Creatine: When to Take It & How to Track It

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a compound stored in muscle that helps supply energy for short, intense bursts of activity. The body makes some, and it is found in meat and fish, but supplements, usually creatine monohydrate, provide much more than diet alone. Research shows it can help with repeated short bursts of high-intensity exercise such as sprinting and weightlifting, with little value for endurance activities. Creatine works by building up in muscle over days and weeks, which makes daily consistency more important than the exact hour. That is why many people track it the same way they track a vitamin.

When to take Creatine: general timing information

• Creatine helps most with repeated short bursts of intense activity and appears to have little value for endurance activities such as distance running. [1]

• Creatine can cause weight gain from water retention, but is otherwise considered safe for healthy adults. [1]

• Research shows lower daily amounts taken consistently can raise muscle creatine without a loading phase, so regular intake matters more than exact timing. [2]

• Product claims should be viewed with caution, since makers of these supplements rarely fund or run the research. Ask your doctor before use if you have kidney problems. [1]

How to set a Creatine reminder in Pillzy

1. 1

   Tap + in Pillzy and add "Creatine" with the serving size on your tub.

2. 2

   Choose Once daily, including rest days, and set it to a time you never skip.

3. 3

   If you prefer to take it around training, use custom days or a second time, but keep one daily reminder as your anchor.

4. 4

   Mark each serving taken and use Statistics to check you have been consistent.