Intermittent Fasting and Creatine: Does Taking It On an Empty Stomach Break Your Fast

Intermittent fasting IF and creatine supplementation are two of the most popular and effective strategies in the health and fitness world. One is a tool for metabolic health and fat loss, built on strict eating windows. The other is a supplement for performance, built on consistent daily intake. The disconnect is the deafening silence from experts on how to make these two powerful tools work together. Viewers who meticulously protect their fasting window are left completely in the dark, trying to figure out if their daily scoop of creatine will sabotage their efforts, while the creators who champion these strategies fail to address their obvious and logical integration.

For the intermittent faster, the concerns are precise and binary

1. Will it break my fast The primary goal of IF is to maintain a state of low insulin. The fear is that taking creatine, even unflavored, will trigger an insulin response, effectively breaking the fast and negating its metabolic benefits.
2. Will it destroy my stomach A common piece of advice is to take supplements with food to avoid gastrointestinal issues. The concern is that taking creatine powder on a completely empty stomach will lead to cramps, bloating, or diarrhea, making the protocol unsustainable.

Pure, unflavored creatine monohydrate mixed with water has virtually zero calories and will not cause an insulin response or break your fast. However, some individuals may experience stomach discomfort when taking it on an empty stomach, so it's wise to start with a lower dose to assess your personal tolerance.

This topic represents a critical real world problem that is almost entirely ignored by the major creators, with only one providing direct and cautionary advice.

• Jeremy Ethier: He is the only creator to directly address taking creatine on an empty stomach. His advice is clear avoid it. He states that taking creatine on an empty stomach seems to increase the likelihood of an upset stomach. While this is valuable safety advice, it doesn't answer the core question for IF practitioners about whether it breaks a fast.
• Renaissance Periodization Dr. Mike Israetel: Dr. Mike provides contradictory, though indirect, guidance. He strongly recommends taking creatine every morning with vitamins, separate from workouts or shakes, to ensure consistency. For many people, this would mean taking it on an empty stomach. He does not mention any potential for stomach upset or its impact on fasting. His audience, however, asks directly in the comments if creatine breaks intermittent fasting.
• Dr. Sten Ekberg: The video does not address fasting. However, the comment report shows his audience is highly interested, asking about practical use cases such as taking creatine during intermittent or prolonged fasts, with electrolytes.
• Myprotein: The video fails to cover this topic, but the comment section proves its importance. A viewer explicitly asks if they can take creatine on an empty stomach because their workout falls right in the middle of my intermittent fasting.
• Jeff Nippard & ATHLEAN X: Both creators' videos and comment reports show a complete omission of this topic, leaving their audiences without any guidance on how to integrate these two popular strategies.

• I'm going to start exercising... My idea is to take 2.5g of creatine an hour before going to the gym and 2.5 when I return home. Can I take creatine on an empty stomach The exercise routine fits me right in the middle of my intermittent fasting.
• Hi. I mix 5mg of unflavored creatine with a pre workout which has anhydrous caffeine before my workouts. Is that okay or should change it to some other time

If you practice intermittent fasting, plan your creatine intake for tomorrow. Get a scoop of unflavored creatine monohydrate, mix it with a large glass of water, and drink it during your fasting window. To be safe, start with half your normal dose e.g., 2 grams to see how your stomach handles it.

• Mistake: Using a flavored or BCAA infused creatine product during your fast.
  Fix: Read the label. If it has anything other than creatine monohydrate listed, or if it has a sweet taste, it will likely break your fast. Stick to the pure, unflavored powder.
• Mistake: Pushing through stomach cramps because you feel you must take it during your fasting window.
  Fix: The timing of creatine is far less important than consistency. If it causes you pain, it's perfectly fine to take it with food during your eating window. You will not lose any benefits.
• Mistake: Assuming that because creatine doesn't break a fast, you can take it while dry fasting.
  Fix: Absolutely not. Creatine requires adequate hydration to work properly and safely. It should only be used during fasts where water intake is permitted.

You can safely and effectively take unflavored creatine monohydrate during your intermittent fasting window without breaking your fast. However, the risk of stomach discomfort is real for a subset of the population, a point only Jeremy Ethier directly addresses. The complete silence from other major creators on how to integrate two of the most popular fitness strategies is a significant failure. The best approach is to start with a low dose on an empty stomach, assess your own tolerance, and be prepared to move your creatine intake to your eating window if you experience any issues.