When to Take Creatine? The Simple Routine That Works
Good news: getting the most from creatine is simple. Take 3 to 5g every day, at whatever time suits you. Trials comparing before and after training found no clear difference.
Any time.
Every day.
3 to 5g of creatine monohydrate, rest days included [1]. Taking it every day matters more than the time of day [2][3].
The one you'll remember
When is the best time to take creatine?
The best time to take creatine is the time you'll remember every day. In the timing trials so far, no time of day and no position around a workout came out clearly ahead. A 2025 review by creatine researchers concluded that taking it consistently is likely the most important factor [2].
The likely reason is how creatine works. About 95% of your body's creatine sits in muscle and supplements raise those stores by 20 to 40% over days to weeks [1]. Once the store is full, it's there whenever you train, whatever time you took your last dose.
Pick a time that fits your day (breakfast, after training or dinner) and keep it.
Is it better to take creatine before or after a workout?
Neither has been shown to be clearly better. Six trials lasting 4 to 32 weeks compared a dose shortly before training with a dose shortly after. None found a statistically significant difference [3][6].
Both creatine groups gained far more than placebo, and the before and after groups were not significantly different from each other. More than half the group were women.
"Creatine supplementation, independent of the timing of ingestion, increased muscle strength more than placebo"
Candow et al. (2015), Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism [4]
Creatine timing trials at a glance
Where "after is better" comes from: a 2013 study of 19 bodybuilders with no placebo group. Its difference wasn't significant [7].
| Study | Who | Timing compared | How long | What they found |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candow 2015 [4] | 39 adults aged 50 to 71 | 0.1g per kg before vs after vs placebo, training days only | 32 weeks | Both creatine groups beat placebo for strength; only after beat placebo for lean tissue; no significant difference between them |
| Antonio and Ciccone 2013 [7] | 19 male bodybuilders | 5g just before vs just after | 4 weeks | No significant difference; no placebo group |
| Candow 2014 [9] | 22 adults aged 50 to 64 | 0.1g per kg before vs after, training days only | 12 weeks | No difference |
| Forbes 2021 [10] | 10 young adults | 0.1g per kg before vs after | 8 weeks | No difference |
| Dinan 2022 [11] | 34 college athletes | 5g before vs after vs placebo, all with whey and carbohydrate | 8 weeks | All groups improved similarly |
| Mills 2026 [6] | 27 trained adults | 5g just before vs just after vs placebo, training days only | 16 weeks | No difference between any groups |
| Jurado-Castro 2021 [14] | 14 elite female handball players | After morning vs after evening training | 12 weeks | Very similar results; no placebo group |
Morning, rest days, food and coffee
Morning or night?
Either works.
In 14 elite female handball players, gains in strength and power were very similar whether they took creatine after morning or evening training over 12 weeks [14].
On rest days?
Yes, every day.
3 to 5g a day keeps muscle stores full, and missing the odd day won't empty them [1]. Training days only is less certain: one trial at about 8 to 9g beat placebo, one at 5g didn't [4][6]. Every day is the simple, safe habit.
With food?
Fine, not required.
Carbohydrate can increase how much creatine muscles store, but the best known trial used 93g of sugar with each 5g dose [15].
With coffee or a pre workout?
Probably fine.
A 2025 review concluded that short term use with under 5 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight a day is unlikely to blunt creatine's effects [2].
Do you need a loading phase?
No, it's optional.
Loading means about 20g a day in four 5g servings for 5 to 7 days, which fills stores faster [17]. Without it, 3g a day for 28 days reached a similar muscle level in men [5]. Loading typically adds 1 to 3 kg in the first week, mostly water [17]. If you load, split it into servings of about 5g [18].
The best creatine is the one you actually take every day
That's where gummies earn their place: no water, no shaker and no scoop. A bag lives in your gym bag, handbag or desk drawer and your dose is a number of pieces you can count.
No study has tested whether gummies help people take creatine more consistently, so we won't claim they do. Choose one that's independently lab tested and shows the grams of creatine in each piece.
Sour Watermelon Creatine Gummies
One gummy provides 1.25g of creatine monohydrate. Four gummies provide 5g, the daily dose used in research. The labelled serve on the bag is one gummy because Australian food labelling rules cap a labelled serve at 3g of creatine. Every flavour has the same creatine content. Lab tested by Eurofins.
Shop Sour Watermelon
How to take creatine
Take 3 to 5g of creatine monohydrate every day, rest days included [1].
Pick a time you'll remember, such as breakfast, after training or dinner [3].
Give it about three to four weeks to fill your muscle stores, or load at about 20g a day in four 5g servings for 5 to 7 days if you want it sooner [1][17].
Pair it with your training. The benefits in these trials came when creatine was paired with resistance training [4].
As with any supplement, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, have kidney disease or take regular medication, talk to your doctor first.
