Oral creatine supplementation is common in the health and fitness community, and for good reason. Research shows that creatine supplementation can help increase muscle mass and improve endurance.
Coffee is also a common pre-workout as the caffeine in coffee provides a boost in energy and often translates to a more effective workout.
However, many wonder whether or not it is okay to take both creatine and coffee together. Continue reading this article to find out more.
Creatine and Caffeine: An Overview
Creatine monohydrate, one of the most well-researched dietary supplements, and caffeine are two popular substances utilized by athletes to improve their energy levels and performance. Creatine and caffeine both have specific properties that enable them to be effective at increasing energy and power during a workout.
Athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike are particularly interested in these two substances especially if they’re looking to optimize their workouts and reach their health and fitness goals. This article will explore the benefits of creatine, and caffeine, as well as the safety, efficacy, and benefits of taking them together.
How Does Creatine Work in the Body?
Creatine is a compound that is naturally present in many dietary food sources and is also taken as a supplement to increase the body’s supply of creatine. In food, creatine is found in animal proteins like beef, chicken, and fish, as well as eggs and dairy products.
Once in the body, creatine plays a vital role in increasing the production of ATP, which is the primary energy source for all cells in the body. With more creatine stores available, the body is better able to replenish ATP stores and continue performance at a high level.
Having a consistent supply of ATP allows athletes to perform better, especially during short bursts of high-intensity activities such as weightlifting and sprinting.
Benefits of Creatine for Sports and Beyond
Creatine supplementation is very common among athletes because of its proven ability to enhance performance and muscle gains. Studies continue to support the use of creatine supplementation to increase strength, muscle mass, improve recovery time, and boost energy and athletic performance.
Anaerobic running performance is also enhanced with the consumption of creatine.
In addition to optimizing athletic performance, creatine can also improve cognitive performance and mental acuity, and may even be beneficial for certain medical conditions.
How Caffeine Impacts Your Body
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and various other beverages and supplements.
Caffeine works by blocking a neurotransmitter, adenosine, that promotes relaxation.
By blocking the relaxation process, caffeine gets to work and increases cortisol and adrenaline, thereby increasing alertness, focus, and overall energy levels. This is why caffeine is such a commonly consumed stimulant as it reduces fatigue and boosts mental and physical performance.
However, too much caffeine can lead to difficulty sleeping, anxiety, high blood pressure, or even digestive problems for some people.
Does Caffeine Have Health Benefits?
There has been much debate on whether or not there are health benefits that caffeine can offer.
Studies suggest that moderate caffeine consumption is associated with some health benefits.
Improved cognitive function and enhanced athletic performance and energy levels are the most widely seen benefits of consuming caffeine.
Some research suggests that caffeine consumption in moderate amounts can also reduce the risk of certain diseases, although more research is needed to support this.
Are There Negative Effects of Caffeine?
While caffeine can have beneficial effects, consuming excessive amounts of caffeine may lead to negative outcomes.
Caffeine stimulates the body's central nervous system and some people are more sensitive to its effects than others. Some people may experience anxiety, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, increased blood pressure, and digestive issues.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it might be best to stop consuming caffeine, or perhaps try consuming your caffeine separately.
However, individual responses to caffeine intake may vary, so some people might experience unpleasant side effects with even low amounts of caffeine.
Are There Risks to Taking Creatine and Caffeine?
Since creatine and caffeine have both been shown to boost exercise performance and mental acuity, many people wonder about the benefits and efficacy of combining the two together.
Some research suggests that caffeine counteracts the benefits of creatine, as caffeine can constrict blood vessels and may reduce nutrient delivery to muscles during exercise. However, there is inconclusive evidence to support this.
However, it is also promising that taking both creatine and caffeine together may be more beneficial than just having each of them alone.
Can I Take Creatine With Coffee?
Taking creatine with coffee is a common practice for many athletes as it can optimize energy, exercise performance, and muscle strength.
Adding creatine to caffeine shouldn’t have any adverse interactions in your body. In fact, the two can likely complement each other quite nicely.
The ingestion of caffeine and creatine together may increase high-intensity interval training (HIIT) power. Studies show that when combined with HIIT, creatine and caffeine can increase sprinting speed, VO2 max, and lean body mass (1,2).
What’s more, a pre-workout supplement containing both creatine and caffeine has been shown to be both safe and effective in increasing aerobic capacity and muscular strength in healthy male volunteers (3).
However, individual responses may vary, and some people might not tolerate both of them together, even if they tolerate them just fine when taken separately.
