When Is The Best Time To Take Creatine? - Healthline

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Evidence BasedWhen Is the Best Time to Take Creatine?

Medically reviewed by Jared Meacham, PhD., RD, CSCS — Written by Alex Marceau and Grant Tinsley, Ph.D., CSCS,*D, CISSN — Updated on June 3, 2025

Factors to consider
Exercise days
Rest days
How to take
Takeaway

The optimum time to take creatine can vary on workout days and rest days. Taking it close to the time you exercise, whether before or after, may be more beneficial.

Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in the cells of your muscles. It’s one of the most popular workout performance supplements because it may help:

improve muscle strength, endurance, and power
increase muscle mass
improve post-exercise recovery
boost mental performance and cognition

Although creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied supplements, research is still limited and mixed about the best time to take it.

Keep reading to learn more about the best time to take creatine supplements.

Factors to consider when taking creatine supplements

Several researchers have tried to find the best time to take creatine supplements.

On days you exercise, the two most common options regarding the timing of creatine supplementation include:

Pre-workout: Within 2 hours of beginning your workout.
Post-workout: Within 1 hour of completing your workout.

You may also choose to take creatine monohydrate during your workout or at a time other than around exercise. Another option is to split your daily dose and take it throughout the day.

According to a 2021 review, several things should be considered if you want to maximize creatine absorption and its effects:

Absorption time: After ingesting 5 grams (g) of creatine, it takes 1 to 2 hours for it to pass through the gastrointestinal tract and then fully absorb into your bloodstream to fuel the cells in your body. This peak lasts up to 4 hours.
Blood flow: Creatine may be best absorbed during exercise hyperaemia, which refers to higher blood flow to the activated muscles. This may last 30 to 120 minutes post-exercise, depending on the intensity.

The AIS also suggests that creatine supplements are best absorbed with a meal that consists of carbs and protein due to the possible effects of insulin on creatine absorption.

»MORE:Healthline's Picks for Creatine Supplements

Is it better to take creatine before or after a workout?

Limited research has compared the effectiveness of taking creatine pre- or post-workout. Some studies and experts like the AIS suggest that taking it post-workout may be slightly more beneficial, but the research is mixed.

A 2013 study examined the effects of taking 5 g of creatine before or after exercise in adult men. During the 4-week study, participants weight trained 5 days per week and took creatine either before or after exercise.

At the end of the study, the group that took creatine after exercise saw greater increases in lean mass and strength.

Taking creatine with a meal within 60 minutes of exercise may be beneficial because your blood flow is higher, so the creatine can be better absorbed into the activated muscles.

That said, not all research supports the effectiveness of post-exercise creatine supplementation. For instance, a 2014 study and a 2015 study reported no significant differences between taking it before or after exercise.

The authors of the 2021 review also note that, when considering creatine absorption time and exercise blood flow, taking creatine 1 to 2 hours before exercising may have the same effects as post-workout.

This is because a 5-g dose will have been fully absorbed into the bloodstream by the time you begin your workout. Exercising will then increase your blood flow, which will help fuel your cells with creatine.

Overall, based on the limited research available, it’s not clear whether there are any reliable differences between taking creatine before or after exercise.

The best time to take creatine is around your workouts

Although research on whether it’s best to supplement creatine pre- or post-workout is mixed, supplementing either soon before or after exercise is better than supplementing long before or after.

An older study provided a dietary supplement containing creatine, carbs, and protein to adults who weight trained. Participants were divided into two groups. One group took the supplement soon before and after exercise, while the other group took the supplement in the morning and evening, so not close to exercise.

After 10 weeks, the group that took the supplement close to exercise gained more muscle and strength than the group that took the supplement in the morning and evening.

As such, it may be better to take creatine close to exercise, rather than at some other time of the day.

When should you take creatine on rest days?

Supplement timing on rest days is likely much less important than on exercise days. The goal of supplementing on rest days is to keep the creatine content of your muscles elevated.

When starting to supplement with creatine, a “loading phase” is typically recommended. This involves taking 20 to 25 g of creatine daily (divided into 5-g doses) for 5 to 7 days to quickly increase the creatine content of your muscles.

After that, a lower maintenance dose of 3 to 5 g daily is recommended.

If you’re taking a maintenance dose, the purpose of supplementing on rest days is simply to maintain the high levels of creatine in your muscles. Overall, it probably doesn’t make a big difference when you take this dose.

However, it may be beneficial to take the supplement with a meal, as recommended by the AIS.

How should you take creatine around exercise?

Researchers have tried adding other ingredients, including protein, carbs, amino acids, cinnamon, and various plant-based compounds, to help increase the effectiveness of creatine.

The AIS recommends consuming creatine with a meal that contains a 50-g protein source and a 50-g portion of carbs to increase absorption.

This may be due to the effects of insulin from the carbs, and protein consumption is also associated with increased muscle mass, strength, and nutrient absorption.

The AIS recommends mixing creatine with water in a glass and drinking it along with any of the following meals:

1 egg, 1 toast, and a breakfast smoothie that contains 30 g of protein
1 chicken salad wrap (250 g) with a medium apple
tofu and vegetable stir-fry with rice
breakfast cereal, yoghurt, and milk
tuna and lettuce sandwich with a banana smoothie
steak, salad, and roasted sweet potato

The bottom line

Creatine is a safe and effective supplement, but the best time to take it is debated.

On workout days, research shows that it may be better to take creatine shortly before or after you exercise, rather than long before or after.

On rest days, it may be beneficial to take it with food, but the timing is probably not as important as on exercise days.

If you’re thinking of taking creatine or aren’t sure when to take it, speak with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian. They can help develop the best supplementation plan and schedule for you.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

AIS sports supplement framework: Creatine. (n.d.).https://www.ais.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/1001380/Creatine-InfographicFINAL.pdf
Antonio J, et al. (2013). The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3750511/
Candow DG, et al. (2014). Comparison of creatine supplementation before versus after supervised resistance training in healthy older adults.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2013.852088
Candow DG, et al. (2015). Strategic creatine supplementation and resistance training in healthy older adults.https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/apnm-2014-0498?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org
Cribb PJ, et al. (2006). Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy.https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2006/11000/effects_of_supplement_timing_and_resistance.6.aspx
Gan JJ, et al. (2022). Effects of a traditionally-dosed creatine supplementation protocol and resistance training on the skeletal muscle uptake and whole-body metabolism and retention of creatine in males.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/1550-2783-12-S1-P2
Ribeiro F, et al. (2021). Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: A real concern?https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8401986/
Wax B, et al. (2021). Creatine for exercise and sports performance, with recovery considerations for healthy populations.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/6/1915
Zhou H-H, et al. (2023). Effects of timing and types of protein supplementation on improving muscle mass, strength, and physical performance in adults undergoing resistance training: A network meta-analysis.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38039960/

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Medically reviewed by Jared Meacham, PhD., RD, CSCS — Written by Alex Marceau and Grant Tinsley, Ph.D., CSCS,*D, CISSN — Updated on June 3, 2025

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Factors to consider when taking creatine supplements

Is it better to take creatine before or after a workout?

The best time to take creatine is around your workouts

When should you take creatine on rest days?

How should you take creatine around exercise?

The bottom line

How we reviewed this article:

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