Maximising Performance: Do You Take Creatine Before or After a Workout?

Understanding Creatine

As a former rugby player and avid weightlifter, I was always aware of creatine and would use it to help build muscle and strength, however, this supplement is great for not only athletes of all disciplines but even older people.

In this article, I discuss what the benefits of creatine are for those who run, and when the best time to take creatine is.

First thing first, creatine is a naturally occurring compound that is essential to energy production during high-intensity exercise.

Produced primarily in the liver, kidneys and pancreas organs from amino acids glycine and arginine, creatine then diffuses throughout tissues such as muscles where it stores as phosphocreatine to regenerate energy stores quickly during short bursts of explosive activities like sprinting or weightlifting.

At times of intense exercise, the need for ATP increases dramatically. At these points, phosphocreatine becomes invaluable by providing its unique function—adding phosphate groups to ADP to regenerate it into ATP—helping athletes and runners maintain peak performance levels.

Increased production leads to improved strength, endurance and reduced fatigue levels making creatine an excellent way to optimise training outcomes.

Creatine comes in various forms, with creatine monohydrate being the most researched and widely utilised form. There's literally no need to buy any other form of creatine.

Other popular versions are creatine ethyl ester, buffered creatine and creatine citrate; each having differing rates of absorption, but there isn't any evidence to suggest that they are more effective.

Timing Is Key for Supplementation with Creatine: Why Post-Workout Supplementation Is Ideal

Research suggests that taking creatine right after workouts could provide runners and athletes with considerable benefits.

The results found that post-exercise ingestion resulted in a 3% gain in fat-free mass and a 7.5% improvement to 1-RM (repetition max) bench press performance versus only a 1.3% gain and 6.8% improvement with pre-exercise consumption.

The authors attributed the greater benefits obtained through post-workout supplementation to enhanced creatine absorption kinetics and an increase in skeletal muscle blood flow during resistance training, leading to greater creatine transport and accumulation within exercised muscles.

This timing coincides with our bodies' peak state of recovery and nutrient absorption, making it the optimal time to replenish muscles quickly after intense training sessions have depleted creatine reserves; replenishing them promptly after exercise could be key in quickly rebuilding our levels.

Insulin plays an essential part in this process by transporting nutrients directly into muscle cells. After strenuous activity, your body experiences an increase in insulin sensitivity, which allows more efficient uptake of carbohydrates, proteins, and creatine.

Consuming creatine with post-workout meals containing carbohydrates may even further increase insulin response to speed up creatine absorption into muscles more quickly - optimising recovery while simultaneously encouraging muscle growth.

Creatine helps restore sustained energy levels and reduce muscle fatigue for anyone doing exercise - maintaining peak performance throughout each training session and helping increase lean muscle mass with regular consumption post-exercise.

This is essential when seeking to enhance speed and endurance performance over time. Adding regular post-workout creatine consumption may even contribute to enhanced overall athletic performance with less risk of injuries from muscle strains!

It must be noted that creatine should be taken daily, research has shown that just taking creatine before training doesn't yield performance benefits.

Creatine for Runners: Special Considerations and Advantages

Creatine supplementation has gained widespread renown both among strength athletes and among runners due to its unique benefits.

While often associated with explosive sports, creatine also offers distinct advantages for those engaged in sprinting or interval training.

This is specifically by increasing energy production quickly, which ultimately improves speed and power output during these arduous drills - leading to more productive training sessions and ultimately better race results.

Creatine also plays an invaluable role in post-exercise recovery for runners. Recovery after long runs or high-intensity workouts is especially essential, while creatine helps reduce muscle soreness while speeding recovery time.

A meta-analysis published in 2021 suggests that creatine supplementation could be effective in mitigating immediate muscle damage that occurs 24-96 hours post-exercise. Furthermore, its beneficial effects may result in reduced creatine kinase concentration overall.

Thus enabling athletes to continue training frequently and intensely without risking overtraining injuries or burnout. This benefit of creatine is particularly appreciated among those running rigorous training schedules who risk burnout or overtraining injuries due to overreaching.

Creatine supplementation may enhance endurance running by helping to ensure adequate muscle retention over extended distances, an essential aspect of maintaining peak performance in long-term events.

Furthermore, creatine has been found to increase glycogen storage capacity within muscles - something which may aid athletes' energy output over extended runs, furthering overall endurance.

Hydration is particularly crucial, since creatine may increase water retention within muscles - meaning adequate fluid consumption must be consumed to offset the risk of dehydration during runs.

However, do not fall foul of the myths of creatine, which come in many popular forms, most notably that creatine causes excess water retention, and therefore weight gain, or that creatine causes cramping and dehydration.

Implement Creatine into Your Routine: Conclusion

Integrating creatine supplementation into your training regime can enhance performance and recovery.

To reap its full benefits, however, you must adhere to tailored guidelines regarding dosage, timing, and hydration.

A standard recommendation for creatine dosage is 5 grams daily - an amount that can support training sessions.

Some athletes may prefer undertaking a loading phase first and consuming 20 grams split up over four doses for one week prior to transitioning to a maintenance dose.

Mixing creatine with carb-rich beverages such as fruit juice or sports drinks can increase its absorption.

The sugars present in such drinks may help increase insulin levels and facilitate better muscle uptake of creatine. Timing plays an essential part, with taking creatine shortly after workouts providing additional recovery and performance improvements.

However, taking it throughout the day still yields positive outcomes provided consistency is prioritised.

Noticing certain myths regarding creatine use, including any misperception that it will lead to dehydration or muscle cramping is key for safe use of creatine supplements.

Although some individuals may experience minor gastrointestinal disturbances when taking creatine, my experience of this was when I would take much larger amounts than recommended.

By following these guidelines and safely adding creatine to your routine, you can take full advantage of its benefits for enhanced athletic performance.