Right now, I just take 5g creatine about six hours before, preworkout immediately before, and drink a protein mix after my workouts, but I read an article about optimal creatine use ane now I’m wondering what everyone elsr is doing
There’s too much misinformation on this subject. I’m not an expert, but this is all based on what I’ve read from the most reliable scientific sources I can find.
Creatine timing doesn’t matter at all since your body has to load it over the course of days or weeks anyway. Take it whenever. Just take 5g at some point every day.
Pre-workout obviously before working out. Ostensibly 30 minutes before, to give your body time to take it in. But be aware that caffeine is the only legal OTC pre workout chemical that’s proven to be effective. A recent study even showed carbs didn’t increase performance measurably.
Recent studies show protein timing doesn’t really matter at all either. Your body will use the protein you give it. Now, you probably do want to get enough around the time you’re triggering muscle protein synthesis… Like, within a few hours of exercise. Ie, don’t fast all day, work out, then get your protein 8 hours later.
Other than that? The best pre workout is sleep. Get enough of that shit every night for your best gains in basically every area of your physical and mental health.
I find it hard to believe carbs don’t increase or decrease performance. As someone who does a lot of carb cycling when cutting this is crazy to hear. Of course everyone is different but I can feel a noticable difference on those high days vs low days. Similar to overall eating diet in general.
Edit: mind sharing the research as article I like to learn about this stuff.
If you feel a difference, then keep doing it. Scientific studies tell you how the sample population responds on average. If some people experience a positive effect and others get a negative effect, that can average out to look like there’s no effect. In the end, what matters is how it affects you.
I can say with certainty that carbs before and during a workout helps prevent me from passing out. The effect is very obvious.
Yea definitely was not going to change what I do because of a study I just find it interesting to read about.
Yeah, same. After years of experimenting, my diet, and carb intake specifically, is the single variable that affects my performance in the gym the most.
Actually that’s not true, the biggest is alcohol intake the night before. But carb intake the day of is a close second.
This is my opinion. Timing intake is a low value, high effort task.
I’d rather first focus on high value, low effort tasks. Then low value, low effort tasks, then if I really want to optimize I’m finally at low value, high effort tasks.
By the time I reach those tasks it’s likely I’m beyond diminishing returns and I should apply my focus elsewhere.
The only additions I have :
- What I ate yesterday is going to affect my workout more tha anything I can eat today.
- Timing is relevant if it upsets your stomach during the workout, beyond that ignore it.
TLDR, stick to solving other high value tasks, meet your macros, forget about timing.
For creatine, any time. You just take it every day, and it builds uo to a consistent level in your body over a few weeks. Though you can start out with a loading dose of 20g daily, for a week, to build up your levels faster, and then go down to the 5g dailybdose.
Preworkout, yea, right before the workout.
Protein intake is a bit more complicated. The most important thing is just making sure you get enough dueing the day. 1.4-2g/kg. Most people will have a protein shake right after training. If you really want to get complicated, you can make sure your consuming protein every 4 hours, and I believe casein protein right before bed. And makong sure your consuming the highest quality peotein, etc. But you don’t need to think about that. That’s elite athletic level stuff. Just get enough daily protein, and get some right after your workouts.
Simply put it doesn’t matter. Pre-workout 10 mins before the workout is recommended but protein and creatine can be taken whenever.
Optimal creatine use is generally what’s on the label. Sometimes there are cycles and loading phases. The cycle would be something along the lines of taking it for 4 weeks, stopping it for a week, then starting again (as an example). The loading phase will be something like double the intake for a week then back off to normal levels afterwards.
Loading phases are generally unnecessary as you’ll get the same benefit in the long run. However if the label tells you to follow cycles, then its for good reason.
Personally, I just mix the creatine in with the protein shake in the morning and then after the session in the evening (as per the label).
