The Rise of Creatine-Infused Supplements: Do You Need It in Your Pre-Workout or Protein Shake?

In the early years of its rollout, creatine was a standalone supplement that was available in one form only: creatine monohydrate. While some people might have hypothesized about what creatine could do if allied with the right set of supplemental teammates, its effectiveness was usually appraised in isolation, and limited to how it could boost muscle performance and growth.

Nowadays, creatine is not only listed in several muscle-building stacks — almost always alongside protein — but its role as a direct aid to resistance training and cardiovascular workouts has made it a regular presence on many people’s pre-workout menus. In this case, when we refer to a menu, we’re referring to the ingredient list of pre-workout supplements, which often includes creatine within their contents.

Likewise, there are also protein powders that seek to go the extra level in boosting their muscle-building efficiency by dropping supplemental doses of creatine straight into their formulas. Then when you realize that creatine has also been a celebrated ingredient in energy drinks sold at major retailers, it can seem like creatine is becoming downright impossible to avoid.

All the same, it is helpful to know if the creatine in your pre-workout or protein shake is doing anything of value, or if it’s actually just leaving you with a false sense of security. So there’s really only one question that needs to be asked: Creatine is great and all, but do you need it in your pre-workout or protein shake?

Creatine Before a Workout

For many years, the standard protocol for taking supplemental creatine insisted that post-workout creatine supplementation was the only way to achieve any benefits from mixing the granulated powder into your water bottle. 

Now, we understand that this is not the case. Through strategic pre-workout creatine supplementation, you can time the infusion of creatine into your muscles in a way that boosts physical strength on the spot. In a sense, by timing the consumption of creatine appropriately, you can boost the caliber of your training to an even higher output level than normal. 

The idea is based on a model that ingesting creatine shortly before or during exercise coincides with exercise hyperaemia — the increased flow of blood — the functionality of the sodium-potassium pump for supporting muscle function and fatigue prevention, and the dedicated creatine transporter. (1) This combination of processes rushes creatine into your muscles more quickly for faster results.

Not only will this result in more reps with heavier weight during resistance training sessions, but it will also result in longer exertions of greater intensity during high intensity interval training and other workouts that test aspects of your anaerobic conditioning level. 

In fact, there are multiple studies that indicate how consuming creatine prior to a workout can amplify its effectiveness, especially when consumed in conjunction with other nutrients that accelerate its uptake. (2)

Creatine After a Workout

For many years, post-workout creatine intake was the encouraged way to take supplemental creatine, and with good reason. For the majority of people, this is still the preferred way to supplement with creatine, as it enables the muscles to recover from the rigors of a challenging workout more rapidly, while replenishing expended energy

In short, while post-workout creatine intake may not directly upgrade the quality of a workout in the same way as pre-workout ingestion, the fact that it restores the quantity of creatine in skeletal muscle tissue to enhanced levels means that the body still has a reservoir of creatine to draw from during workout to enhance the operation of the ATP-phosphocreatine system.

Moreover, creatine’s role in cellular activation vis a vis the repair of muscles is arguably of a greater benefit when it comes to striving toward long-term increases in muscle size and strength, and general body recomposition strategies. As one study famously deduced, post-workout creatine supplementation appeared to be linked with greater increases in fat-free mass, reductions of fat mass, and a heavier one-rep maximum on the bench press. (3)

In short, post-workout creatine appears to be the surest method of ethical supplementation that you can use to prompt your muscles to grow larger, and at an accelerated rate.

Pre-Workout Powders

There is no uniform formula with respect to the contents of pre-workout powders, which means there is a great deal of variation to their ingredients and what is placed within them. Regardless as to the formulation of the specific pre-workout powder you’re using, the intent of a pre-workout powder is to prepare your body to maximize its output during a workout by preemptively readying it for training.

This latter point is an important one, as much of the feeling of readiness provided by many pre-workout powders is accomplished through a mammoth dose of caffeine, which is proven to contribute positively to workout productivity, but also stimulates the mind to feel alert.

Aside from caffeine, most pre-workouts will have some combination of amino acids like L-carnitine, L-citrulline, and Beta Alanine, along with a trendy herbal remedy like ginkgo biloba   or ashwagandha. Between this combination of  ingredients, the pre-workout powder will be able to widen veins, maximize blood flow and nutrient transportation, initiate fat burning for energy production, and boost testosterone. 

Broadly speaking, although it is difficult for studies to isolate the ingredients contained within pre-workout powders and compare them on that basis, the studies that have been conducted have concluded that multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements “positively influence muscular endurance and subjective mood,” and that their regular use “appears to augment beneficial changes in body composition through increased lean mass accretion.” (4)

In theory, tossing creatine into this mix would only increase the number of ingredients contributing to optimal muscle functionality and blood flow maximization.

Ironically, the inclusion of creatine in a preworkout formula is by no means a new idea. Pre-workout substances and capsules — many of which once contained now-banned substances — came into existence under the pre-workout supplement category during the 1990s. However, the first pre-workout powder to be sold specifically as a modern pre-workout formula in a loose, powdered form, was introduced in 2006 as N.O.-Xplode, which listed creatine as one of its most prominent ingredients.

All of this is to say that even from the moment of the introduction of the powdered pre-workout product category, someone thought tossing creatine into the mix was an idea that had merit.

Post-Workout Protein Shakes

The very notion of the post-workout protein shake took longer to develop than you might think. While liquid protein diets were certainly in wide circulation from the early 1960s onward — and the pillar of those diets was essentially the equivalent of a low-calorie protein shake — protein-heavy beverages were typically the pillars of crash diets, and were designed to provide starving people with the bare minimum nutrients they required to survive.

In fact, the true development of whey protein as a supplemental food source didn’t take place until the mid 1970s. This was when the ultrafiltration process designed to separate concentrated whey protein from the cheese-making process was mastered, prompting thousands of dairies to install the processes into their operations.

In July of 1980, while talking about the escalating production of whey protein by the 5,800 members of the Wisconsin Dairies Cooperative, The Country Today of Eau Claire disclosed how the whey byproduct of cheese production was previously “dumped or used on fields as fertilizer.” Even then, the value of whey was thought to be as a nutritious fortifier of food products, including “processed meats, ice cream, bakery goods and candies.”

Beyond that, while “special diet foods” were thought to be one of the promising markets that whey protein might have been useful to expand, this was seen as a tertiary market behind infant formulas and animal feed, according to a report from The Times Herald of Port Huron, Michigan from the same year.

Outside of dedicated bodybuilders and those steeped in a gym culture built on muscle development that was miniscule compared to the present day, the consumption of a post-workout protein shake took considerable time to become a mainstream practice. Nowadays, a supplemental protein shake is practically a necessity for everyone who is serious about the process of focused muscle building. 

The main reason protein shakes are consumed so quickly after workouts is because of the vital role protein plays in muscle repair. Protein is absolutely essential for the optimal repair of muscle tissue, and the omission of protein from the intervening period between workouts can greatly minimize the benefits of the workout, and impede the growth of new lean muscle tissue.

The Shortcomings of Creatine in Pre-Workout Supplements

As beneficial as creatine can be to a workout, the reality is that the dose of creatine taken has a lot to do with its effectiveness. While it’s true that research now suggests that the 20-gram-per-day loading phase of creatine is not an absolute requirement for people to engage in if they want to enjoy creatine’s benefits, a minimum of three grams (and ideally closer to five grams) is usually the minimum supplemental dose of creatine required for consumers to experience the advantages of supplemental creatine. (5)

With that being said, pre-workouts that include 1,000 milligrams — or one gram — of creatine in their “training blend” are failing to supply your body with creatine at a level that is going to contribute meaningfully to your workout if you’re already eating a healthy diet.

This latter point is important to mention, because failing to consume adequate amounts of certain foods may leave your body in a creatine-deficient state, in which case you’re approaching every workout with an unsupported ATP-phosphocreatine system. 

