From a lot of the previous posts I think i might get my head bitten off for this, but I think that taking creatine a few hours before training does help. I don't think just before a workout would really do anything. Having it a part of a proper diet though obviously works the best.

The reason though that i've found it helps is simply because besides me training for boxing, their has also been time on the side where I have done a lot of weight traing, and have experimented with creatine on and off. Also during weight training I kept to a very strict routine with a good diet and sleep and things like that so their wasn't much variation there. I also kept very good records of my progress so I could really tell when I had made gains. And I have to say that during the times that I was using creatine, I really did notice that I made progress quicker when I was taking it. You don't feel a huge difference, but where i'd be doing a set & would normally get to about the 10th rep & be done, with the creatine I would get to 10 and still feel I had another 4 or 5 reps in me. This happened on a very consistent basis & was very noticable when I had been using creatine.

As far as boxing training goes though, I noticed the same sort of ability. Training 3 times a week, I really got used to my abilities & how much I could work before my muscles would tire to the point of me barely being able to move. I really avoided using creatine during the my boxing training periods, but I decided to experiment with it for a while. I did not go through a loading phase or even take it every day as part of my diet program. I took between 5 - 10mg around an hour to 2 hours before training. I also drank quite a bit of water & during training after taking that, I found I could go a lot longer and perform more exercise before my muscles got to the point of quiting on me. You really do need keep hydrated as I think one of the big benifits of creatine is it increases your muscles ability to store water & it really just increases your muscles ability to perform longer without being tired.

I don't feel I would have got as much benifit, if any, if I took the creatine rigggght before the workouts. Obviously if I included in in my diet, I don't think it would matter to much whether you take it before or after a work out, as your body stores it & you get the benifits any time you work.

Supplement companies advise to take it right before a workout to get that extra pump, but I think that's rubbish..

Anyway, that's just my 2 cents from my experience, and I think that the difference a good sleep compared to a bad sleep the night before training has more affect on your performance than taking creatine. So their is a lot to look at in your diet & resting periods before focusing on getting gains for an expensive supplement.