{"id":6646,"date":"2025-07-18T23:19:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T23:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/6646\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T23:19:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T23:19:19","slug":"when-to-take-creatine-for-optimal-results-according-to-dietitians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/6646\/","title":{"rendered":"When to take creatine for optimal results, 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<\/a> for optimal results? Asked and answered here.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s always a good idea to check in with a healthcare professional before starting a new supplement<\/a>, including creatine. If you got the green light, we tapped dietitians for their take on the best time to take creatine<\/a> 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, explains Jessica Cording, RD, a dietitian and author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety. ‘Creatine essentially provides energy for our muscles<\/a>,’ she says. <\/p>\n

‘It’s naturally produced in your body,’ adds Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, a dietitian and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. ‘The average person\u2019s liver, pancreas, and kidneys produce about a gram of creatine a day.’ About 95% 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>. Many of the well-researched benefits of creatine focus on exercise performance and cognitive function<\/a>, 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 provide some muscle<\/a> 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<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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

It may also help with tiredness<\/a>: An early study<\/a> found that creatine supplementation led to increased energy<\/a> and reduced fatigue for those with sleep<\/a> deprivation, and another study<\/a> on university-age women determined that taking creatine helped reduce the onset of neuromuscular fatigue following a cycling<\/a> test. More research is needed, but if you work out a lot and get super tired afterwards, 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<\/a> 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<\/a> are designed to be used right before you exercise<\/a>, 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 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 found that timing didn\u2019t matter over an eight-week period, in another study in Frontiers<\/a>. <\/p>\n

‘You can take it whenever you want,’ Matheny says. ‘You can have it in the beginning, middle, or end of the day \u2013 you just need to have gas in that tank.’<\/p>\n

As for whether or not to take it with food<\/a>\u2026 While people used to think creatine supplements were absorbed better with carbohydrates<\/a>, 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 when taking creatine? <\/p>\n

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

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

‘If you take too much, you can have an upset stomach or diarrhoea,’ Matheny adds.<\/p>\n

Using creatine with caffeine<\/a> could also decrease the supplement\u2019s efficiency, Cording says \u2013 so if you’re constantly chugging coffee<\/a>, 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. ‘If you\u2019re someone who wants to have it before a workout, I find that creatine powders are convenient,’ she says. ‘You can add them to a food or shake<\/a>, or can include it with pre-workout<\/a>.’<\/p>\n

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

Creatine can be a helpful tool in allowing you to build strength<\/a> 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

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