Creatine and Caffeine: Does Caffeine Block Creatine Absorption?

A single 1996 study launched decades of concern about combining creatine and caffeine. The evidence since then paints a more nuanced picture than the internet suggests.

January 28, 2026 | 8 min read

The Origin: Vandenberghe et al. 1996

The belief that caffeine negates creatine's benefits traces to a single study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology by Vandenberghe and colleagues in 1996. This study has been cited thousands of times and remains the primary reference whenever someone warns against combining the two supplements.

The study design: nine healthy male subjects underwent three experimental conditions in a crossover design. They received creatine alone (0.5 g/kg/day for 6 days), caffeine alone (5 mg/kg/day), or creatine plus caffeine. Muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) content was measured via muscle biopsy. The key finding was that while creatine loading successfully increased intramuscular PCr stores in both the creatine-only and creatine-plus-caffeine conditions, the dynamic resynthesis of PCr during recovery from exercise was impaired in the combined condition. In other words, creatine still got into the muscle, but caffeine appeared to blunt the functional benefit during intermittent exercise.

This finding was specific and limited: caffeine did not prevent creatine absorption or storage. It affected the rate of PCr resynthesis during repeated high-intensity exercise bouts. The distinction matters, because the popular interpretation—that caffeine blocks creatine—overstates what the study actually found.

Methodological Considerations

Several aspects of the Vandenberghe study merit critical evaluation:

• Sample size: Nine subjects is a very small sample. The statistical power to detect interaction effects is limited, and individual variation could substantially influence group-level results.
• Caffeine dose: The 5 mg/kg dose is high—equivalent to roughly 350–400 mg for a 70–80 kg individual. Most caffeine consumers ingest 100–200 mg per day (1–2 cups of coffee). The dose-response relationship was not explored.
• Acute vs. chronic: The protocol measured acute performance effects during a specific exercise bout. It did not assess chronic training adaptations over weeks or months, which is how most people use creatine.
• Creatine loading dose: The 0.5 g/kg/day loading dose is substantially higher than modern protocols (typically 0.3 g/kg/day or ~20 g/day). For an 80 kg male, this would be 40 g/day—an unusually aggressive protocol.

Subsequent Research: A Different Picture

Lee et al. 2011

Lee, Lin, and Cheng (2011) directly investigated whether caffeine co-ingestion affected creatine's ergogenic properties during high-intensity interval exercise. Twelve physically active men completed trials with creatine plus caffeine, creatine plus placebo, and placebo plus placebo. The creatine protocol was 20 g/day for 5 days; the caffeine dose was 6 mg/kg administered acutely.

The results did not replicate the Vandenberghe finding. Creatine supplementation improved intermittent sprint performance regardless of caffeine co-ingestion. The authors concluded that caffeine did not negate the ergogenic effects of creatine loading on high-intensity interval running.

Trexler and Smith-Ryan 2015

Trexler and Smith-Ryan (2015) published a comprehensive narrative review examining the interaction between creatine and caffeine. After analyzing all available evidence, they concluded that the body of literature did not support the notion that caffeine meaningfully impairs creatine's ergogenic effects when both are consumed at typical supplementation doses. They noted that the Vandenberghe finding had not been consistently replicated and that several subsequent studies found no interference.

Their review identified several potential mechanisms by which caffeine could theoretically interfere with creatine, but also noted that the in vivo evidence did not consistently support these mechanisms at physiologically relevant doses.

Dolan et al. 2017

Dolan et al. (2017) conducted a study examining the combined effects of creatine and caffeine on repeated Wingate performance. Participants loaded creatine (20 g/day for 5 days) and then performed tests with or without acute caffeine ingestion (300 mg). Creatine loading improved peak power regardless of caffeine condition. The study found no evidence that caffeine blunted the performance benefits of creatine supplementation.

González et al. 2022

A more recent systematic review by González and colleagues (2022) examined the totality of evidence on creatine-caffeine co-ingestion. The review included studies conducted over the 25+ years since the original Vandenberghe paper. The authors found mixed results across the literature but noted that the majority of studies did not find that caffeine negated creatine's ergogenic effects. They recommended that individuals who consume both supplements need not separate their intake based on current evidence.

Mechanism Analysis: Why Might Caffeine Interfere?

