Should You Take Creatine Before or After Working Out?

In the topic Creatine before or after workout?, there is a lot of controversy surrounding whether creatine should be taken before or after training to achieve the best results. Of the 20 comments, about 50% expressed a clear preference for taking it after training, while around 25% believed it should be taken before. The remaining 25% were neutral, stating that it can be used at any time. So, should you take creatine before or after training?

Should You Take Creatine Before or After Working Out?

Creatine is not a substance that gives immediate results, but the body needs time to absorb, metabolize and store it in the muscles. As a result, it may help support your endurance during exercise and help you stay consistently motivated.

This characteristic provides the answer to the question above. It is not important when to use it during the day, but the frequency of use (regularly at a time frame during a suitable period of time) that is important. This received more than 60% of the agreement (16 out of 25 comments) of the topic about Timing of creatine supplementation and its effectiveness.*

The rest, users mainly like to use it after exercise (accounting for 24%, equivalent to 6 comments out of 25 comments) because it can help the body absorb more effectively after being "drained" of energy after exercises.*

Accordingly, creatine usually gives clear results after 2 - 4 weeks, but some people notice clear changes in their bodies after only 5 - 7 days [1]. Sarah Morsia, wife of fitness trainer Matt Morsia, used 5g of creatine monohydrate every day for 30 days. She felt more energetic, less tired and significantly increased muscle strength. And she agreed to maintain a daily usage habit for the best results.*

With so many debates like the ones above, you might be quite confused about which option is best for you. So, let’s take a look at some expert and real user opinions on the best times to use creatine and how the effects manifest. This way, you can find the optimal time to use it for yourself.

You may also read: Does Creatine Show Up On Drug Tests?

When to Take Creatine Supplements? Explore Science Perspectives

Here is a breakdown of the best times of day to take creatine:

Before A Workout

In a Reddit thread about Muay Thai, users discussed whether or not creatine should be taken before a workout. In general, the conclusion is that using it before training can help improve endurance effectively so that you can easily overcome all the exercises of that day.*

However, it is not really necessary because creatine often does not show immediate effects, but must be maintained continuously for many days at the same time frame. Therefore, you choose to use it in the morning, before training? Maintain this every day for the best results.

Although an early study by D Preen et al. (2002) investigated the effects of creatine use before cycling, the results were inconclusive.In their survey of 8 men who consistently took creatine before an 80-minute high-intensity cycling session, there was little noticeable change in physical performance, with only minor differences observed in blood metabolites [2].

However, this study had limitations such as a small sample size and being conducted over two decades ago, which calls for more up-to-date research.

More recent studies have provided new and interesting insights.

The 2022 study by Negro and colleagues demonstrated that a supplement containing creatine combined with several supporting ingredients, taken before exercise, effectively helped relieve fatigue and enhanced muscle performance better than creatine alone or a placebo [5].

Building on this, a 2023 study by Athanasios Douligeris and his team tested well-trained basketball players who consumed a supplement containing 3.3 g of creatine monohydrate along with caffeine, beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and BCAAs about 30 minutes before training or competition.

Their results showed significant improvements in anaerobic performance indicators such as jumping ability, agility, and sprint test power [6].

Taken together, these findings suggest that taking creatine alongside other supportive ingredients shortly before exercise not only may help mitigate fatigue but also enhances muscle performance during explosive activities, ultimately optimizing training outcomes.

After A Workout

Some coaches and experienced individuals such as Rajnish Dhull and Roger Royce on the Quora platform agree that the best time to take creatine is after exercise. They explain that after working out, the body is often tired and needs to recover quickly, especially if you have a continuous training schedule. Taking creatine at this time can help speed up the recovery process and improve the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.*

Supporting this view, Jose Antonio and colleagues (2013) conducted a survey on 19 male bodybuilders, of which ½ took creatine before exercise and ½ after exercise. With the same weight, age, training frequency,..., ½ of people who used it after exercise benefited more when the rate of muscle gain and fat loss occurred faster than the other group [3].

Furthermore, creatine’s benefits can be enhanced when combined with other ingredients such as leucine-fortified whey protein, carbohydrates, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, and vitamin D3. A recent study by Puente-Fernández et al. (2025) found that taking this multi-ingredient supplement after workouts helps muscles grow better and become stronger. [7].

Read more: 13 Best Creatine Supplements for Strength and Performance

Before Sleep

Ariel J Aguiar Bonfim Cruz et al. (2024) tested 21 women using 5 g of creatine and 5 g of maltodextrin or placebo, 10 g of maltodextrin for 6 consecutive weeks, combined with endurance exercise twice a week. The results showed that those who used creatine slept better than those who used placebo. Moreover, the weight loss effect was also much better [4].

Therefore, many people wonder if it is okay to use creatine before bed to improve sleep quality? The answer is yes, but you should make sure to drink enough water and eat a little bit of starchy and protein foods.

However, some people may experience over-excitement and have difficulty sleeping as in the topic Creatine before sleep. While 55% felt less tired and slept well after taking creatine, 45% of people had to urinate frequently at night, leading to insomnia.*

This is quite understandable because after taking creatine, you must drink a lot of water so that the body can absorb this nutrient without adversely affecting the kidneys.

Whenever You Want

Throughout the above content, we have mentioned many times that creatine can be used at any time of the day. However, note that it must be maintained continuously for many days, at the same time.

The reason is that when creatine enters the body, the level of ATP that creatine promotes the body to produce will be higher than normal. Maintaining this for many days will help the body get used to it, until it can produce well on its own without having to supplement creatine.

On the Rest Day

A Quora thread discusses whether creatine should be taken on rest days. While it's not strictly necessary, consider that rest days are when your muscles repair and rebuild after training—and creatine can support this recovery process. By continuing to take it, you may return to full strength more quickly and be better prepared for your next workout.*

Professional fitness trainer Rataveer Singh left a comment agreeing with this content, saying: “Taking creatine on rest days can still be helpful because it helps recharge energy stores in your muscles, even when you're not working out. It's not crucial to take it every day, but consistency can maintain its benefits.”*

And don't worry, if you have gone through the creatine loading process and are at the maintenance level, forgetting to take creatine one day is not too big of a problem.

What is the Best Way to Take Creatine?

With the above analysis, it can be seen that the best way to supplement creatine is to use it in stages. This approach aligns with the commonly recommended dosage of creatine by phase, which includes a loading stage and a maintenance stage.

In the loading stage, take 20–25 grams/day continuously for 5–7 days to rapidly increase muscle creatine levels. Then, in the maintenance stage, take 3–5 grams/day for 28–30 days or up to 5 years, at any time of day (before or after training) to maintain endurance and performance.

Note that you should monitor your body's reaction after use to determine the most suitable time for you. In reality, there is no universal “best” time — only what works best for your physical condition, intended goals, and personal responsiveness.

Conclusion

This article answers the question of whether to use creatine before or after exercise. In general, at each time, creatine gives certain effects, but cannot be seen immediately after use but must be maintained regularly for a certain period of time. And to achieve the best results, you should consult your doctor before using it in parallel with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet.