Creatine » When Creatine Should Be Taken When Should Creatine Be Taken? Creatine is a supplement that will assist in the energy and build up of muscle and taking the dosage at the right time is critical to ensuring that you receive maximum benefits.  If you are taking Vitamin tablets then taking them at any time of the day is not a problem however with specialist supplements it pays to make sure you follow the advice and the guidelines not only to ensure that you are safe and do not have any undue problems but also to maximise the potential benefits to you. Suggested Times For Creatine Intake.  It is often considered that the best time to take Creatine will be before a work out and this is most likely the best option; however there are other aspects to this such as how long before the work out? Further considerations to creatine intake planning Supplement Conflict Are you taking any other supplements that should be taken before you take the Creatine and that should not be taken at the same time are all other questions that need answering. Dosages and Bioavailabity Depending on how much you are looking to take and how often will depend on when you take the supplement.  If larger doses are being taken then this can be split with half being taken before the workout and half after the workout, where as if a small dose is being taken then the whole supplement can be taken before the workout.  The most effective time for Creatine to be in the muscle is obviously before the workout so it makes sense that the dose should be taken before, however if you are doing two workouts in one day then it may be that half is taken before and half is taken to aid the recovery time.  For creatine to work it needs to be in the bloodstream so that it can be stored within the muscles, it is usual for the creatine to stay within the blood for around one hour to one and half hours before the effects will start to ware off.  For the best results and highest impact then it makes sense to exercise within that period while the creatine is in the blood stream and the muscles can then replenish their supply. It can be a bit of a science to try to work out the best timings for taking the creatine but generally if you follow the rule of thumb that you work out about one hour after taking the creatine then you will have the supply in your blood to replenish after the workout.  This means the next day you will be able to continue likewise and so on and there will be a continual supply of creatine and replenishment as long as you do not exercise for excessive periods; generally anything over one hour of exercise is not recommended.  Some people will take the creatine after the workout but this is not the best option as you will not have the full effects of the creatine and replenishment cycle.  Taking the supplement after the workout will still work but it is not such an efficient way of taking it.