Thread: Does Caffeine Block Creatine?

I've just read this article excerpt from anabolicminds.com on "Why creatine and caffeine are a bad combination?" Hope this could help to everyone seeking information.

"It is thus relevant that one of PCr's primary roles in muscle is to provide the energy to return calcium into these reservoirs. In this manner creatine (PCr) assists in muscle relaxation and enhances our athletic performance. Interestingly, caffeine has the opposite effect of allowing calcium to escape from these intracellular calcium storage sites. Caffeine would thus hamper muscle relaxation. In agreement with these findings a recent study has shown that caffeine interferes with creatine's ability to facilitate muscle relaxation, especially during moments of fatigue (ref. 2). Caffeine might thusly confound the ability of PCr to store away calcium and in doing so nullify part of creatine's benefit."

Sad to hear. Napalm is one of the best pre-workouts i've taken, Guess i'll have to find a new one.

Right now i am taking some pre-workout razor8 and then creatine after my workout.Should i take my creatine later in the day?

I would say that's not true.

Jack3d (UspLabs) is amazing, and it does have creatine and caffeine in the mix. Will continue to use it no matter what. It's damn good.

False, that's simply a myth.

Ive never had much luck with any creatine product until i just recently used creapure creatine monohydrate
ive gained more weight on this than any type of cellmass, green mag,CEE pills, size-on
maybe because all thoes things have high amounts of caffeine?

I would lean towards saying itnis a myth however it is never a bad thing to be aware of the possibilities. In will definitely read up on this topic. Good post man.

Originally Posted by Shannon.Fitness

I've just read this article excerpt from anabolicminds.com on "Why creatine and caffeine are a bad combination?" Hope this could help to everyone seeking information.

"It is thus relevant that one of PCr's primary roles in muscle is to provide the energy to return calcium into these reservoirs. In this manner creatine (PCr) assists in muscle relaxation and enhances our athletic performance. Interestingly, caffeine has the opposite effect of allowing calcium to escape from these intracellular calcium storage sites. Caffeine would thus hamper muscle relaxation. In agreement with these findings a recent study has shown that caffeine interferes with creatine's ability to facilitate muscle relaxation, especially during moments of fatigue (ref. 2). Caffeine might thusly confound the ability of PCr to store away calcium and in doing so nullify part of creatine's benefit."

Kudos on the research, but the conclusion of that study is less then black & white, firstly, it contains the word "might" in its conclusion and secondly, it says it might "nullify part of creatine's benefits." Granted, calcium plays a role in the Sliding Filament Theory of muscle contraction, but calcium is hardly a primary role of creatine. The fundamental benefit of creatine is creatine immediately offering its phosphate bonds to broken down ATP (or ADP/AMP at the point it offers its phosphate bond); a short cut to waiting on the Kreb Cycle and Electron Chain Transport to provide more ATP.

I would still wager that creatine + caffeine will have an overall more beneficial effect on gym performance then creatine alone.