Can You Mix Creatine With Oatmeal? (Pros & Cons)

Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more.

Creatine is one of the best supplements for strength training but the chalky taste of creatine does deter people from reaping its benefits, which is why I prefer to mix it in oatmeal.

Can you mix creatine with oatmeal? Yes, you can mix creatine with oatmeal because heating creatine won’t affect its effectiveness and it will still dissolve well. Additionally, mixing creatine and oatmeal will help fuel your workouts, aid in digestion, and promote heart health.

Although there are benefits to mixing creatine and oatmeal, it’s important to also understand the drawbacks so that you can decide if oatmeal is the best food to mix with your creatine based on your goals.

After reading this article you’ll learn:

The benefits of mixing creatine and oatmeal
The drawbacks of mixing creatine and oatmeal
When you should consume your creatine and oatmeal mixture
Who should or should not mix creatine and oatmeal

Want to learn all the ways to mix creatine? Check out our complete guide to 8 Ways To Mix Creatine (Plus Liquids To Avoid)

Benefits of Mixing Creatine With Oatmeal

Pros vs Cons of mixing creatine with oatmeal

The benefits of mixing creatine and oatmeal are that it:

Fuels Your Workouts
Helps With Digestion
Promotes Heart Health

Fuels Your Workouts

One of the main benefits of mixing creatine into your oatmeal is that it provides fuel for your workouts because oatmeal is a carb and carbs are your body’s preferred energy source while working out.

The carbs in oatmeal are extremely beneficial around your workout to boost your energy levels so that you can perform at your best during your workout and as you recover from your workout.

Helps With Digestion

Another benefit of mixing creatine and oatmeal is that it helps to improve your digestion by encouraging regularity because of the fiber in the oatmeal.

The fiber in oatmeal is soluble fiber which helps to slow digestion and attracts water to help form a gel-like substance that improves regularity.

Promotes Heart Health

Mixing creatine and oatmeal also promotes heart health because oats have been shown to lower cholesterol, which is one of the main causes of heart disease.

Although you may not be taking creatine to improve your heart health, it is an added benefit for those who need to make heart health more of a priority alongside improving their joint and skin health.

Drawbacks of Mixing Creatine With Oatmeal

The drawbacks of mixing creatine and oatmeal are that it:

Increases Carb Intake
Increases Calorie Intake

Increases Carb Intake

One of the main drawbacks of mixing your creatine with oatmeal is that it increases your carb intake, which creates a problem for those who are trying to limit their daily carb intake based on their health and fitness goals.

The higher carb intake may not be a problem for you if you’re not trying to reduce your carb intake or you have more flexibility in the amount of carbs you can eat based on your goals.

However, for those with a lower caloric intake based on their goals, mixing creatine with oatmeal will significantly decrease the number of carbs you’ll be able to eat the rest of the day while sticking to your goal.

For example, if you’re trying to lose weight on 1200 calories and your daily carb goal is 120 grams of carbs, then ½ cup of plain oatmeal (mixed in water) subtracts nearly 30 grams of carbs from your daily total.

This is assuming that you’re not adding any flavoring, but you probably should add some flavor to disguise the taste of the creatine.

If you’re adding a tablespoon of maple syrup (my favorite oatmeal addition) then you’re looking at an additional 13 grams of carbs, bringing the total up to 43 grams of carbs.

This would leave you with only 77 grams of carbs for the rest of the day, which could be difficult to adhere to.

Increases Calorie Intake

The other drawback of mixing creatine powder with oatmeal is that it would increase your calorie consumption for the day, which may not be ideal for those with a lower calorie intake based on their goals.

If you’re someone who is trying to lose weight, then you will have a lower caloric intake so oatmeal may not be the best option for mixing your creatine because it will take away 150 calories for ½ cup of oats on their own.

If you’re mixing it with anything other than water, then you’ll also be increasing the calories further:

1 cup 2% milk: 124 calories
1 cup unsweetened almond milk: 40 calories
1 cup sweetened almond milk: 90 calories

On top of this, most people make further additions to their oats by adding flavors like honey, maple syrup, or protein powder and toppings like berries or nuts/seeds and these flavor enhancers will only increase your calories further.

So you can see that perhaps mixing creatine with oatmeal isn’t the best option if you’re trying to reduce your calorie consumption.

