Can You Take Creatine and Caffeine Together?

Athletes love caffeine and creatine. Both boost energy and enhance exercise performance, but in vastly different ways. And both creatine and caffeine are safe and well-tolerated when used correctly. As a result, they are two of the most popular sports nutrition supplements in the world.

Despite their long history of safe and effective use as individual supplements, some athletes have questions about taking caffeine and creatine together, as a stack. Do they amplify each other's effects? Or do they create risks? Are there digestive side effects when you take them together?

Ultimately, we want to know: Can you take creatine with caffeine?

In this article, we cover the pros and cons of mixing creatine and caffeine. We cite research on creatine monohydrate and caffeine supplementation as a stack and share usage tips to boost your benefits. Finally, we recommend top products that deliver the best muscle and fitness benefits. Let's get to it!

Key Takeaways

Creatine and caffeine can each enhance athletic performance, particularly in high-intensity, short-duration activities. Both are also considered brain-boosting nootropics.
When used correctly, caffeine and creatine are effective ergogenic aids for both anaerobic exercise and aerobic exercise -- helping increase strength, endurance, energy and muscle mass.
Consistent daily creatine supplementation (3-5 grams per day) and strategic low-to-moderate caffeine intake (100-200 mg, pre-workout) work best. Avoid megadose caffeine energy drinks.
Both caffeine and creatine are great for sports nutrition regimens, but you may want to avoid taking them in the same sitting. Some early research says caffeine counteracts creatine in muscle. Gastric side effects are another concern.
The easy solution: take creatine and caffeine at different times. For example, caffeine as needed (pre-workout, a.m. routine, before work, etc.) and take creatine at any other time during the day.
It is generally suggested to wait at least 1-2 hours after consuming caffeine before taking creatine. This allows enough time for caffeine levels in the bloodstream to peak and start to decline.
The best caffeinated pre-workout to combine with creatine supplementation is Pre Lab Pro®. It supplies 80 mg caffeine per berry-flavored drink, plus sport nutrients. We detail it below.
Top caffeine pill to take with creatine supplements: Caffeine 2™. An ultramodern natural caffeine pill plus L-theanine, L-tyrosine, and bioavailability-enhanced NutriGenesis® B-vitamins.
Talk to your doctor: Before starting any new regimen that includes dietary supplements, consult with a healthcare professional.

Let’s first address the key distinction between creatine’s natural energy benefits and caffeine’s stimulatory effects -- and how that may affect taking them together.

Creatine vs. Caffeine: How They Work

Creatine vs. Caffeine: How They Work. A scoop of creatine powder sits on a yellow table, next to a bunch of black-and-yellow caffeine supplement capsules.

Creatine and caffeine are structurally different. These structural differences facilitate functional differences in how creatine and caffeine “boost energy,” as well as the type of energy they boost:

Creatine – as a phosphate donor, creatine assists with the conversion of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the basic energy-carrying unit found in the cells of all living things that fuels muscle contractions and many other metabolic processes.⁽¹⁾
Caffeine – Psychostimulant naturally present in many dietary food sources, such as coffee beans and green tea leaves. Caffeine blunts the fatigue-promoting effects of adenosine, resulting in heightened mental arousal and focus.⁽²⁾

Creatine works by fueling the natural production of cellular ATP energy, a non-stimulatory energy-carrying unit that fuels muscle contractions and many other bioenergetic reactions.⁽³⁾

Caffeine, on the other hand, influences the body’s fatigue-promoting neurochemical process to instead promote elevated arousal, alertness, and attention.

Caffeine's short-term performance advantages naturally complement to creatine’s long-range muscle benefits.

But does it make sense to take them at the same time for exercise performance benefits?

Before we get into the benefits of creatine and caffeine together, let's quickly summarize some benefits of each when taken alone:

Benefits of Caffeine for Athletes

Potential Benefits of Caffeine for Athletes. A woman training with battle rope in cross fit gym with exposed brickwork in the background.

Caffeine provides a reliable rush of energy that can power athletes to higher exercise intensity across all kinds of training and sports performance. Plus mental sharpness for a unique athletic edge.

Endurance: Caffeine before exercise delays fatigue. It may improve endurance performance and overall aerobic capacity by increasing time to exhaustion during prolonged exercise.⁽⁴⁾

A man is jogging on a concrete path overlooking the sea, demonstrating the endurance benefits of caffeine supplementation.

Muscle Strength and Power: Acute caffeine intake may enhance muscle strength and power; beneficial for high-intensity activities and resistance exercise.⁽⁵⁾

Fast Thinking and Focus: Caffeine enhances reaction time, alertness, and cognitive function, which can be critical during sports competitions.⁽⁶⁾ Especially helpful for focus and intensity in the gym.

A fit, shirtless young man is performing a bench press at a weight machine. His face shows intense focus – one of the benefits of caffeine for athletes – as he powers through the press.

"Easier" Exercise: Caffeine reduces perceived exertion during exercise, making it easier to maintain higher intensities for longer periods.⁽⁷⁾ Some report it has increased perceived energy levels and sharpened mental alertness, as well.