Several hypothetical mechanisms have been proposed for a caffeine-creatine interaction. Each has some theoretical basis but limited empirical support:

Opposing Effects on Muscle Relaxation Time

Creatine may slightly decrease muscle relaxation time (beneficial for rapid, repeated contractions). Caffeine is known to increase muscle relaxation time by enhancing calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and slowing calcium reuptake. The Vandenberghe group originally proposed this opposing-effects model. However, subsequent research has not consistently demonstrated that this mechanism produces a meaningful net negative effect on performance.

Gastrointestinal Interactions

Caffeine is a mild diuretic and increases gastrointestinal motility. In theory, this could reduce the transit time available for creatine absorption in the small intestine. However, creatine absorption is rapid and efficient (bioavailability exceeds 95% for creatine monohydrate), and studies measuring intramuscular creatine content have confirmed that caffeine does not prevent creatine from reaching the muscle.

Adenosine Receptor Antagonism

Caffeine exerts many of its stimulatory effects by blocking adenosine receptors. Since the phosphocreatine system is intimately linked to adenine nucleotide metabolism, there is a theoretical basis for caffeine affecting PCr dynamics. However, the creatine phosphokinase reaction operates independently of adenosine receptor signaling, and this mechanism remains speculative.

What the Combined Evidence Shows

Finding	Evidence Level
Caffeine prevents creatine absorption into muscle	Not supported. Muscle creatine content increases regardless of caffeine.
Caffeine negates creatine's strength benefits	Not consistently supported. Most studies find creatine works with caffeine.
Caffeine impairs PCr resynthesis rate	One study (Vandenberghe 1996) supports this; subsequent studies have not replicated it consistently.
Both supplements can be used together safely	Strongly supported. No safety concerns with co-ingestion.
Separating intake by hours eliminates any interaction	Plausible but untested as a specific protocol. Caffeine's half-life is 3–7 hours.

Practical Conclusions

The evidence, taken as a whole, does not support avoiding caffeine while using creatine. The original Vandenberghe finding was a single, small study that examined a very specific performance parameter (PCr resynthesis during intermittent exercise) and used doses of both supplements that exceed typical consumption. Subsequent research has largely failed to replicate the negative interaction.

For the practical user, the recommendations are straightforward:

• Continue using both. If you consume caffeine (coffee, tea, or supplements) and take creatine, there is no strong reason to stop either or to separate their intake.
• If concerned, separate timing. For those who want to minimize any theoretical interaction, taking creatine with a meal several hours before or after caffeine consumption is a reasonable precaution. However, there is no controlled evidence showing this separation improves outcomes.
• Dose matters. The Vandenberghe study used high doses of both supplements. At moderate caffeine intake (100–200 mg/day) and standard creatine dosing (3–5 g/day), any interaction is likely to be negligible.
• Individual variation. Some individuals may respond differently. If you notice that combining creatine and caffeine produces gastrointestinal discomfort (both can cause GI issues independently), separating the doses is sensible for tolerance reasons alone.
• Chronic use is the relevant context. Most people use creatine daily over months and years. The Vandenberghe study examined acute effects during a single exercise session. The long-term training adaptations facilitated by creatine saturation are unlikely to be meaningfully impaired by daily caffeine consumption.

The creatine-caffeine interaction is one of the most overstated concerns in sports nutrition. The original finding was real but narrow. The subsequent literature does not support the broad conclusion that caffeine blocks or negates creatine. Use both according to your needs and preferences.

Bibliography

1. Vandenberghe K, Gillis N, Van Leemputte M, Van Hecke P, Hespel P. Caffeine counteracts the ergogenic action of muscle creatine loading. J Appl Physiol. 1996;80(2):452-457. doi:10.1152/jappl.1996.80.2.452
2. Lee CL, Lin JC, Cheng CF. Effect of caffeine ingestion after creatine supplementation on intermittent high-intensity sprint performance. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011;111(8):1669-1677. doi:10.1007/s00421-010-1792-0
3. Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE. Creatine and caffeine: considerations for concurrent supplementation. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2015;25(6):607-623. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2014-0193
4. Dolan E, Gualano B, Rawson ES. Beyond muscle: the effects of creatine supplementation on brain creatine, cognitive processing, and traumatic brain injury. Eur J Sport Sci. 2019;19(1):1-14. doi:10.1080/17461391.2018.1500644
5. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
6. Harris RC, Söderlund K, Hultman E. Elevation of creatine in resting and exercised muscle of normal subjects by creatine supplementation. Clin Sci (Lond). 1992;83(3):367-374. doi:10.1042/cs0830367
7. Hespel P, Op't Eijnde B, Van Leemputte M. Opposite actions of caffeine and creatine on muscle relaxation time in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2002;92(2):513-518. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00255.2001