{"id":13219,"date":"2025-07-21T15:38:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T15:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/13219\/"},"modified":"2025-07-21T15:38:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T15:38:25","slug":"best-time-to-take-creatine-supplements-according-to-dietitians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/13219\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Time To Take Creatine Supplements, According To Dietitians"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re a dedicated exerciser, you probably like to keep an eye out for things that can help you work out more efficiently. With that, you may have heard about using the supplement creatine<\/a> to try to help create stronger muscles<\/a> and better workout sessions<\/a>. So when exactly is the best time and method to take creatine for optimal results? Asked and answered here.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s always a good idea to check in with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement<\/a>, including creatine. If you got the greenlight, we tapped dietitians for their take on the best time to take creatine and what to know before trying it.<\/p>\n

Meet the experts: Jessica Cording, RD<\/a>, is a dietitian the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety<\/a>. Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS,<\/a> is a dietitian the co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab<\/a>. <\/p>\n

What Creatine Does To Your Body<\/p>\n

Creatine is a compound that comes from three amino acids<\/a>, explains Jessica Cording, RD, a dietitian and author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety. \u201cCreatine essentially provides energy for our muscles,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s naturally produced in your body,\u201d adds Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, a dietitian and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. \u201cThe average person\u2019s liver, pancreas, and kidneys produce about a gram of creatine a day.\u201d About 95 percent of the body’s creatine is stored in the muscles in the form of phosphocreatine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can get creatine from foods you eat, including seafood and red meat<\/a>, Cording says, but plenty of people also take creatine in supplement form (usually as a powder or capsule). This is especially popular among athletes and bodybuilders, but they aren’t the only ones who can benefit. <\/p>\n

Benefits Of Creatine<\/p>\n

Creatine supplementation has several health and therapeutic benefits throughout the lifespan and plays a critical role in cellular metabolism, according to a recent study in Nutrients<\/a>. That said, the perks of creatine usually revolve around exercise performance and cognitive function, Cording says. Here are some of the biggest benefits:<\/p>\n

It can help enhance your workouts. <\/p>\n

Creatine may allow people to do a little more work in reps or sprints, which can ultimately lead to you becoming stronger, Matheny says. Taking creatine supplements may also can provide some muscle and performance benefits for older adults, according to a recent literature review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition<\/a>. <\/p>\n

It can give you an energy boost (and reduce fatigue).<\/p>\n

Using a creatine supplement may also help you feel a little more energized on a regular basis. \u201cIf you\u2019re using creatine, you\u2019re filling up the energy system tank a little more,\u201d Matheny says. <\/p>\n

It may also help with tiredness: An early study<\/a> found that creatine supplementation led to increased energy and reduced fatigue for those with sleep deprivation, and another study<\/a> on college-age women determined that taking creatine helped reduce the onset of neuromuscular fatigue following a cycling test. More research is needed, but if you work out a lot and get super tired afterward, taking a creatine supp may help. <\/p>\n

It may improve your cognitive health.<\/p>\n

Taking creatine has been linked<\/a> to better performance on cognitive tasks, especially in older adults<\/a>, Cording says. Creatine plays an important role in brain health and function, according to older research<\/a> on intelligence and working memory. Your brain also needs a significant amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)<\/a> to perform difficult tasks, and creatine supplements may help your brain produce more of it.
<\/p>\n

When is the best time to take creatine?<\/p>\n

Some workout-enhancing supplements are designed to be used right before you exercise, and you may be wondering if creatine works the same way. The answer? Not really.<\/p>\n

Research has consistently found that timing doesn\u2019t seem to matter with creatine. Factors like the type of exercise<\/a> you do and your age are more important in how well creatine works for you, one scientific review in the journal Nutrients<\/a> found. Male and female athletes who took creatine and found that timing didn\u2019t matter over an eight-week study period, in another study in Frontiers<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou can take it whenever you want,\u201d Matheny says. \u201cYou can have it in the beginning, middle, or end of the day\u2014you just need to have gas in that tank.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for whether or not to take it with food\u2026while people used to think creatine supplements were absorbed better with carbohydrates, one small study<\/a> found that carbs are unnecessary. Ultimately, it doesn\u2019t matter if you have it with food or not, Matheny says. <\/p>\n

