Short answer
When to take creatine matters much less than taking it every day. Small trials that compared a dose right before training with one right after found similar gains in muscle and strength. A 2025 review in the ISSN's journal concluded that consistent daily intake is likely the most important factor. One 32-week trial in adults over 50 hinted at a small edge for after.
What the before-or-after trials found
In a 2013 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 19 male recreational bodybuilders took 5 grams of creatine either right before or right after training, five days a week for four weeks. Both groups gained lean mass and bench press strength, and the difference between groups was not statistically significant. The authors read the trends as possibly favoring after.
A 2021 trial had 10 young adults train both arms and legs for 8 weeks, with creatine before training on one side and after on the other. Muscle thickness and strength rose the same on both sides.
The one trial in adults over 50
A 2015 Canadian trial enrolled adults aged 50 to 71 and ran for 32 weeks. People took creatine (0.1 gram per kilogram of body weight) right before or right after resistance training, or a placebo. Strength rose more than placebo with either timing. Only the after group gained more lean tissue than placebo: 3.0 kg (about 6.6 pounds) versus 0.5 kg (about 1.1 pounds). The groups were small, with 12 to 15 people each.
Why timing probably matters little
A 2025 review in the ISSN's journal notes that a single 5-gram dose may take up to 2 hours to peak in the blood, so taking it right before or after a 40 to 90 minute session is most likely insignificant. It adds that timing studies are scarce, small and mostly lack a placebo group, and concludes that consistent intake is likely the most important variable.
A 2022 review by many of the same researchers agreed: before and after look similar, and the evidence cannot say whether any time is best.
Morning, evening and rest days
One 12-week study of 14 female athletes compared training and taking creatine in the morning with doing both in the evening. Strength and power rose with no difference between the two. In two of these trials, people also took creatine on non-training days whenever it suited them. Whether taking it only on training days works as well has not been tested.
Related questions
Should you take creatine on rest days?
Most timing trials gave it on rest days too. A 2022 review says it is unknown whether taking it only on training days works as well as daily intake.
Do you need to take creatine with food?
No. The 2025 review says creatine works whether or not you take it with other nutrients, though glucose or insulin may increase how much muscle takes up.
Read next
Sources
- Antonio & Ciccone, J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2013 (creatine before vs after workouts)
- Forbes et al., J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 2021 (before vs after, within-subject trial)
- Candow et al., Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2015 (timing trial in adults 50 to 71)
- Candow et al., Front Sports Act Living, 2022 (Creatine O'Clock review)
- Antonio et al., J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2025 (common questions about creatine, part II)
Published 2026-10-07 · Last checked 2026-10-07
Educational content, not medical advice. Made for the United States.