Related Article: Can You Mix Collagen Powder With Oatmeal? (Pros & Cons)

Creatine & Oatmeal: When To Consume It

Although there isn’t a bad time to consume creatine and oatmeal together, there are times during the day when consuming this mixture could be better for your body composition and performance.

Is Creatine Mixed With Oatmeal Good for Pre-Workout?

Creatine mixed with oatmeal is a great pre-workout option because it’s high in carbohydrates and low in fats, which is ideal 1.5 hours or more before training.

The carbs in oatmeal will provide the energy you need for training, but because of the fiber content of oatmeal, it’s best to consume them no sooner than 1.5 hours before training. This is because fiber is slower to digest, which is ideal for keeping you full, but not as ideal right before training.

If you’ve got time before training (1.5+ hours), then try this:

½ cup oatmeal
1 serving of creatine
½ scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tsp maple syrup

If you have less than an hour before training, then try mixing your creatine powder with Gatorade instead!

Is Creatine Mixed With Oatmeal Good for Post-Workout?

Mixing creatine with oatmeal as a post-workout meal is a great option as long as you also include a source of protein because protein is necessary for muscle recovery.

After a workout, it’s important to consume both carbs and protein so that you’re replenishing your energy stores and repairing the muscle damage that would have occurred while you were working out.

I would do this by making a post-workout shake with creatine, oats, whey protein powder, oat milk, and frozen fruit in a smoothie.

Is Creatine Mixed With Oatmeal Good Before Bed?

Creatine mixed with oatmeal before bed could be a great option because consuming slow-digesting carbs before bed has been shown to improve sleep quality.

Mixing creatine and oatmeal and consuming it before bed is a great idea because it’s warm and cozy, which can help you settle in before bedtime and promote better sleep.

Additionally, the fiber in oatmeal makes it digest more slowly and can help to stabilize your blood sugars which helps you to stay asleep and therefore improves your sleep quality.

Who Should Mix Creatine With Oatmeal?

Those who would benefit the most from mixing creatine with oatmeal are those who can afford extra carbs in their diet and those who want to improve their pre- and post-workout nutrition.

Mixing your creatine with oatmeal is a great option if the additional carbs aren’t a concern for you because you have a higher daily carb goal (150 grams or more) because they can help to energize you for your workouts.

The increased ability to generate force from creatine and the energizing properties of oatmeal, makes them the workout power couple that you didn’t know you needed until now.

Who Should Not Mix Creatine With Oatmeal?

Those on keto or those with a lower carb intake based on their goals, should not mix their creatine with oatmeal because it will be a higher carb meal that isn’t required to take your creatine supplement.

For these individuals, a lower carb/calorie option would be better so I would recommend mixing your creatine supplement with whey protein instead of oatmeal.

Will Creatine Dissolve In Oatmeal?

Creatine will dissolve in oatmeal if you mix it into the warm liquid before adding it to your oats, rather than mixing it in after the oats are already cooked.

For the best results, you should dissolve the creatine into the hot liquid first because creatine dissolves best in hot liquids rather than cold liquids.

Additionally, based on my personal experience I feel that the consistency of the oatmeal is better if you don’t add it in after the oats are already cooked.

Regardless of if you’re making oatmeal on the stove, microwave, or using a kettle:

Heat your liquid first
Add the creatine
Stir to dissolve
Add your oats
Add your flavor additions

Best Types of Creatine Powder to Mix With Oatmeal

The best source of creatine is creatine monohydrate because studies have shown that it produces the best results compared to other types of creatine currently on the market.

My favorite brands of creatine monohydrate are:

PEScience TruCreatine

The best creatine powder on the market is the PEScience TruCreatine because it mixes well, it has the highest-quality ingredients, and it’s third party tested for quality control and label accuracy.

This creatine supplement is my favorite because it has creatine monohydrate, which is the most effective form of creatine on the market.

I also appreciate that this company does its best to educate users on the science behind their products, so that you understand why a product may be beneficial for you.

Check Today’s Price on Amazon

Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate Micronized Powder

Another great creatine product on the market is Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate Powder because it’s affordable, it dissolves well, and it’s third-party tested for banned substances.

The Nutricost creatine is a no-nonsense creatine powder that you can trust to help you reap the benefits of creatine without any added fillers or artificial sweeteners.