You can take creatine while fasting in most health‑ and fitness‑oriented fasts, as long as it is pure creatine (no added sugar, flavors, or calories) mixed with a zero‑calorie drink like water, black coffee, or plain tea.

Quick Scoop

  • Pure creatine monohydrate has essentially no calories, so for typical intermittent fasting aimed at fat loss, metabolic health, or autophagy, it is generally considered compatible with the fast when taken with water or other zero‑calorie drinks.
  • If your creatine is in a sweetened powder, ready‑to‑drink mix, or capsule with significant fillers, those added ingredients can break a fast because they add calories and may trigger an insulin response.
  • For religious fasts (for example, Ramadan during daylight hours), any intake at all may be considered to break the fast, so creatine is usually moved to the eating window (e.g., suhoor or iftar). Always follow your specific religious guidance here.

Does creatine break a fast?

Think of two different questions:

  1. Religious/strict rule fast:
    • Many religious traditions treat anything entering the body as breaking the fast, even if it has no calories.
 * In that case, yes, creatine taken during the fasting window would break your fast, and you would instead take it only before or after the fasting period.
  1. Health/fitness intermittent fast (16:8, OMAD, etc.):
    • Pure creatine monohydrate in water is extremely low in energy and does not meaningfully raise insulin on its own, so it is usually treated as “fast‑safe.”
 * What _does_ clearly break the fast is mixing creatine with juice, milk, sugary pre‑workouts, or a high‑calorie shake.

Best way to take creatine while fasting

If your goal is fat loss, performance, or general metabolic health:

  • Use plain creatine monohydrate (unflavored, no added carbs).
  • Mix it with:
    • Water
    • Black coffee
    • Unsweetened tea
  • Avoid:
    • Juice, sports drinks, or soda
    • Milk or creamers
    • Sugary pre‑workout or flavored mixes with carbs or significant calories

Timing tips:

  • Creatine works by saturating your muscles over time, so daily consistency matters more than exact timing.
  • You can take it:
    • During your fasting window (if you’re okay with supplements during the fast), or
    • With your first meal or post‑workout meal in your eating window.

Both approaches build and maintain creatine levels effectively over weeks.

Special cases and precautions

  • Sensitive stomach: Taking creatine on an empty stomach can cause mild bloating or cramps in some people; if that happens, move it to your eating window with a meal.
  • Kidney issues or major medical conditions: Creatine is usually safe at standard doses (3–5 g/day) in healthy people, but if you have kidney disease, are on nephrotoxic medications, or have complex health conditions, talk with a healthcare professional before using it.
  • High‑dose “loading” phases: Large doses (e.g., 20 g/day) may be harder on your stomach while fasting; many people skip the loading phase and just take 3–5 g daily long‑term.

Example “fast‑friendly” routine

  • Intermittent fasting 16:8
  • Training in the morning while fasted
  • Routine:
    • Wake up: 3–5 g creatine in water or black coffee
    • Train
    • Break fast later with a protein‑rich meal and plenty of fluids

Or, if you prefer to keep the fast absolutely “clean”:

  • Skip creatine during the fasting hours
  • Take 3–5 g with your first meal or post‑workout meal in the eating window daily

TL;DR: Yes, you can usually take creatine while fasting if it is pure and mixed with a zero‑calorie drink; the main things that break the fast are added carbs, calories, or strict religious rules that forbid any intake during the fasting period.