Key takeaways
01
Every day beats perfect timing
Trials comparing before and after training found no clear difference [2][3].
02
Both timings beat placebo
+36.6 kg and +40.8 kg leg press versus +5.6 kg over 32 weeks [4].
03
Loading is optional
3g a day for 28 days raised muscle creatine about as much as 20g a day for 6 days, in men [5].
04
3 to 5g a day, every day
Taken daily without loading, creatine fills muscle stores over about three to four weeks [1].
Quick answers
When should I take creatine?
Every day, at a time that suits you. Taking creatine every day matters more than the time of day [2][3].
Should I take creatine before or after a workout?
Either. Six trials lasting 4 to 32 weeks found no significant difference between the two [3][6][11].
Can I take creatine on an empty stomach?
Yes. Food is fine but not required [2].
How long does creatine take to work?
Taken daily without loading, creatine fills muscle stores over about three to four weeks [1]. Loading at about 20g a day for 5 to 7 days gets there faster [17].
Our methodology
Written and checked by the Cunnies team in October 2026. We searched PubMed for human research on creatine timing, food, caffeine, rest days and loading, and cite 18 papers. An independent fact checker rechecked every figure. Some researchers cited have links to supplement companies; several of their own trials found no timing effect.
References
All 18 references, each with DOI and PubMed links
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 18. doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28615996/)
- Antonio J, Brown AF, Candow DG, et al. (2025). Part II. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 22(1), 2441760. doi.org/10.1080/15502783.2024.2441760 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39720835/)
- Candow DG, Forbes SC, Roberts MD, et al. (2022). Creatine O'Clock: does timing of ingestion really influence muscle mass and performance? Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4, 893714. doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.893714 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35669557/)
- Candow DG, Vogt E, Johannsmeyer S, et al. (2015). Strategic creatine supplementation and resistance training in healthy older adults. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 40(7), 689 to 694. doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2014-0498 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25993883/)
- Hultman E, Söderlund K, Timmons JA, et al. (1996). Muscle creatine loading in men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 81(1), 232 to 237. doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1996.81.1.232 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8828669/)
- Mills SD, Candow DG, Rusterholz F, et al. (2026). Comparison of creatine monohydrate supplementation immediately before versus immediately after resistance training sessions in trained young healthy adults. Nutraceuticals, 6(3), 42. doi.org/10.3390/nutraceuticals6030042 (not indexed in PubMed as of October 2026; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06438887)
- Antonio J, Ciccone V. (2013). The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10, 36. doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-36 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23919405/)
- Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, et al. (2021). Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern? Nutrients, 13(8), 2844. doi.org/10.3390/nu13082844 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34445003/)
- Candow DG, Zello GA, Ling B, et al. (2014). Comparison of creatine supplementation before versus after supervised resistance training in healthy older adults. Research in Sports Medicine, 22(1), 61 to 74. doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2013.852088 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24392772/)
- Forbes SC, Krentz JR, Candow DG. (2021). Timing of creatine supplementation does not influence gains in unilateral muscle hypertrophy or strength from resistance training in young adults: a within-subject design. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 61(9), 1219 to 1225. doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.20.11668-2 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34610729/)
- Dinan NE, Hagele AM, Jagim AR, et al. (2022). Effects of creatine monohydrate timing on resistance training adaptations and body composition after 8 weeks in male and female collegiate athletes. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4, 1033842. doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.1033842 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36465581/)
- Cribb PJ, Hayes A. (2006). Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 38(11), 1918 to 1925. doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000233790.08788.3e (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17095924/)
- Ben Maaoui K, Delleli S, Jebabli A, et al. (2026). Acute creatine ingestion before resistance training enhances strength performance more than ingestion during or after training: a randomized crossover pilot trial. Nutrients, 18(11), 1789. doi.org/10.3390/nu18111789 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42280432/)
- Jurado-Castro JM, Campos-Pérez J, Vilches-Redondo MÁ, et al. (2021). Morning versus evening intake of creatine in elite female handball players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), 393. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010393 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35010653/)
- Green AL, Hultman E, Macdonald IA, et al. (1996). Carbohydrate ingestion augments skeletal muscle creatine accumulation during creatine supplementation in humans. American Journal of Physiology, 271(5 Pt 1), E821 to E826. doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.1996.271.5.E821 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8944667/)
- Elosegui S, López-Seoane J, Martínez-Ferrán M, et al. (2022). Interaction between caffeine and creatine when used as concurrent ergogenic supplements: a systematic review. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 32(4), 285 to 295. doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2021-0262 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35016154/)
- Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. (2021). Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 18(1), 13. doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33557850/)
- Ostojic SM, Ahmetovic Z. (2008). Gastrointestinal distress after creatine supplementation in athletes: are side effects dose dependent? Research in Sports Medicine, 16(1), 15 to 22. doi.org/10.1080/15438620701693280 (PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18373286/)
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medication, talk to your doctor before starting a supplement.
