# Can you take creatine with coffee or caffeine?

Source: https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/can-you-take-creatine-with-caffeine-coffee/
Publisher: Healthnews24 (South Africa's supplement answer desk)
Updated: 2026-10-27

> Yes, you can take creatine with coffee or caffeine. An early 1996 study suggested caffeine might blunt creatine's benefit, but later work has not confirmed a consistent clash, and both are on the AIS Group A list. Practically, take 3-5 g of creatine a day and keep caffeine at 3-6 mg per kg, adding up coffee, pre-workout and energy drinks.

Key facts:
- Creatine and caffeine are both AIS Group A performance supplements; no reliable harmful interaction has been shown at normal doses.
- ISSN caffeine dose: 3-6 mg/kg (about 210 mg for 70 kg at 3 mg/kg); about 9 mg/kg adds side effects without extra benefit.
- Published caffeine in pre-workouts sold in SA: 150 mg (Biogen Premium, USN XTS Hyperdrive) and 300 mg (USN Qhush Platinum Black, from its global, non-SA page).
- Creatine slowly degrades in solution, so mix and drink rather than pre-mixing.

## Is it safe to mix creatine and caffeine?

For healthy adults, yes. Both are AIS Group A performance supplements with strong evidence, and the ISSN position stands on each do not warn against using them together. The worry dates back to a small 1996 study (Vandenberghe and colleagues, *Journal of Applied Physiology*) in which caffeine taken alongside creatine loading cancelled creatine's benefit in repeated knee-extension efforts. Later studies and reviews have been mixed and have not shown a reliable interaction at normal doses. Evidence level for any clash: **weak and inconsistent**.

## What is the sensible approach?

- **Take creatine daily at 3-5 g;** the time of day is not critical (see [when to take creatine](/answers/when-to-take-creatine/)).
- **Use caffeine at 3-6 mg per kg of body weight** when you want a performance effect (ISSN); for a 70 kg person, 3 mg/kg is about 210 mg. Benefits can begin around 2 mg/kg, and about 9 mg/kg adds side effects without extra benefit.
- **Keep them separate if you want to be cautious.** Taking creatine with a post-training meal and caffeine 60 minutes before training avoids the question entirely.
- **Don't count on creatine to cancel caffeine's side effects:** jitteriness, a fast heart rate and poor sleep can still happen.

## Can you put creatine in coffee?

You can, but it is not ideal. Creatine dissolves slowly and slightly more readily in warm liquid (see [how to mix creatine](/answers/how-to-mix-creatine/)), and it breaks down gradually in solution, so stir it in and drink promptly rather than leaving a pre-mixed cup standing. A shake or a glass of water is simpler. Coffee is not dehydrating at moderate doses in active people.

## How much caffeine is in a pre-workout?

Many South African pre-workouts do not publish their caffeine content. The figures we could find are 150 mg for Biogen Premium Pre-Workout and USN XTS Hyperdrive, and 300 mg for USN Qhush Platinum Black per its global (non-South African) product page, which may differ from the local tub; Dis-Chem pages for NPL, Evox and other pre-workouts list caffeine anhydrous but not the milligrams. Add up all sources in a day: a high-caffeine pre-workout, two strong coffees and an energy drink can add up to 500-600 mg. See the [best pre-workout in South Africa](/best/best-pre-workout-south-africa/).

## Who should avoid combining them?

- Pregnant women (follow obstetric advice on caffeine limits).
- People with heart rhythm problems, high blood pressure or anxiety disorders.
- Under-18s should avoid high-dose stimulant products.
- Anyone taking medicines that interact with caffeine; ask a pharmacist or doctor.

Pure caffeine powders are dangerous because tiny measuring errors can be harmful; do not use them. If you are drug-tested, caffeine is on WADA's monitoring programme, not the Prohibited List, but multi-ingredient pre-workouts carry contamination risk.

## What do creatine and caffeine cost?

As of October 2026, creatine costs R2.22 to R6.25 per 5 g in South Africa, for example ATP Fitness Micronised 600 g at R4.17 per 5 g (R500) or Biogen 500 g at R4.45 (R444.99). Caffeine from coffee costs only cents per serving. For dosing see [how much creatine per day](/answers/how-much-creatine-per-day/), and for tubs see the [best creatine in South Africa](/best/best-creatine-south-africa/).

## Products mentioned

| Product | Size | Price (source, date) | Servings | R per 5 g | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATP Fitness Micronised Creatine Monohydrate | 600 g | R500 (ATP Fitness shop, 2026-10) | — | R4.17 | None |
| Biogen Creatine Monohydrate Unflavoured 500 g | 500 g | R445 (Dis-Chem (listing via PriceCheck), 2026-10) | 100 | R4.45 | None (unflavoured) |
| USN Pure Creatine Monohydrate 300 g | 300 g | R279-R299 (USN online shop, 2026-10) | — | R4.98 | not stated |
| Biogen Premium Pre-Workout 600 g | 600 g | R399.99-R429.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | — | — | not stated |

Disclosure: ATP Fitness is a commercial partner of Healthnews24 and its products are featured on this site. Rankings follow our published method, and every pick, including ATP Fitness, shows its price maths and trade-offs.

## Sources

- [Guest et al. 2021, ISSN position stand: caffeine and exercise performance (JISSN)](https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4)
- [Kreider et al. 2017, ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine (JISSN)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5469049/)
- [Australian Institute of Sport Supplement Framework, Group A](https://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/supplements/group_a)
- [Maughan et al. 2018, IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete (BJSM 52:439)](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/7/439.abstract)
- [Vandenberghe et al. 1996, Caffeine counteracts the ergogenic action of muscle creatine loading (J Appl Physiol)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8929583/)