Creatine is an extremely popular supplement with thousands of studies proving its effectiveness in humans. It works well in athletes, older adults, women, men, teenagers, vegans and vegetarians, and possibly children. It has been well tested, is safe in normal amounts, and has very few downsides.
But because so many people use creatine, it also raises a lot of questions. Every time I post on creatine, I get more queries in my inbox.
- Does it cause hair loss?
- How much should you take per day?
- Have a good time taking it?
- Does creatine make you gain weight?
- And is creatine bad for the kidneys?
- What about side effects – anything we should worry about?
Let’s find out now and answer those questions.
Does creatine cause hair loss?
This is a nagging concern, but there isn’t much reliable research for it. Much of the “evidence” lies in an older study where college football players took creatine for several weeks and found dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, increased above baseline. (The placebo control group did not see an increase in DHT.) DHT is a more active or potent form of testosterone that has a strong anabolic effect. It can also bind to hair follicles and cause them to shrink, reducing their ability to grow thick, healthy hair.
However, the creatine group had lower baseline DHT levels, so it’s possible that the creatine group simply corrected for lower baseline levels. Other studies on creatine and testosterone have not found any consistent link between creatine and higher testosterone, free testosterone (from which DHT is produced), or DHT itself.
Finally, there are no studies showing that taking creatine causes hair loss. It is not impossible or even impossible. It simply hasn’t been shown clearly yet.
Anecdotally, some people notice hair loss after starting creatine, but those are the most difficult connections to draw without a control group and a good methodology. Will they lose their hair? Are there other factors at play?
How much creatine per day?
There are two basic strategies that people often adopt.
If you want to speed up the absorption of creatine in your muscles, you can do a “load phase” of 20 grams per day (split into four doses) for a week before dropping to 3 to 5 grams a day.
If not, you can get 3 to 5 grams a day from receive.
Both strategies work well.
If you have a lot of muscle – and therefore a higher creatine storage capacity – or if you burn a lot of creatine with intense activity, you may benefit from a larger daily dosage in the 8 to 10 grams range.
Once you’ve taken creatine often enough at a dose high enough to saturate your muscle stores (20 grams a day for 5 to 7 days, or 3 to 5 grams a day for 28 days, to give two common example), you can get away with “cycling” your creatine. Take the day off, do lower doses here and there. It is even possible to supplement with creatine “as needed” when you are actually using it. I’m just speculating here, but I think I’m right.
Whenever you take a creatine supplement, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water — more than usual. Otherwise, it may cause stomach cramps.
Does creatine make you gain weight?
During the first week or so, you will gain weight as your body stores water along with creatine. This is completely normal and usually subsides after a few weeks. But what about the “real” weight? Does it cause real weight gain?
Kinda.
Studies in both older men and women have found that creatine use increases body mass. In other words, their BMI will “deteriorate”.
What’s happening? So is creatine bad?
Opposite, while creatine will increase body mass, creatine has never been shown to cause fat gain. Creatine will likely help you increase lean muscle mass by helping you lift more weight in the gym, maintain higher training intensity, and perform higher-volume workouts. Creatine doesn’t directly cause weight gain, but it does help trigger it. This is “good weight.” This is the weight you want to gain. In all of those “body mass gain” studies, creatine also increased the mass they were lifting and their performance in a variety of physical activities. It made them stronger.
Creatine can make you gain weight, but it’s a healthy type of fat.
When should I take creatine?
Creatine is a long-lasting supplement. It’s something you “load” into your muscles, and once it’s there, it stays until you’ve worked hard at it. This is why many people go through a “load” phase of 20 grams a day for a week until tapering off to a lower dose — they want to speed up the saturation of creatine storage.
However, there are indications that the timing of your creatine absorption may affect how well it works in your body.
One study found that supplementing with creatine immediately after a workout resulted in better strength gains on the bench, more lean, and lower fat mass than taking creatine immediately before a workout.
Another study on taking a creatine/carbohydrate/protein supplement found that it doesn’t really matter whether you take it before or after a workout, as long as you take it close to your workout. Both pre- and post-workout creatine are much more effective than taking it in the morning or at night, away from your workout.
Whatever you do, take it Exit for training (before or after) seems to have the best effect.
Is creatine bad for the kidneys?
If you have healthy kidney function, creatine has been shown to be safe. Urinary creatine excretion will increase, but this is considered a normal response to increased creatine levels and a sign of kidney failure. Strong renal function. Creatine supplementation has never been shown to cause impairment of renal function in healthy subjects with healthy kidneys at baseline. While there are case studies of renal dysfunction “accompanied” with creatine supplementation, these cases were all confounded by variables such as pre-existing renal disease, overdosage (urgent) 100 times the recommended normal range), steroid use and other medications they are taking.
If you have poor kidney health or function, take a creatine supplement maybe is contraindicated. However, there is one case report of a young male with one kidney who was able to supplement with creatine while eating a high-protein diet with no adverse health effects. Whatever you do, if you are concerned about your kidneys or have impaired kidney function, consult your doctor before proceeding.
Are there any side effects of creatine?
Nothing is perfect. There are some potential complications or side effects, but they are not inevitable and you can usually avoid them with some basic tips.
Cramp: Drink enough water and drink less alcohol. Creatine tends to increase water needs, so make sure you’re drinking enough water and getting enough electrolytes. Read all about hydration here. Or just mix Gerolsteiner mineral water with sea salt and lemon or lime juice. For serious electrolyte requirements, you can also make my “Gatorade Better” by mixing blackstrap molasses into coconut water with a little lime or lime juice and salt.
Flatulence, bloating, diarrhea: You were too much. Make sure you are weighing and measuring your creatine dosage. Also, try supplementing with creatine with some calories, with a meal (how you would normally get creatine in the wild).
That’s about it, folks. If you have any other questions about creatine, drop them below.
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