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Creatine and coffee: do they cancel out?

Short answer: Probably yes. The idea that coffee cancels creatine comes mainly from one small 1996 study using very high loading doses. Later trials are mixed, and a 2016 trial found no difference when creatine was taken with coffee. The evidence is graded weak, so if you want to play it safe during a high-dose loading phase, you could take them at different times of day (a precaution, not something trials have tested). On a normal daily dose, there is no clear reason to skip your coffee.

TakeItWhen grade: weak

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Common questions

Where does the "coffee cancels creatine" idea come from?

A 1996 study in 9 healthy men. Over 6 days of high-dose creatine loading, creatine alone raised dynamic torque by 10 to 23%, but adding caffeine (5 mg per kg per day) erased that gain, even though muscle phosphocreatine rose 4 to 6% in both groups.

What did later studies find?

In a 2016 trial, 54 active men loaded creatine for 5 days alone, with 300 mg caffeine, or with coffee giving 303 mg caffeine. Strength improved in all groups, with no difference between them. Creatine alone did not beat placebo either, so the trial could not show much interference. A 2022 systematic review of 10 studies found that with daily use of both, 2 studies reported interference, 3 found no interaction and 1 found synergy.

Does creatine weaken a pre-workout coffee?

It does not seem to. The same 2022 review concluded that creatine loading does not seem to interfere with the acute effect of caffeine before exercise.

Any side effects of taking them together?

In the 2016 trial, 4 people reported mild stomach discomfort with creatine plus caffeine, and no side effects were reported in the other groups. Splitting them apart is an easy fix if that happens to you.

Sources

How we grade: strong consistent human trials, moderate some human trials, weak limited or indirect evidence, myth evidence says no. This is general information, not medical advice. If you take a prescription medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

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