Enhanced Fat Oxidation: Caffeine increases fat oxidation during exercise, sparing muscle glycogen and improving endurance performance.⁽⁸⁾ It is a popular supplement for shedding body weight and improving body composition overall.

A woman is holding a yellow tape measure around her waist to demonstrate weight loss. Fat burning is one of the benefits of caffeine for athletes.

Increased Sprint Performance: Caffeine consumption may enhance sprint performance and overall anaerobic capacity.⁽⁹⁾

Benefits of Creatine for Athletes

What most exercisers and athletes notice with creatine monohydrate is a greater capacity to work out harder for longer before hitting muscle exhaustion and failure.

Muscle Mass and Strength: Creatine supplementation may increase lean muscle mass and strength, particularly in conjunction with resistance training. This has been attributed to creatine’s role in ATP cell energy and protein synthesis.⁽¹⁰⁾

Benefits of creatine for athletes. A muscular torso of a young man demonstrating the lean muscle mass gains associated with creatine supplementation.

Recovery: Creatine may assist with in faster recovery between sets and workouts, reducing muscle damage and accelerating muscle relaxation time.⁽¹¹⁾

Increased Muscle Hydration: Creatine causes muscles to retain water, leading to cell volumization and promoting an anabolic (muscle growth) environment.⁽¹²⁾

A bare torso is shown with bicep flexing as dumbbell is raised. Arm muscles are highlighted in blue to demonstrate increased muscle hydration with creatine supplementation.

Reduced Fatigue and Enhanced Endurance: Creatine helps delay the onset of fatigue and enhances endurance performance by maintaining ATP levels.^(13.14) Creatine benefits athletes who engage in shorter-duration high-intensity exercise, like bodybuilders and sprinters.

Benefits of creatine for athletes are more noticeable in short-burst, high-intensity exercise like sprinting. Three sprinters are shown competing in a race.

Buffering Lactic Acid Accumulation. Lactic acid is typically associated with the muscular “burning” sensation late in one’s workout or set, as the body’s natural energy (e.g., creatine, glycogen, etc.) reserves are depleted. Creatine can help increase muscular endurance via this pathway.⁽¹⁵⁾

Plus: Creatine is a Brain-Boosting Nootropic

Creatine is a Brain-Boosting Nootropic. A computer illustration showing a brain illuminating inside a human head.

Creatine may help cognitive performance in the areas of cell energy, short-term memory and reasoning, especially in the context of stress, quick thinking and aging.^(16,17)

Caffeine and Creatine at the Same Time: Pros & Cons

Caffeine and creatine at the same time: Pros and cons. A white porcelain bowl of creatine powder on a wooden surface surrounded by coffee beans.

There is not nearly as much research on mixing creatine and caffeine as there is on each taking each supplement on its own.

As concurrent ergogenic supplements for athletes (as well as for people seeking nootropic benefits), combining creatine with caffeine appears to have some potential benefits and drawbacks:

Possible Benefits

Anaerobic Performance: Some studies suggest that mixing creatine and caffeine can improve anaerobic performance, such as repeated sprint performance.⁽¹⁸⁾

Complementary Benefits: Because creatine and caffeine enhance energy and performance separately, their effects add on top of one another, rather than compete for the same bio-pathways.

Muscle Power: Athletes sometimes mix creatine with caffeine to enhance muscle power output during high-intensity activities via cell energy and stimulation.

Possible benefits of caffeine and creatine include improved muscle output, athlete’s muscular torso against a gritty background pumping weights with defined muscles.

Short- and Long-Term Benefits: Creatine gradually accumulates within muscle tissue; caffeine acts instantaneously. The benefits of this combination are both gradual and immediate.

Body Composition: Creatine promotes muscle mass gains, elevating the body’s resting fat-burning metabolism, caffeine provides acute thermogenic calorie-burning benefits during exercise.^(19,20)

Possible Drawbacks

Possible drawbacks of caffeine and creatine include greater risk of dehydration. A long-distance runner is shown “hitting the wall” crouched at the side of a road looking exhausted.

Dehydration: It’s commonly recommended to “drink more water” while taking creatine. Likewise, caffeine’s diuretic effect may further increase risk of dehydration when combined with creatine.⁽²¹⁾

Potential Interference with Creatine: Some early research suggests that combining caffeine with creatine counteracts the muscle recovery benefits of creatine.⁽²²⁾ Some consider this a "creatine and caffeine myth" due to the small study size and exaggerated or misinterpreted reporting of its results.

Caffeine and creatine may not interact optimally. A boxer is shown fatigued, leaning up against the gym wall after running out of energy while training.

Digestive Discomfort: If you mix creatine and caffeine into one serving, may increase the risk of gastrointestinal symptoms, such as stomach cramps and diarrhea, which can negatively impact performance.⁽²³⁾

Creatine and caffeine taken together may increase risk of gastric side effects. An athlete is shown doubled over in stomach discomfort while sitting on a weight bench.

