This study didn’t have enough people and didn’t hide who was taking what, so we can’t really say if taking creatine before or after the gym is better—it’s just too uncertain.

54

Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

54

Community contributions welcome

54

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

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2013

This study looked at whether taking creatine before or after the gym is better, but it had only 19 people and no one was blinded to the treatment. Even though it hinted that post-workout might be better, the researchers themselves said the results aren’t strong enough to be sure—exactly what the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

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.

54

0

71%

Taking creatine before or after your workout doesn’t make a difference in how much muscle you build or how much stronger you get, as long as you take it regularly for about two months.

52

0

71%

People didn’t lift more or less depending on whether they took creatine before or after their workout — they did the same amount of work in both cases.

52

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71%