Creatine - Post or Pre Workout

**Windex** · 05-04-2011, 05:34 PM

Read the creatine FAQ, still unsure what is more optimal. Because I'm not sure I've been taking 2.5g pre workout and 2.5g post workout rather than 5g pre or post workout. Does anyone have a study that can verify whether one is better than the other or should I just flip a coin ?

**IM708** · 05-04-2011, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by Windex

Read the creatine FAQ, still unsure what is more optimal. Because I'm not sure I've been taking 2.5g pre workout and 2.5g post workout rather than 5g pre or post workout. Does anyone have a study that can verify whether one is better than the other or should I just flip a coin ?

Creatine is not a preworkout supplement. Taking preworkout will not improve performance. I'd suggest 3-5g postworkout to load your muscles for the next workout and it's when your body is in a hypersenitive state.

**M302_Imola** · 05-05-2011, 06:51 AM

Originally Posted by IM708

Creatine is not a preworkout supplement. Taking preworkout will not improve performance. I'd suggest 3-5g postworkout to load your muscles for the next workout and it's when your body is in a hypersenitive state.

So taking preworkout offers no advantage? I take 5g pre and 5g pwo...seems to me the body can process and build up more ATP when taking in two smaller doses (~5g) instead of one hefty 10g dose. This is pure speculation though.

**Turkish Juicer** · 05-05-2011, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by M302_Imola

So taking preworkout offers no advantage? I take 5g pre and 5g pwo...seems to me the body can process and build up more ATP when taking in two smaller doses (~5g) instead of one hefty 10g dose. This is pure speculation though.

Taking preworkout Creatine offers no advantage. In fact, it may offer various disadvantages. Creatine takes several hours to metabolise (5-6 hrs). Let's say you took your first serving 30 mins. before your workout. Let's assume your workout lasted for 2 hours and you took your second serving. That makes 2.5 hours, meaning that your second serving of Creatine is doing nothing except for putting extra stress on your kidneys and draining your pocket. All you need is 5gr postworkout.

**baseline_9** · 05-05-2011, 07:52 AM

10g of creative may be above your saturation level and you may be wasting some of that creatine...

I always take my 5g of creatine pre-workout in a drink mixed with BCAA's Glutamine and Dextrose

Why? Because it is convenient and is at the same time as some simple carbs that 'may' help to store the C in cells...

It doesn't matter when you take it IMO...

Taking it with simple carbs may offer some advantages... Since a lot of people take simple carbs PWO they add the creatine here as well... The upload of nutrients here may also be increased due to glycogen depletion some what...

But as already stated, IMHO it doesnt matter when you take it... If you take 5g a day you should remain at saturation....

If anyone can show study's stating otherwise please post them as I want to read them.....

**sensaispike** · 05-05-2011, 10:08 AM

i do 5 with my post workout shake....

**dec11** · 05-05-2011, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Windex

Read the creatine FAQ, still unsure what is more optimal. Because I'm not sure I've been taking 2.5g pre workout and 2.5g post workout rather than 5g pre or post workout. Does anyone have a study that can verify whether one is better than the other or should I just flip a coin ?

makes no diff when you take it and 5grms is enough

**Windex** · 05-06-2011, 06:48 AM

Thanks everyone for the help, less to worry about now.

**M302_Imola** · 05-06-2011, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Turkish Juicer

Taking preworkout Creatine offers no advantage. In fact, it may offer various disadvantages. Creatine takes several hours to metabolise (5-6 hrs). Let's say you took your first serving 30 mins. before your workout. Let's assume your workout lasted for 2 hours and you took your second serving. That makes 2.5 hours, meaning that your second serving of Creatine is doing nothing except for putting extra stress on your kidneys and draining your pocket. All you need is 5gr postworkout.

So if you workout in the evening then taking a dose early in the morn and then pwo would seem ideal if your explanation is accurate. Seems that if you space the doses apart then the body might not reach a saturation dose of 5g.

**M302_Imola** · 05-12-2011, 06:23 AM

bump for answers!

**IM708** · 05-12-2011, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by M302_Imola

So if you workout in the evening then taking a dose early in the morn and then pwo would seem ideal if your explanation is accurate. Seems that if you space the doses apart then the body might not reach a saturation dose of 5g.

Huh? Your muscles are at 100% saturation when you workout, you take creatine postworkout to restore what was lost, that simple.

**Renesis** · 05-13-2011, 03:02 AM

Thinking about how creatine works makes it important in understanding how to dose. Creatine phosphate is converted to ATP when you are working out, or in other words you body will be looking for the creatine for the energy boost it needs when you are near failure. Looking at it this way it really does not matter when you dose as long as you dose everyday consistently at the same time, although I would definitely dose way before you workout. I tend to take my creatine in the morning and I workout at night, I've been on it since October and can still feel when it "kicks" in on those last reps. If you are just starting out I would say post workout due to quicker absorption, but once it begins to be stored in your muscles and is becoming "loaded" in your body it does not really matter anymore. You don't burn off every last bit of stored creatine in the cells. That's why you front load then just take a maintenance dose after.

**M302_Imola** · 05-13-2011, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by IM708

Huh? Your muscles are at 100% saturation when you workout, you take creatine postworkout to restore what was lost, that simple.

so if you workout in the evening and only take your 5g dose of creatine pwo then you will still be at 100% saturation 24 hrs later at the beginning of the next workout? Creatine is stored in the cells for a long period of time until energy expenditure is exerted?

Originally Posted by Renesis

Thinking about how creatine works makes it important in understanding how to dose. Creatine phosphate is converted to ATP when you are working out, or in other words you body will be looking for the creatine for the energy boost it needs when you are near failure. Looking at it this way it really does not matter when you dose as long as you dose everyday consistently at the same time, although I would definitely dose way before you workout. I tend to take my creatine in the morning and I workout at night, I've been on it since October and can still feel when it "kicks" in on those last reps. If you are just starting out I would say post workout due to quicker absorption, but once it begins to be stored in your muscles and is becoming "loaded" in your body it does not really matter anymore. You don't burn off every last bit of stored creatine in the cells. That's why you front load then just take a maintenance dose after.

Good post and I'm aware of the addition of a phosphate group to make ATP, which is essentially energy...I studied this quite a bit in my Bio-chem class in undergrad. I agree w/ everything you posted except the need to "front load"...to me this is just marketing to get you to take more of the product so you buy more.

**Windex** · 05-13-2011, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Renesis

Thinking about how creatine works makes it important in understanding how to dose. Creatine phosphate is converted to ATP when you are working out, or in other words you body will be looking for the creatine for the energy boost it needs when you are near failure. Looking at it this way it really does not matter when you dose as long as you dose everyday consistently at the same time, although I would definitely dose way before you workout. I tend to take my creatine in the morning and I workout at night, I've been on it since October and can still feel when it "kicks" in on those last reps. If you are just starting out I would say post workout due to quicker absorption, but once it begins to be stored in your muscles and is becoming "loaded" in your body it does not really matter anymore. You don't burn off every last bit of stored creatine in the cells. That's why you front load then just take a maintenance dose after.

So according to the above, I should be taking Creatine first thing in the morning because I work out in the evening, and not take it PWO ?

**LatissimusaurousRex** · 05-13-2011, 07:39 AM

Take it whenever, just be consistent. You're in a sense just "refueling" your creatine. It's essentially just another form of energy you use during (heavy) lifting. It's that simple.

**Windex** · 05-13-2011, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by LatissimusaurousRex

Take it whenever, just be consistent. You're in a sense just "refueling" your creatine. It's essentially just another form of energy you use during (heavy) lifting. It's that simple.

Perfect, thank you for the clarification.