When to take creatine to get 100% benefit

Introduction to taking creatine

There creatine monohydrate or in other forms, is still the best-selling strength sports supplement in the sports nutrition market. Taking creatine results in an increase in physical strength in the short term and muscle growth in the medium term. Without noticeable side effects, even after several years of taking creatine, it is one of the food supplements The safest to use. Any healthy adult can benefit from the positive effects of creatine supplementation. But all this doesn't answer the question: when should you take creatine?

A Brief Introduction to Creatine

Creatine is an energy-yielding phosphate (Pi) donor, increasing endogenous muscle phosphocreatine and free creatine stores. It has been shown to be effective in promoting muscle growth and strength. Dozens of clinical studies demonstrate that creatine stimulates muscle growth through hypertrophy. It increases immediate energy release by recycling cellular ATP from ADP. This increased recycling of ADP to ATP then leads to increased muscle strength and energy.

Importance of timing in taking creatine

There's a certain timing to consider when taking creatine monohydrate or other forms of creatine. Generally, you should take 3 to 5 grams before your workout and 3 to 5 grams after your workout to fully reap the athletic benefits of creatine.

Creatine before training

By taking creatine before a strength training , you will increase the level of phosphocreatine and free creatine in muscle cells. These creatine intakes will facilitate the release of energy phosphates from ATP, thus generating more muscle energy. It should be added that the effects of creatine monohydrate will not necessarily be immediate but that they take a few days to be noticed. Creatine Hcl often has faster effects but whatever form of creatine you take, the intakes must be daily to be effective. anhydrous creatine refers to the dry base, in other words, it contains 100% of the active substance.

Benefits of taking pre-workout

Taking creatine pre-workout will allow you to gain strength and perform several additional repetitions per exercise. This strength gain will then translate into greater muscle hypertrophy during post-exercise recovery.

Recommended dosage before weight training

Before exercise, the recommended dosage of creatine is only 3 to 5 grams, taken alone, with a protein powder or carbohydrates. There is no need to take higher doses, but you will not get better results.

Creatine after workout

Socket After training , creatine indirectly contributes to post-exercise recovery by replenishing your muscles' phosphocreatine stores. It then helps optimize ADP-to-ATP recycling, resulting in improved muscle strength. After exercise, creatine contributes to hypertrophy by improving cellular hydration, a signal for growth and strength gain.

Why take creatine post-workout?

In the post-workout phase, creatine helps restore intramuscular phosphocreatine stores, allowing faster ATP renewal and indirectly, improving recovery after strength or bodybuilding exercises.

Combination with other post-workout nutrients

Creatine can be taken with other nutrients, whether protein powders like whey or casein. It can be combined with carbohydrates post-workout to replenish stores of Muscle glycogen , which stimulates recovery after exercise. Creatine can also be combined with taurine, an amino acid that facilitates its assimilation.

Should you take creatine on non-training days?

Creatine intake should also continue on non-training days. You should take creatine on rest days to facilitate phosphocreatine (or creatine phosphate) replenishment over time. It is not uncommon for a bodybuilder's muscle creatine levels to require 8 to 10 days of continuous creatine monohydrate intake before reaching maximum saturation.

Need for continuous intake

Continuous creatine intake is necessary because it takes several days for intramuscular creatine levels to rise significantly above the athlete's baseline. This explains why creatine must be taken continuously to fully benefit from its effects on strength and muscle hypertrophy . You can also take it between meals on recovery days.

Best Times of Day to Take Creatine

Before and after training are definitely some of the best times of day to take creatine. Before exercise, creatine will stimulate the release of force by facilitating the recycling of ATP and the energy it releases. After training, it allows the storage of phosphocretin, a form of creatine bound to high-energy phosphates. This increase in intramuscular creatine facilitates the multiple processes of muscle hypertrophy.

Creatine loading phase

The creatine loading phase is a method associated with clinical research, based on a very high intake of creatine (between 10 and 20 g/day) for a very short period of time (between 3 and 5 days). This method has mainly served as a scientific protocol, established to validate a research hypothesis. It results in relative intracellular water retention with significant weight gain and muscle volume. This method can be used by bodybuilders, but the volume gain will disappear quickly after the end of the loading phase. Comparative clinical studies between a loading phase of 15 to 20 grams of creatine and a maintenance phase of 3 to 5 grams demonstrate that this method does not provide any advantage over the continuous intake of a moderate amount of creatine monohydrate.

What is the loading phase?

The loading phase lasts between 3 and 5 days at most, with the intake of 10 to 20 grams of creatine monohydrate per day. This is a scientific protocol, but it can be followed by athletes, even if it will not provide them with any particular advantages compared to a standard intake of creatine (3 to 5 g/day before and after training). Taking it before and after training will also give very good results.

Advantages and disadvantages of this phase

A creatine loading phase has relatively few advantages but also relatively few disadvantages. If the goal is to gain muscle volume quickly, the creatine loading phase can present an advantage without creating a decisive interest in muscle hypertrophy. The disadvantage of this loading phase is mainly manifested by weight gain mainly composed of intracellular water. However, the weight gain will disappear quickly after stopping this phase. Nothing terrible in itself, the increased presence of intracellular fluids is also linked to an increase in the signal of muscle hypertrophy. This is what scientific research reveals.

Combination with other nutritional supplements

Creatine intake can be combined with other nutritional supplements. This is the case, for example, with beta-alanine or Taurine . Beta-alanine is a variant of alanine known to produce a buffering effect against the accumulation of H+ ions resulting from the breakdown of glucose into ATP. The more they accumulate, the less the muscle contracts. This is where the myth of lactic acid comes from. Beta-alanine counteracts this accumulation of H+ ions, allowing you to perform several additional repetitions. Creatine has the same effect. The buffering effect of creatine totals approximately 30% of this pro-endurance effect. Combined with beta-alanine, you gain strength and endurance. Creatine can also be combined with taurine, since this amino acid facilitates the assimilation of glucose by its influence on insulin metabolism.

Creatine and Carbohydrates

Taking creatine with carbohydrates leads to optimal assimilation of this molecule because you then benefit from the insulin lever. Simple sugars such as glucose, dextrose or fructose will do the job perfectly. Naturally, diabetic athletes should avoid this type of supplementation. You can also combine carbohydrates, creatine monohydrate and taurine to optimize effects on strength and muscle hypertrophy.

Creatine and protein

It is also possible to take creatine with protein. Of the 20 amino acids in a protein, leucine has the same assimilation effect as insulin, precipitating amino acids into muscle cells. Therefore, combining a whey or casein protein shake with creatine is ideal for bodybuilding and weightlifting athletes .

Conclusion : When to take creatine?

In conclusion, let's remember that creatine monohydrate or HCl allows an improvement in sports performance in terms of strength and muscle mass when taken according to a certain timing. An ideal dietary supplement for strength sports, creatine must be taken regularly, during training days but also during rest days to make the most of its benefits.

Summary of key moments for taking

There are several key times to take creatine. These include the hours before and after a strength training workout. Before your workout, creatine optimizes ATP turnover, leading to faster and more efficient energy release. At this time, creatine facilitates the release of muscle force. After training, creatine causes a replenishment of muscle phosphocreatine, indirectly contributing to post-workout recovery, just as a protein shake or carbohydrates would on the muscle glycogen .

General recommendations

Obviously, if you're looking to gain strength and muscle mass, creatine will always be the first supplement to consider. There's nothing stopping you from taking your creatine with a meal, but it's likely that it won't be assimilated as possible. Taken before and after an intense weight training workout, creatine will give you the best results in terms of strength and muscle gain.