usually, just that last day or 2 before to help with glycogen synthesis. not so much for the pump though, you wont have a pump for the show. usually most competitors are so depleted, they cant hold a pump longer than the time it takes to get lined up to go out onstage. you'll see guys doing pushups just before going out to try to get a pump. its tough. i didnt use creatine, but had friends that did. they never said it helped their condition.