It’s not uncommon in the supplement industry for trends to come and go or even dated approaches reemerge many years later and you wonder why did we ever stop recommending that product. Creatine falls into the latter of these occurrences. While it has always been associated more with men that women, nothing could be further from the truth. Decades ago, it was stigmatized due to some collegiate wrestlers using it inappropriately getting overly dehydrated trying to make weight and a few of them experienced kidney-related issues from using loading doses, which I never recommend doing.
Creatine has proven benefits in muscle performance by improving endurance, output and power. From this enhancement comes improved strength and lean body composition. More recently, creatine has been shown to increase our cells production of ATP, which has demonstrated benefits not only in muscles but in our brain cells akin to nootropic actions. This has solidified its place in an active person’s lifestyle regardless of their gender. Daily dosing of 4-5g is preferred and it mixes easily into water, juice or a smoothie. The ongoing debate continues to be before or after exercise and I always base my answer on the individual situation. If you have trouble generating energy before exercise, use it beforehand, if not it’s best taken after exercise to promote recovery.