Protein and Creatine Before or After a Workout? What Matters More
Before or after both work for protein if you hit your daily total, and creatine works by taking it every day. Here's where EAAs fit, plus a simple schedule for when you actually train.
Short answer: for protein, before or after both work, as long as you hit your daily total. A 2025 systematic review found no meaningful difference in muscle or strength between pre- and post-workout protein when daily intake was matched. For creatine, the time of day matters far less than taking 5 g every day. EAAs are optional: handy if you train fasted, mostly redundant if you already have a protein-rich meal or shake. Below: what the research shows, where a shake still helps, and a schedule for morning, lunch-hour and evening lifters.
What the 2025 review found on protein before vs after training
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled studies where people did resistance training and took protein either before or after their sessions. When the total amount of protein over the day was the same, the timing made no meaningful difference to muscle growth or strength (full text).
So the number that matters is your protein across the whole day. If you're not sure what yours is, our guide to how much protein you need per day turns a target into scoops and meals.
What the evidence doesn't show
Training studies like these usually run for weeks or a few months, in healthy adults who are already eating reasonably well. We don't know for certain whether timing matters more for someone eating very little protein, or over many years of training.
Where a whey shake still makes sense around a session
A shake is still a handy way to get a known amount of protein when food is awkward. It's worth it when:
- It's been four or five hours since you last ate. A shake on either side of the session closes that gap.
- You train fasted first thing. Having protein soon after means you're not running until lunch on nothing.
- You struggle to reach your daily target.
As an example, one 31 g scoop of Whey Protein Concentrate in Vanilla gives you 24 g of protein, 127 calories, 2 g of carbohydrates, 2 g of fat and 2.6 g of leucine. It contains milk and is sweetened with sucralose. The directions say to mix one scoop in 250 to 500 ml of water or other liquid and drink it within 30 minutes of making it. A 1 kg bag of Vanilla is about 32 scoops, at $69.99, or about $2.19 a serving.
If you'll be eating a proper meal with 20 to 40 g of protein within an hour or two of training, you can skip the shake.
Creatine: the time of day matters less than every day
Creatine builds up in your muscles over time, so what counts is taking it consistently. The International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on creatine notes that a daily dose of about 3 to 5 g raises muscle creatine stores over roughly three to four weeks, while a short loading phase gets there faster.
Whether creatine works better before or after training is still an open question. We haven't seen strong enough evidence either way to plan your day around it, so pick the time you're least likely to forget.
Our Creatine Monohydrate uses a 5 g scoop with 0 calories and contains none of the listed allergens. The directions are one scoop once a day, mixed well in 1 to 2 cups (250 to 500 ml) of liquid just before you drink it, for a minimum of four weeks. The product page says it "improves strength/power/performance in repetitive bouts of brief, highly-intense physical activity" and "increases body/muscle mass when used in conjunction with a resistance training regimen."
On value, the 454 g bag is about 90 servings at $39.99 ($0.44 a serving), and the 1 kg bag is about 200 servings at $59.99 ($0.30 a serving). If you're over 40, our post on creatine after 40 covers the newer research for that age group.
EAAs: who they help and who can skip them
EAAs (Essential Amino Acids) (Instantized) give you all nine essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein your body can't make on its own, in one serving. One 9 g scoop of Unflavoured has 1,824 mg of L-leucine, 3,000 mg of L-lysine, 1,194 mg of L-valine, 1,065 mg of L-isoleucine and 1,000 mg of L-methionine, plus smaller amounts of the other four. Unflavoured has no other ingredients; the flavoured versions (11 g scoops) contain sucralose.
They make sense if you train fasted and don't want a full shake sitting in your stomach, or if you like something to sip during a long session. The directions are one scoop once a day in 500 to 750 ml of liquid.
If you already have a whey shake or a protein-rich meal near your workout, EAAs add little. Here's the honest comparison:
| EAAs, Unflavoured (1 kg) | Whey Protein Concentrate, Vanilla (1 kg) | |
|---|---|---|
| Scoop | 9 g | 31 g |
| Essential amino acids | About 9.2 g | About 11.4 g (within 24 g of protein) |
| Leucine | 1.8 g | 2.6 g |
| Calories (label) | 0 kcal | 127 kcal |
| Price per serving | $0.63 (about 111 servings) | $2.19 (about 32 servings) |
EAAs cost less per scoop, but a scoop of whey gives you all nine essential amino acids plus the rest of a complete 24 g serving of protein. For most people, the whey alone covers it. Flavoured EAAs cost more per serving: the 454 g Orange is about 41 servings at $39.99, or $0.98 each.
A simple schedule for morning, lunch-hour and evening lifters
Optional: one scoop of EAAs in water before or during training. After: a whey shake or a protein-rich breakfast. Stir your 5 g of creatine into the shake or a glass of water.
If breakfast was more than four hours ago, have a shake before you go or right after. Then eat lunch as normal. Creatine with lunch or your shake, whichever you'll remember.
Eat a normal dinner before or after training; a shake only if dinner is more than a couple of hours away. Creatine with dinner, or keep it to the morning if that's your habit.
Same protein target, same 5 g of creatine. No EAAs needed.
Get your daily protein, take 5 g of creatine every day, and treat everything else as preference. Pin creatine to something you already do daily, like your morning coffee.
Protein and creatine timing: FAQ
Is the 30-minute anabolic window real?
Not in the strict sense. The 2025 review found that protein before or after training gave similar results when daily intake matched, so there's no need to race to the locker room. Eating within a few hours either side of training is plenty.
Can I mix creatine into my protein shake?
Yes. The directions say to mix 5 g in 1 to 2 cups of liquid just before drinking, and your shake counts.
Should I take creatine on rest days?
Yes. Creatine works by building up in your muscles over weeks, so taking 5 g every day, training or not, keeps those stores topped up.
Do I need EAAs if I take whey?
Usually not. A 31 g scoop of Vanilla Whey Protein Concentrate already contains all nine essential amino acids, about 11.4 g in total, as part of 24 g of protein. EAAs are mainly for fasted training or when you'd rather not have a full shake.
Is it okay to have a protein shake before bed?
Yes, if it helps you reach your daily target. What counts is the total across the day, so a shake at night does the same job as one at noon.
Start with the daily habit
If you add one thing this week, make it 5 g of creatine every day alongside the protein you already eat. It's the cheapest step here and the one where consistency pays off. For how creatine fits with protein and other basics, see our guide to building a simple supplement stack for strength training.
Explore Creatine MonohydrateReferences & further reading
Pre- vs post-exercise protein intake: 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis (PubMed abstract)
The same 2025 review: full text (PubMed Central)
Disclaimer: This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. If you have a health condition or take medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement.
