Sugar Helps Your Body Keep More Creatine
Carbohydrate ingestion augments creatine retention during creatine feeding in humans.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Exercise prior to creatine + carbohydrate ingestion did not improve creatine retention beyond carbohydrate ingestion alone.
Common fitness advice claims pre-workout nutrient timing maximizes absorption — but here, intense exercise added zero benefit.
Practical Takeaways
If you take creatine, mix 5g with 93g of simple carbs (like a banana + honey or a sports drink) to potentially increase muscle retention.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Exercise prior to creatine + carbohydrate ingestion did not improve creatine retention beyond carbohydrate ingestion alone.
Common fitness advice claims pre-workout nutrient timing maximizes absorption — but here, intense exercise added zero benefit.
Practical Takeaways
If you take creatine, mix 5g with 93g of simple carbs (like a banana + honey or a sports drink) to potentially increase muscle retention.
Publication
Journal
Acta physiologica Scandinavica
Year
1996
Authors
A. L. Green, Elizabeth J. Simpson, J. Littlewood, Ian A. Macdonald, P. Greenhaff
Related Content
Claims (4)
If you take creatine along with a big dose of sugar (93 grams), your body releases more insulin than if you take creatine by itself — at least in healthy men.
If you take creatine with a lot of sugar, your body holds onto more of it instead of peeing it out, compared to taking creatine by itself.
If you ride a bike for an hour at a moderate pace and then take creatine and carbs, it won’t help your body hold onto more creatine than just taking the carbs alone.
Insulin helps your muscles take in more creatine by making blood flow better and boosting a pump-like system in muscle cells, which helps bring in more nutrients.