People who lift weights and take creatine either before or after their workout eat about the same amount of protein and calories — so if one group gains more muscle or loses more fat, it’s probably because of the creatine timing, not what they ate.

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Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

54

Community contributions welcome

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The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2013

The study gave two groups of bodybuilders creatine either before or after their workouts, but made sure both ate the same amount of food and protein. Since their diets were identical but results still differed, the study says the difference must be from when they took creatine—not what they ate.

Contradicting (0)

0

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength

Score: 54

DOI: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-36

Similar Assertions

If you're a young guy who lifts weights for fun, taking a 5-gram creatine supplement right after your workout might help you gain a little more muscle and get a bit stronger than taking it before your workout — but we're not super sure because the study was small and the results weren't clear-cut.

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Taking 5 grams of creatine every day for a month won’t help you lose fat, no matter if you take it before or after your workout—it mainly helps you build muscle instead.

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When athletes are trying to lose weight by eating fewer calories, eating more protein (about 2.3 grams per kilogram of body weight) helps them keep more of their muscle compared to eating less protein (about 1 gram per kilogram).

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Taking 5 grams of creatine daily along with weight training for 4 weeks can help young male bodybuilders gain muscle and get stronger on the bench press, no matter if they take it before or after their workout.

54

0

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If you take creatine and get bigger muscles, it’s probably because you’re working out more, not because creatine is changing how your muscles build protein when you’re just sitting around.

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