Creatine and Caffeine: Considerations for Concurrent Supplementation
Abstract
Nutritional supplementation is a common practice among athletes, with creatine and caffeine among the most commonly used ergogenic aids. Hundreds of studies have investigated the ergogenic potential of creatine supplementation, with consistent improvements in strength and power reported for exercise bouts of short duration (≤ 30 s) and high intensity. Caffeine has been shown to improve endurance exercise performance, but results are mixed in the context of strength and sprint performance. Further, there is conflicting evidence from studies comparing the ergogenic effects of coffee and caffeine anhydrous supplementation. Previous research has identified independent mechanisms by which creatine and caffeine may improve strength and sprint performance, leading to the formulation of multi-ingredient supplements containing both ingredients. Although scarce, research has suggested that caffeine ingestion may blunt the ergogenic effect of creatine. While a pharmacokinetic interaction is unlikely, authors have suggested that this effect may be explained by opposing effects on muscle relaxation time or gastrointestinal side effects from simultaneous consumption. The current review aims to evaluate the ergogenic potential of creatine and caffeine in the context of high-intensity exercise. Research directly comparing coffee and caffeine anhydrous is discussed, along with previous studies evaluating the concurrent supplementation of creatine and caffeine.
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There is a potential interference effect from the co-ingestion of caffeine and creatine compared to creatine alone.
“However, there is a potential interference effect from the co-ingestion of caffeine and creatine (Trexler and Smith-Ryan, 2015) compared to creatine alone (Vandenberghe et al., 1996; Hespel et al., 2002; Harris et al., 2005), potentially due to gastrointestinal distress impacting creatine uptake (Harris et al., 2005; Quesada and Gillum, 2013) or via opposing effects on calcium kinetics at the sarc”
From Creatine O'Clock: Does Timing of Ingestion Really Influence Muscle Mass and Performance? (2022) · cites this paper as Trexler and Smith-Ryan, 2015
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International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Caffeine and Exercise Performance
Guest, N. S., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Nelson, M. T., Grgic, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., Jenkins, N. D. M., Arent, S. M., Antonio, J., Stout, J. R., Trexler, E. T., et al. (2021) · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · doi:10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4 · Cited by 665 · see citing works
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Creatine O'Clock: Does Timing of Ingestion Really Influence Muscle Mass and Performance?
Candow, D. G., Forbes, S. C., Roberts, M. D., Roy, B. D., Antonio, J., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Rawson, E. S., Gualano, B., & Roschel, H. (2022) · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.893714 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Self-citationElosegui, S., López-Seoane, J., Martínez-Ferrán, M., & Pareja-Galeano, H. (2022) · International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism · doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2021-0262 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
- Authors
- Trexler, E. T., & Smith-Ryan, A. E.
- ORCID
- Trexler, Eric T.
- Venue
- International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
- Publisher
- Human Kinetics
- Published
- 2015-12
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 607-623
- ISSN
- 1526-484X (ISSN-L)
- 1543-2742
- OpenAlex
- W2254710481
- Cited by
- 57
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 1.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Coffee research and impacts
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Keywords
- creatine supplementation, caffeine supplementation, ergogenic aids, high-intensity exercise, strength and power, sprint performance, endurance performance, muscle relaxation time, gastrointestinal adverse effects, pharmacokinetic interactions, athletes
- MeSH terms
- Caffeine, Coffee, Creatine, Humans, Exercise, Dietary Supplements, Athletic Performance, Athletes, Performance-Enhancing Substances, Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
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