Latest Creatine Research: Postworkout intake may be better. By Veeraj V. Goyaram.

Supplement Science Update

Latest Research on Creatine timing:

Taking Creatine Post-workout may be more Beneficial than Pre-workout

Should my Creatine tub be in my gym bag rather
than on my book stack?

This is how science works. What has been discovered today may be disproven tomorrow. We must adapt to evolving knowledge and be flexible enough to consider the available evidence. Remember in my previous article titled Creatine: does it matter when you take it? I proposed that it does not matter when you take your creatine and that taking it in the morning on an empty stomach seems better? Although my advice has not been disproved, there is more recent evidence that shows that taking creatine after training may be better.  

Click here to read the scientific article

The Study

Tested on whom?
The study was conducted by famous sports nutrition researcher Jose Antonio and Victoria Ciccone from Nova Southeastern University in the USA (Antonio and Ciccone, 2013). The experiment was done on 19 male recreational bodybuilders with training experience of more than 1 year. These guys were asked to stop taking any form of workout supplement or dietary aid at least 4 weeks before the study began.

Creating Intake and training protocol 
The subjects were allocated to two Creatine Intake groups that took 5g Creatine Monohydrate either immediately before (PRE) or immediately after training (POST). The subjects started a four week resistance training program which was geared towards muscle hypertrophy. Subjects trained 5 times a week for about 60 minutes each session. On non training days the subjects still took Creatine at a time of their convenience. 

The finding

• Muscle gain and fat loss: The POST group gained more lean body mass (2.0 vs. 0.9kg) and lost more fat mass (-1.2 vs. -0.1kg) than the PRE group. However, the difference was negligible and not statistically significant although it could have possibly been larger had the study been carried out for longer (>4weeks).
• Strength gain on the bench press: The POST group experienced a higher increase in bench press 1RM strength (7.7 vs. 6.6kg) compared to the PRE group. Again the data was not statistically significant but could possibly be beneficial.  

Your take-home message 

Although it is a bit too early to tell whether POST is the only way to go, this study is interesting because it addresses an issue of creatine intake that has not been measured before. It is indeed good to see such kinds of research being done that are able to answer some of the questions that bodybuilders may have in mind. More research is needed using a) more subjects b) a longer period of creatine administration and c) more experienced subjects.

Personally, based on personal experience, anecdotal and scientific evidence I find that the two best times to take Creatine are a) in the morning on an empty stomach and b) post workout after a meal containing carbohydrates. In both cases my Creatine is fully dissolved in lukewarm water.

You love to discuss bodybuilding? Join us for daily discussions on our Facebook group!

References

Antonio J, Ciccone V. The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013 Aug 6;10(1):36.

Yo Vic, what's up with these ads buddy?

Well, I am making myself available to a limited number of people who wish to benefit from one-on-one coaching both online or in person in Cape Town, South Africa. I am already working closely with two competitive bodybuilders since 2010, one who won the Mr. South Africa overalls in 2010 (Elton Horn) and another one who is aiming for the Mr. Westen Cape next week (Duane Gilbert). If you wish to have a customized training and diet program for any physique goal, if you need help building a supplement stack that delivers results (while saving a lot of money) or just want your questions answered by a professional then drop me an email for my competitive rates. Serious persons only. I don't ask for any money for my articles and the money I make will be invested into this always-will-be free website site and my knowledge which eventually always comes back to you. Man, there are some nice textbooks that I desire to buy and read on training and nutrition science! 

_________________________________________________________________________

©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer: The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.  Correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

________________________________________________________________________________