Usually, creatine supplement is used before and after a workout. You need to take creatine before a workout for energy and after a workout for better absorption. But what if I finished my workout at night, should I take creatine before bed?
Now, there has been a slight concern about taking creatine before sleep. Does it affect your ability to fall asleep, or restrict potential results? Before we answer all these questions, let’s get to know more about creatine.
What Is Creatine And How Does It Work?
Creatine is a popular supplement highly advantageous for bodybuilding and athletic training. When taken as a pre workout supplement, creatine gives energy fuel to muscle cells. This helps you generate more energy during the high-intensity workout and lift heavy weights that result in a mass gain.
When taken after a workout, it helps improve recovery. Research shows that creatine supplement somehow decreased inflammation and muscle cell damage after an intense exercise. Strength and endurance athletes may enjoy this benefit
An exciting benefit of creatine is its effects on the brain. Recent studies suggest that creatine helps prevent neurological disease. This compound is known to increase the survival of nerve cells to physical and metabolic trauma.
So, Can I Take Creatine Before Bed?
It is ok to take creatine before bed if you don’t mind waking up in the middle of the night to urinate from all the water. Also, make sure that the product is strictly creatine and doesn’t contain any sugar or caffeine to keep you awake at night. There’s actually no “good” time to take creatine as long as you take it consistently.
If you want to enhance muscle gain results while you sleep, consider taking creatine with Casein protein and complex carbs. Casein protein is very slow digesting and can help your muscles absorb protein during sleep. Complex carbs help creatine get absorbed by the muscle cells a bit quicker due to the interaction with insulin.
When Is The Best Time To Take Creatine?
Creatine timing is a hot topic, especially to those who want optimal results. The general public’s view on creatine timing is divided into three groups:
- Group 1: Before Workout
The people under this group believe that the best time to take creatine is before a workout. This is based on the fact that more creatine generates more power to lift more weights, which results in more muscle mass.
- Group 2: After Workout
Under this group, people believe that creatine is best taken after a workout. This focuses on how your muscles are drained of nutrients after an exhaustive workout and are thus prepared for a large flow of nutrients. Your body seems to receive all of the benefits of the powerful supplement during this time.
This group seemed to receive a big boost in the form of a 2013 research published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition. According to this research, bodybuilders who took creatine post workout gained more lean mass and stamina than those who took the supplement before a workout. However, more research has to be done to prove this claim.
- Group 3: Anytime
This group of people believes that there’s no best time to take creatine supplement as long as you take it regularly in the right dosage. Basically, you don’t need to worry yourself about nutrient timing because you’ll still see benefits when taking the supplement. Until a definitive research comes along, I’d say take creatine when it works for you best.
What’s The Right Dosage For Creatine Supplement?
The right dosage of creatine may depend whether you want to undergo the loading phase or skip it. When you load, you can see quicker results to only one week. Skipping the loading phase and following the maintenance dose will give the exact results but will take 3-4 weeks.
During the loading phase, the recommended dosage is about 15-25 grams per day for seven days. Space your servings evenly throughout the day. After the first week of use, your maintenance dose can be 5-10 grams per day.
The duration of taking creatine can last for 1-1/2 to 3 months. You can then stop taking creatine for a month before continuing again. When you stop taking creatine supplement for a few months, you can expect noticeable results such as reduced energy, muscle fatigue, and weight loss.
Conclusion
Taking creatine before bed is completely fine as long as you take it consistently. Make sure that you’re using 100% pure creatine monohydrate since it doesn’t contain any additives. Keep away from creatine formulas with caffeine too as it this stimulant can keep you awake at night.
Have you tried taking creatine before sleep? Let us how it went in the comment section. If you like this article, share this with your friends and family.
Meta Description: This article will answer the main concern of bodybuilders whether it’s good to take creatine before bed or not. Creatine is a good supplement for energy and muscle recovery. You can take it anytime you want, but can you do it before bed? Find out the answer here.