Can I Put Creatine in Hot Coffee?
There has been some debate over whether adding creatine to hot beverages is effective. However, it seems that creatine is just as effective and will even dissolve more easily when mixed in hot beverages like coffee or tea, compared to cold drinks.
Plus, the acidity of coffee does not negatively impact creatine’s stability or effectiveness.
Keep in mind that some people are more sensitive to these substances and some may experience digestive discomfort from combining caffeine with creatine intake.
What Should You Not Mix With Creatine?
While taking creatine is generally safe and well-tolerated, there are certain things that it’s best to not mix with it.
Alcohol and energy drinks are two types of beverages that you probably shouldn’t mix with creatine to prevent unpleasant side effects, primarily related to dehydration.
Since creatine and alcohol are both diuretics, taking them both together may lead to dehydration and can interfere with creatine’s muscle-boosting potential.
Benefits of Mixing Creatine and Coffee for Sports
There are many benefits of mixing creatine and coffee to improve physical activity performance such as improving strength, endurance, and even reducing fatigue.
Strength and Endurance
Consuming creatine and coffee together may offer benefits for increasing strength and improving endurance, especially during high-intensity workouts.
Creatine can help keep the muscles supplied with ATP, while caffeine can increase alertness and energy levels. The combination of these two effects can help improve athletic performance and lead to better results.
This is often why people new to creatine like to go through a muscle creatine loading phase (also known as a creatine cycle) during the first couple of weeks to replenish creatine levels in the body.
Plus, there have been hundreds of studies that support the benefits of creatine for athletes, and studies continue to support that caffeine can improve endurance (4).
Helps Reduce Fatigue
Adding creatine to your coffee can also help reduce fatigue, even after a workout. The stimulating effects of caffeine can help reduce exercise-induced fatigue, which may allow people to train for longer and harder, keeping up with the physical demands of a tough workout.
With more energy and enhanced muscular endurance, workout capacity is increased and performance is enhanced. Putting creatine in your coffee can therefore improve body composition and may even help support a healthy body weight.
Best Way to Mix Creatine and Caffeine
It’s easy to mix caffeine and creatine together, however, to reap the benefits of taking the two together, it’s important to consume them at the right time and in the appropriate amounts.
Ideally, it’s best to take creatine and caffeine within 30-60 minutes before a workout. This way, both substances can be absorbed and best utilized during exercise to maximize performance.
How Much Creatine Should You Add to Caffeine?
For those who wish to include creatine in their pre workout routine, it’s recommended to consume about 3-5 grams daily. When mixing creatine with coffee, the dosage recommendation is no different.
Therefore simply stir in 3-5 grams of creatine powder into your caffeinated beverage of choice whether that be coffee or tea, for example.
Be sure to not exceed the recommended dose of creatine, especially when mixing into coffee to avoid any adverse effects.
Creatine, Coffee, and Sleep: Things to Consider
Since both creatine and caffeine can impact sleep, it's important to keep in mind the best time to consume them.
Taking creatine, caffeine, or the two of them together too close to bedtime may interfere with sleep quality.
To avoid disrupting your sleep cycle and your ability to fall and stay asleep, it’s best to avoid consuming caffeine and creatine several hours before bedtime, especially if you’re someone that is more sensitive to caffeine.
If you find that taking creatine and coffee is significantly disruption sleep, it might be a good idea to temporarily stop creatine till you figure out why it is impacting your sleep.
Mocha Creatine Protein Shake
If you want a new and improved way to drink coffee in the morning, try this creatine with coffee shake to enhance exercise performance.
Ingredients:
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1 scoop creatine monohydrate powder
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1 scoop Chocolate Naked Whey
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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1 tbsp instant espresso
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1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Directions: Blend all ingredients together. Enjoy as a tasty pre-workout shake with creatine and protein.
Key Takeaways About Creatine and Caffeine
Both creatine and caffeine as a pre workout supplement can help optimize athletic performance and enhance weight gain through muscle growth. Sports nutrition experts believe that taking the two substances together may offer synergistic effects and can even further benefit performance, especially during high-intensity activities.
However, everyone’s tolerance to caffeine may vary and consuming too much may lead to unpleasant side effects such as anxiety, restlessness, increased heart rate, and stomach discomfort.
If you do choose to incorporate the combination of caffeine and creatine, you can simply mix creatine into your favorite caffeinated beverage and consume it within an hour before a workout for the best results.
If you're interested in supplementing creatine, be sure to also check out our guides on the best time to take creatine, the difference between BCAAs and creatine, and more.
