I usally take my creatine before and after my workout.
But is this the best time to take it?
Post workout, preferably in Surge.
Search is your friend
im not sure if u guys are right( im not sure ) but i take creatine tablets and on the back of the container it says to take after workout … please help i also would like to no when to take it … thank u
[quote]michaelv wrote:
Search is your friend[/quote]
lol… ya i should have searched it
Post workout about 5 grams in your carb filled PWO drink.
Or in warm water upon waking up.
Creatine is not soluble in the cold water and you need tons of carbs to get the insulin spike needed to absorb and deliever the creatine fully. So on non workout days when you dont need the excess carbs drink it in warm water. The heat makes the creatine more soluble in plain water.
Once your body is saturated with Creatine, you only need your daily doses to keep your level up. Creatine takes a while to get completely out of your system (something like 2 weeks to a month), and even missing one day once in a great while, doesn’t seem to have an effect on your body’s Creatine level.
Point being that it’s more important to take it daily, rather than worry about what time of day.
Pure Creatine has also been shown to be absorbed fine without the huge insulin spike.
Yes, the insulin spike helps and more Creatine will get absorbed at one time with the spike, but I personally don’t think it’s worth all the extra sugar, and though the Creatine gets absorbed quicker, without the spike, it will still get absorbed in time before turning to creatinine.
I use 1 heaping tsp. twice a day mixed in water (usually warm or at room temp.) and have noticed the same results as when I used to take those 3rd generation Creatine drinks with all the extra sugar. Plus they overcharge for those drinks anyway.
My information comes mostly from Will Brink’s writings. He has a free creatine report online. If you do a search for “creatine-report” you should be able to find it, or just add your www and .com.
I don’t want to post the link because I think there are advertisements on the page and I don’t want to break any forum rules (I’ve been warned once 
There has been tons of studies done on Creatine now, and the more people try to find something wrong with it, the more benefits they are finding, including some heart and brain benefits.
I also don’t believe there’s a need to cycle it, as I wouldn’t “cycle” my protein intake either, and there is no evidence (that I know of) showing that your body won’t be able to produce it again shortly after stopping.
JMac, we don’t have enough scientific data to actually suggest a time to take it, although with a PWO drink is most common.
The only pre-workout consumption study of which I am aware, showed that it had no effect on the ensuing exercise.
In terms of how often, you only need it after workouts, and no dose on days you don’t train. I discuss this in detail in the following article: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459369
Hope this helps!