Are there potential risks for taking creatine? <\/p>\n

Creatine is thought to be a pretty safe supplement, Cording says, but there are a few things to keep in mind before trying it. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have enough evidence to show how safe creatine is for things like kidney and liver disease,\u201d Cording says. It\u2019s also not recommended that you take creatine when you\u2019re pregnant or breastfeeding<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you take too much, you can have an upset stomach<\/a> or diarrhea,\u201d Matheny adds.<\/p>\n

Using creatine with caffeine could also decrease the supplement\u2019s efficiency, Cording says\u2014so if you’re constantly chugging coffee, it may not be the best idea to combine the two.<\/p>\n

How To Add Creatine To Your Routine <\/p>\n

Adding creatine to your supplement stack really comes down to whatever is easiest for you, Cording says. \u201cIf you\u2019re someone who wants to have it before a workout<\/a>, I find that creatine powders are convenient,\u201d she says. \u201cYou can add them to a food or shake, or can include it with pre-workout.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can even have creatine in a post-workout meal<\/a> or smoothie, she says. But if you don’t necessarily care about timing the supplement with your workouts, Cording recommends adding creatine powder to oatmeal, yogurt, or chia pudding<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Interested in adding a creatine supplement to your life? Consider these options:<\/p>\n

Best Creatine Supplements\"Creatine<\/a>Thorne Creatine MonohydrateCredit: Thorne<\/p>\n

This powder is free of gluten and dairy. It\u2019s also NSF certified, meaning it\u2019s tested for the presence of banned substances before it goes up for sale. The powder is colorless and odorless, so you can mix it with just about anything.<\/p>\n

\"Creatine<\/a>NOW Creatine Monohydrate Powder<\/p>\n

Now 15% Off<\/p>\n

Credit: NOW Sports<\/p>\n

Now\u2019s creatine powder is free of artificial colors and flavors, and uses nano-particle nutrients to help fuel your day. It\u2019s also unflavored, so you can blend it into just about anything. Now is third-party tested to make sure no harmful ingredients end up in your creatine powder.<\/p>\n

\"Creatine<\/a>BULKSUPPLEMENTS.COM Creatine Monohydrate Powder Credit: BulkSupplements.com<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to save on cost, consider this option from BulkSupplements. It\u2019s third-party tested for extra ingredients and is unflavored. It\u2019s vegan-friendly and gluten-free.<\/p>\n

\"On\"Creatine<\/a>BARE PERFORMANCE NUTRITION Creatine Monohydrate Credit: Bare Performance Nutrition<\/p>\n

This powder features Creapure, the most widely studied type of creatine. It\u2019s third-party tested for impurities, too. The powder is unflavored, making it a great addition to smoothies and shakes.<\/p>\n

\"Klean<\/a>Klean ATHLETE Klean CreatineCredit: Klean Athlete<\/p>\n

Klean Athlete Klean Creatine is NSF Certified for Sport, meaning it\u2019s been tested for safety. The powder is GMO-free and doesn\u2019t have any artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. Just mix it with water, pre-workout, or your go-to smoothie and enjoy.<\/p>\n

Creatine can be a helpful tool in allowing you to build strength and may help with brain health, energy, and more. If you\u2019re interested in trying it, just check in with your doctor first to make sure you don\u2019t have any health conditions or medications that would keep this from being helpful for you.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, is the founder of Promix Nutrition and Co-Founder of SoHo Strength Lab in New York City. As a track and field athlete at the University of Florida and with USA Triathlon, Albert earned a master’s of science in exercise physiology and dual bachelor’s in food science and human Nutrition and human performance. Albert consults as a registered dietitian with everyone from Olympic Gold Medals to High School Medals.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men\u2019s Health, Women\u2019s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master\u2019s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re a dedicated exerciser, you probably like to keep an eye out for things that can help…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13220,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[49,48,12322,84,395],"class_list":{"0":"post-13219","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-core","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-nutrition"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13219\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}