In these cases, if you are a member of a population that is considered chronically creatine deficient — which often includes vegans or other people with heavy meat restrictions — you may feel like the operation of your muscles has improved simply from ingesting an amount of creatine that is attainable from consuming two quarter-pound hamburgers. (6)

However, if you ordinarily consume enough meat to max out your creatine on a non-supplemental level, you won’t achieve any further workout advantage from the relatively small amount of creatine contained within your pre-workout powder.

The Insufficiency of Creatine in Post-Workout Protein Shakes

If the amount of creatine in most pre-workout blends is insufficient to supercharge your workout, that goes double for the creatine within your protein shake. When consumed after a workout, the point of creatine is to replenish its expended quantity and accelerate your rate of muscle repair and recovery. 

The standard guidance for supplemental doses of creatine for muscle growth and recovery is usually fixed at 0.03 grams of creatine per kilogram of body weight. What this means is that a 200-pound athlete (90 kg) would need 2.7 grams of creatine to achieve a supplemental dose, which is usually rounded up to 3.0 grams, making 5.0 grams a very safe dose to ensure replenishment. (7)

Given this example, you can see why the — at best — one to two grams of creatine premixed into each dose of your protein shake can’t surpass the threshold required to support your body at a supplemental level by itself. 

Again, such quantities may be helpful to you if you’ve been altogether inconsistent with respect to consuming creatine-rich food sources. Yet, the fact remains that if what you’re after is rapid tissue regeneration and muscles prepared to tackle the next day’s challenge, the creatine pre-mixed into your protein shake is unlikely to accomplish the job for you.

A Simple Solution

The bright side to this scenario stems from the fact that a problem only exists if you presumed that there wasn’t a problem to begin with. Or, to put it another way, if you were abstaining from taking supplemental doses of creatine because you assumed the creatine you were receiving through other supplements was adequate, then you’re probably going to be disappointed to learn that you weren’t helping yourself to the degree you thought you were.

On the other hand, there’s no reason not to take a pre-workout supplement; most contain several ingredients that can improve the quality of your workout. Neither is there a reason for you not to take a protein shake, as your muscles will undoubtedly be in need of repair after a workout, and protein is essential for optimal muscle repair. 

Our advice, predictable though it may be, is that you take an identifiable dose of creatine at its recommended levels either with your pre-workout supplement, or added to your post-workout protein shake. This way, you know for a fact you’re getting every granule of the creatine you require to transform your body into a muscle-building juggernaut.

Sources

1. Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, Duarte B, Ferreira P, Gualano B, Roschel H, Saunders B. Timing of Creatine Supplementation around Exercise: A Real Concern? Nutrients. 2021 Aug 19;13(8):2844. doi: 10.3390/nu13082844. PMID: 34445003; PMCID: PMC8401986.

2. Candow DG, Forbes SC, Roberts MD, Roy BD, Antonio J, Smith-Ryan AE, Rawson ES, Gualano B, Roschel H. Creatine O'Clock: Does Timing of Ingestion Really Influence Muscle Mass and Performance? Front Sports Act Living. 2022 May 20;4:893714. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2022.893714. PMID: 35669557; PMCID: PMC9163789.

3. 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;10:36. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-36. PMID: 23919405; PMCID: PMC3750511.

4. Harty PS, Zabriskie HA, Erickson JL, Molling PE, Kerksick CM, Jagim AR. Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements, safety implications, and performance outcomes: a brief review. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Aug 8;15(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s12970-018-0247-6. PMID: 30089501; PMCID: PMC6083567.

5. Antonio, J., Candow, D.G., Forbes, S.C. et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 13 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w

6. Gutiérrez-Hellín J, Del Coso J, Franco-Andrés A, Gamonales JM, Espada MC, González-García J, López-Moreno M, Varillas-Delgado D. Creatine Supplementation Beyond Athletics: Benefits of Different Types of Creatine for Women, Vegans, and Clinical Populations-A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2024 Dec 29;17(1):95. doi: 10.3390/nu17010095. PMID: 39796530; PMCID: PMC11723027.

7. Buford TW, Kreider RB, Stout JR, Greenwood M, Campbell B, Spano M, Ziegenfuss T, Lopez H, Landis J, Antonio J. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Aug 30;4:6. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-4-6. PMID: 17908288; PMCID: PMC2048496.