Mixed Results on Athletic Performance Enhancements: The combination of caffeine and creatine has shown mixed results in studies, with some indicating no additional benefits compared to taking either supplement alone.^(24,25)

Can I Mix Creatine with Caffeine?

The short answer: yes, you can take caffeine and creatine at the same time (concurrent supplementation) but it may not be the best strategy.

Here's why you might just want to take creatine and caffeine separately if both are part of your regiment.

Creatine supplementation works over time for exercise performance.

Creatine supplementation works over time for exercise performance. A calendar, stopwatch and tape measure are shown, illustrating fitness gains over time.

Muscle creatine loading -- the practice of topping off creatine stores to saturate muscle cells -- is the ultimate goal of creatine supplementation. When muscle phosphocreatine levels are totally saturated and ready for explosive gym energy.

The creatine loading phase occurs over a 5-7 days of heavy dosing and is then maintained with a smaller dose over time.

It’s largely believed that when you take creatine matters very little, so long as you’re getting enough creatine daily and consistently, over time.

Many athletes prefer to take split their creatine doses into several smaller servings taken throughout the day. Most popularly after working out.

Did you know? Protein or creatine taken around the time of working out is suggested to be more effective for increasing muscle mass and strength.⁽²⁶⁾

Caffeine works fast for energy and alertness.

Caffeine works fast for energy and alertness. A woman is shown intensely focused as she performs rope exercises in a gritty gym.

Caffeine's efficacy for boosting gym training or mental exertion depends highly on when the caffeine is taken, relative to the task at hand.

Therefore the best strategy is to prioritize caffeine anhydrous intake timing, and work creatine supplementation into other free time slots. Ideally take creatine no less than 2 hours before or after caffeine ingestion.

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand, until research shows otherwise, "it may be prudent to consume caffeine and creatine separately, or avoid high caffeine intakes when utilizing creatine for muscular benefits."⁽²⁷⁾

Best Caffeine Supplements to Take with Creatine

Want to stack creatine with caffeine? We've got some top-quality dietary supplement products to help. A "smooth energy" pre-workout with low-moderate dose caffeine (80 mg), and a "smart caffeine pill" that balances stimulation with calm mental clarity.

Pre Lab Pro®

Best Pre-Workout to Mix With Creatine: Pre Lab Pro. Black tub is open showing pink powder and scoop. Next to tub sits a glass of prepared pre-workout drink, delicious berry flavor.

Ultramodern pre-workout supplement boosts mental and physical performance.

Ingredients: Red Beetroot Powder; Setria® Performance Blend; Natural Caffeine; L-Theanine; L-Tyrosine; Vitamin D3, B-vitamins, Potassium and Iron (all as NutriGenesis®), Himalayan Pink Salt. Delicious natural berry flavor.

Pre Lab Pro® is a nootropics-enhanced pre-workout formula with a moderate dose of sport-tuned caffeine with amino acids that improve exercise performance via balanced energy and calm control.

With an additional nitric oxide boost for blood flow plus natural hydration support, Pre Lab Pro® enhances intensity, motivation and mental sharpness throughout your session -- for better gym performance, muscle growth and muscle gains overall.

If you're looking for a pre-workout to complement creatine or even take at the same time as creatine, this is your best bet.

Shop Pre Lab Pro®

Performance Lab® Caffeine 2™

Performance Lab Caffeine 2 is the best caffeine pill to stack with creatine. Bottle, box and capsules are shown on a counter next to a croissant and orange juice.

This "smart caffeine" delivers precision stimulation in a cleaner, healthier format.

Ingredients: Natural Caffeine (from Coffea robusta seeds), L-Theanine, L-Tyrosine, NutriGenesis® Caffeine Balance B-Complex.

Caffeine 2™ enhances all caffeine advantages and benefits -- alertness, mental clarity, physical and mental energy -- while reducing jitters, crashes and other unpleasant side effects. The end result is performance-tuned stimulation: Cleaner, healthier, sharper vitality that's easy and convenient to take every day.

Take 1, 2, 3 or more Caffeine 2™ capsules. 50 mg of caffeine each. Precision dosing makes this a great choice for those seeking to scale back caffeine or reduce its potential interactions with

Shop Performance Lab® Caffeine 2™

Conclusion

Conclusion on caffeine and creatine taken together. A blue-and-white caffeine capsule is shown nestled among roasted coffee beans.

Supplementing creatine and caffeine may boost lean body mass, muscle and strength gains while enhancing physical performance. They also offer form a powerful nootropic stack that may enhance cognitive performance, reduce mental fatigue, and support overall brain health.

Taking creatine and caffeine at the same time may not be the best approach to getting these benefits. For best results, take caffeine as needed in low-to-moderate dosages, and take creatine at other times -- splitting doses into smaller servings for greater digestive comfort.

With consistency, good dosing and quality products, caffeine and creatine supplementation form a powerful synergistic combination that provides both immediate and long-term benefits. It's an appealing choice for anyone looking to boost their physical and mental performance.