Doing strength training with heavy weights for two months makes your muscles bigger and stronger, no matter when you take creatine.
Scientific Claim
Eight weeks of unilateral resistance training (3–6 sets at 80% 1-RM) significantly increases muscle thickness and 1-repetition maximum strength in young adults, regardless of creatine timing.
Original Statement
“There was a significant increase over time for muscle thickness, strength, and relative strength (P<0.01), with no differences between creatine ingestion strategies.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
probability
Can suggest probability/likelihood
Assessment Explanation
While the design supports causal claims, the small sample (n=10) and lack of full-text verification limit generalizability. The abstract's definitive language ('significant increase') should be tempered with probabilistic phrasing.
More Accurate Statement
“Eight weeks of unilateral resistance training (3–6 sets at 80% 1-RM) likely increases muscle thickness and 1-repetition maximum strength in young adults, though findings are preliminary due to small sample size.”
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The study found that whether people took creatine before or after their workouts, they still got just as strong and their muscles grew just as much—so timing doesn’t matter.