How long does Creatine and Protein stay in your system?

I bought my first bottles of Creatine and Protein today. I was just wondering how long they will stay in my body. If I take them the morning before I work out ( around 7:00 AM), it wont be untill 5 1/2 hours later that I can actually start lifting ( About 12:30 PM). I could leave them in the car, but it gets pretty hot in there and I don't want to destroy the protein or denature them in any way. I don't know if it actualy gets hot enough to damage the sups or not, but I want to be safe anyway. What should I do?

[QUOTE=joshme]I bought my first bottles of Creatine and Protein today. I was just wondering how long they will stay in my body. If I take them the morning before I work out ( around 7:00 AM), it wont be untill 5 1/2 hours later that I can actually start lifting ( About 12:30 PM). I could leave them in the car, but it gets pretty hot in there and I don't want to destroy the protein or denature them in any way. I don't know if it actualy gets hot enough to damage the sups or not, but I want to be safe anyway. What should I do?[/QUOTE]

A single dose of five grams of creatine monohydrate raises creatine plasma levels to a peak in one hour, with a return to pre-supplement levels after five hours. The serum half-life of creatine is between 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Serum concentrations of other forms have not been fully evaluated.

As for protein, it depends on which protein you consume. If it is whey, it will be assimiliated between 60-90 minutes. If it is casein, it will be assimilated by 6-8 hours. These are very general guidelines. Contributing factors such as fiber, fat, individual digestive rate and efficiency, etc. may alter the guidelines. Leaving your powder protein in the presence of any heat is not a good idea. If you need to take it with you, just use a separate smaller container where you can take a day's worth. That way you can keep it with you and not worry about leaving it in a hot car.

Is it better to take protein before or after a workout? I know Creatine should be taken before, so that’s not confusing, but I can't remember how Protein works.

I usually comsume whey protein throughout the day, say every 3-4 hours (split your daily requirement to fit this). take approx. 30g within 30min after a workout. This works well for me.