Does creatine cause hair loss? The study that started the scare

One small 2009 study made millions fear creatine would thin their hair. Here is what newer trials say about hair, kidneys, bloating and why vegetarians may benefit most.

In 2009, a small study of college-aged rugby players found that a hormone linked to male pattern baldness rose after a week of creatine ¹. Seventeen years later, "creatine makes you bald" is still one of the first things people type into a search bar before they buy a tub.

Creatine has been researched for decades, yet the questions people ask about it have barely changed. Will it bloat me? Will it hurt my kidneys? Is it only for men who lift? The research now has fairly clear answers, and one of them is especially relevant if you eat little or no meat.

What creatine actually does

Creatine is not a steroid or a stimulant. It is a compound your muscles use to recycle energy quickly during short, hard efforts like a heavy set, a sprint or a jump. Your body makes about 1 g a day from three amino acids, and people who eat meat take in roughly another 1 g a day through food, about what you would find in 200 g of steak ².

A supplement simply tops up the stores your muscles already hold. The standard daily dose in the research is 3 to 5 g, or about 0.1 g per kilogram of body weight ¹. Older studies often started with a "loading" phase of around 20 g a day for about a week ¹, but that is optional.

Does creatine cause hair loss?

Here is the study behind the scare. A group of college-aged male rugby players took 25 g of creatine a day for seven days, then 5 g a day for 14 days. Among the 16 men who completed it, levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone tied to genetic hair thinning, rose 56% after the loading week and stayed 40% above baseline after the maintenance phase ¹.

That sounds alarming until you look at what happened next. The finding has never been replicated, and hard resistance training on its own can shift these hormones ¹. A 2021 review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that the majority of evidence does not support a link between creatine and hair loss ¹.

Then, in 2025, someone finally tested the question properly. In a 12-week randomised controlled trial, 45 resistance-trained men aged 18 to 40 were given either 5 g of creatine a day or a look-alike placebo ³. Thirty-eight finished. The researchers measured DHT, testosterone and the ratio between them, and they examined the scalp directly for hair density, follicle counts and the proportion of hairs in the growth phase. There were no differences between the two groups on any of them ³.

One small hormone study started a rumour; the first trial designed to look at hair found nothing.

If baldness runs in your family, your genes are a far bigger factor than a scoop of powder. And if you do notice thinning, see a dermatologist rather than guessing at the cause.

Is creatine bad for your kidneys?

This worry also traces back to a single report, a 1998 case of a young man who already had kidney disease and was taking creatine ¹. Since then the question has been studied many times. One analysis of 12 studies cited in the 2021 review found no rise in serum creatinine, a common blood marker of kidney function ¹, and the review's authors describe more than 20 years of research showing no adverse effects at recommended doses ¹.

A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis screened 290 studies and included 15, concluding that creatine did not cause kidney damage at the amounts and durations studied ⁴. The caveat matters: if you already have a kidney condition, the calculation is different and it is a conversation for your doctor.

One practical point: tell whoever orders your blood tests about any supplement you take, so the results are read in context.

Will creatine make you bloated or "watery"?

Partly true, mostly misunderstood. Studies show that a few days of high-dose loading increases total body water, and the original reports linking creatine with water retention used 20 g a day for six days ¹. But longer training studies of 5 to 10 weeks found no increase in total body water ¹.

In other words, the quick jump on the scale is tied mostly to big loading doses. Skip the loading phase, take 3 to 5 g a day, and any change is slow and modest.

Why vegetarians may get more out of it

This is the part most creatine articles skip, and it matters a great deal in India. Because creatine in food comes almost entirely from meat and fish, people who do not eat them rely on what the body makes.

A 2020 systematic review found that vegetarians have lower creatine stores than omnivores. In one thigh muscle, total creatine was 10 to 15% lower, and plasma creatine was about 50% lower ². The authors concluded that vegetarian athletes are likely to benefit from supplementation, though studies were mixed on whether their performance improves more than meat eaters' do, and the included studies carried a moderate to high risk of bias ². If you have read our piece on vitamin D and vegetarian diets in winter, this is a similar story: a plant-based diet can be excellent, but a few nutrients need a little planning.

Is creatine only for young men, or does it help the brain too?

Creatine has long been seen as a supplement for young male lifters, but the research has moved on. The 2021 review concluded that creatine offers a variety of benefits for women across their lifespan, and that in older adults it provides muscle and performance benefits, particularly when combined with exercise ¹. On its own, without training, the effect is limited: 3 g a day for two years did not increase lean mass in postmenopausal women ¹. Creatine helps you get more from your training. It is not a substitute for it.

The brain also uses creatine, and this is where the newest interest lies. A 2024 meta-analysis pooled 16 randomised trials with 492 adults aged roughly 21 to 76 ⁵. Creatine had a small positive effect on memory, and modest improvements in attention time and processing speed, but no clear benefit for overall cognitive function or executive function ⁵. The evidence was rated moderate certainty for memory and low for the rest, and the benefits appeared larger in women, people with health conditions and adults aged 18 to 60 ⁵. Promising, then, but not a reason to buy it as a "brain pill" just yet.

How to use creatine sensibly this week

If you are a healthy adult who trains and you are curious, the research supports a simple approach:

• Choose plain creatine monohydrate, the form tested in the 2025 hair trial and in the trials pooled in the 2024 brain analysis ³⁵.
• Take 3 to 5 g once a day ¹. Pick a time you will remember, such as with breakfast.
• Skip the loading phase unless you have a reason to rush. High loading doses are the ones linked to short-term water retention ¹.
• Pair it with two to three strength sessions a week. The biggest benefits show up alongside training.
• Stay consistent for at least a month before deciding whether it suits you.
• If you are vegetarian or vegan, you may notice more of a difference than your meat-eating friends.

Check the label for third-party testing, since supplements are less tightly regulated than medicines. And if you have kidney disease, diabetes, are pregnant or take regular medication, speak to your doctor before adding creatine or any other supplement.

General information for healthy adults, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor before changing your training or diet if you have a health condition, are pregnant or take regular medication.