Supplements, supplements, and supplements. That’s all we can hear about if we listen to a fitness coach or that friend who loves going to the gym to tone or build his/her body. These supplements come in different forms, for different times and different exercises. People prefer taking pre-workout supplements to boost their energy level for intense workouts like weightlifting or sprinting.
Creatine is another supplement that has been getting fame due to its almost zero side effects and lots and lots of benefits. And what could be better than enhancing its effectiveness, right? That’s why gym-goers, who are always on the lookout for improving their supplemental needs, usually find themselves asking, can they take creatine with pre-workout supplements? Is it worth a shot or not? Will it boost the effect or reverse it? To clear these confusions, this guide has been designed. Give it a read and decide for yourself.
Creatine – why is it so beneficial?
Creatine is an organic compound that is present in our body cells and works tirelessly to meet our needs for energy. But to perform better, we need more creatine, and our body makes only a limited amount of it. So, to cover our needs for creatine we take creatine supplements, that are made in labs and can be consumed by dissolving in water on any other solvent.
Now for the benefits part, it is known to be involved in muscle strengthening, muscle building, injury prevention, the elevation of testosterone levels, improved blood sugar level, and sharp cognitive abilities. Something effective like that definitely becomes our top choice while deciding what’s best for our physical fitness.
What are pre-workout supplements and how do they work?
As the name indicates, these are dietary supplements that are usually taken an hour before a workout. Caffeine, beta-alanine, arginine, red beet extract, and creatine are a few names that make up a pre-workout supplement. These supplements are used to improve focus, strength, and power during high-intensity exercises. Athletes and fitness coaches recommend taking pre-workout supplements to the ones looking forward to bodybuilding or other hard exercises.
Is it ok to mix creatine with a pre-workout?
Definitely, it’s a YES! You can always take your pre-workout supplement in conjunction with creatine. Both creatine and caffeine provide energy bursts and increase muscle endurance, physical performance, and stamina. But there are some theories suggesting side effects due to combined intake of pre-workout and creatine. No worries, it’s not actually true. Research explains that these two supplements, when combined work together to make more energy rather than working against each other. As creatine boosts energy by rebuilding ATP molecules, caffeine inhibits the adenosine receptors, an outcome of which is an energy burst. Both follow different pathways to produce energy and do not cross paths with each other.
You might also notice that pre-workout supplements do contain creatine but in very less amounts. These quantities are not sufficient to fulfill the need for creatine that an athlete’s body requires. To make up for that, it’s a good idea to take creatine along with your pre-workout, as it will allow you to load your muscles with creatine.
Studies also show that one might not observe a mind-blowing difference after taking these two supplements together. Because creatine in itself is complete nourishment, if you’ve been taking creatine on a daily basis; adding it to your pre-workout routine might make a little or no difference at all.
Conclusion
Creatine and pre-workout supplements both are designed to meet the needs of your body during high-performance workouts. Their separate consumption during the day is a common idea. However, taking them together will level up your energy game too with zero side effects. It will also save you the effort of consuming multiple supplements a day at different times. The only thing you need to do is to calculate your daily dosage of both and adjust them accordingly, which suits you well. And you are all set to perform your crazy intense workouts.
I look up to fitness as a lifestyle and love to pen down about it. I have 2 years of experience in content writing and I am here to share my research and knowledge on health and fitness.
