack BCAAs, some like creatine, and some use a combination of the two. So, how do you know which one is right for you?
BCAAs are used to increase muscle protein synthesis. Overall, BCAAs are often used in protein shakes to help build and repair lean muscle. They are perfect for CrossFitters, runners, and any type of training that requires endurance.
Creatine, on the other hand, is best suited for powerlifters who need a different reservoir to fuel through to the end of their workout. It helps build muscle and provides an additional source of fuel for explosive lifting and high-intensity workouts. Even after a week of taking the supplement, users have found that it has helped them get a few extra pounds.
While both have their own unique benefits, many workout supplements include a combination of both ingredients to give lifters the best of both worlds!
The decision
The consensus here is that as long as you’re getting creatine into your body, you’ll see a difference when you step on the weight bench.
To get the low end, some studies have found that this compound is better absorbed when used after a workout, but most lifters don’t see a big difference.
Whether you take it before your workout, after your workout, or at some point during the day, you’ll still reap the rewards of stronger muscles and improved energy levels.