Introduction
A common question we often get is whether you should take creatine and beta alanine on rest days. The short answer is yes. However, you don’t have to after a certain point me , in this article we'll explore why.
Both creatine and beta alanine are well researched ingredients for increasing exercise performance, strength and power (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). They are both saturation-based ingredients, meaning that you need to take them consistently to increase stores in the body.
Saturation Based Ingredients
Creatine requires you to reach about 125g-140g in the body, which can be achieved by taking 5g per day for a month (6). Beta alanine on the other hand, require you to get about 178g, which can be achieved by taking 4g per day for 45 days (3).
Loading Phases
When you first start supplementing with creatine and beta alanine, it is key that you take them every day. This consistent intake will help you reach the necessary saturation levels in the body; once you’ve reached these levels, you can actually reduce the frequency of supplementation.
Maintenance Phase
After this initial loading phase, you can get away with skipping taking these supplements on rest days, and only take them on training days. Alternatively, you can take them 3-4 days a week, whenever suits you best.
Returning to Baseline
After reaching saturation levels, you can reduce the dosage and frequency. For creatine, it takes about four weeks for levels to return to baseline if you stop taking it. For beta-alanine, it takes around 6-8 weeks.
Why Pre-Workouts aren’t ideal for Creatine and Beta Alanine
Creatine and beta alanine are often included in pre workout supplements. We’re not a fan of this approach for a few reasons.
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No Acute Ergogenic Effects: Both creatine and beta alanine don’t have an immediate benefit when taken just before a workout. You can argue that Creatine contributes to energy production but it hasn’t been proven to provide a significant acute benefit. Preworkout supplements should contain ingredients that have an immediate and direct benefit for the upcoming training session. This is how we created Workout Fuel.
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Inconsistent Usage: Saturation based ingredients such as creatine and beta alanine will only work if taken consistently. Most prewokouts contain less than the effective doses of creatine and beta alanine, and people don't typically take preworkout every day. For example, if a preworkout contains 3g of creatine and you take it 3 times per week, that's only 9g per week. To reach the 140g saturation point, it would take you around 15 weeks, and due to daily depletion, you may never reach full saturation.
Marketing in the Supplement Industry
Many supplement brands will suggest taking their preworkout supplements daily to maintain creatine and beta alanine levels. This advice can be very misleading and is generally just a way to drive sales.
We believe that using standalone creatine and beta alanine supplements is a better option. This allows you to control your dosage better, as well as enabling you to add them to foods, shakes or water as needed.
Conclusion
To conclude, yes, you should take creatine and beta alanine on rest days, during the initial loading phase to reach saturation levels. Once you’ve achieved these levels, you can reduce the frequency of supplementation, taking them only on training days or a few times a week.
Avoid relying on preworkout supplements for your creatine and beta alanine intake, as they often contain insufficient doses. If you’re looking for the best pre workout to take with with your creatine and beta alanine, check out workout fuel.
References
