Despite of being one of the most researched supplements on Earth, creatine is considered to be a rather notorious supplement by many. The reason for that is either its misuse or misinformation about it. The truth is that creatine is completely safe to use and is one of the most widely used supplements for both sportsmen and bodybuilders alike. One of the biggest myths related to creatine usage is hair loss. A lot of people have been made to think that creatine supplementation causes baldness. Does this statement true? Well, lets dig into the details of what creatine really is.
What is Creatine Monohydrate?
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Before we start correlating creatine to various other supplements, let us tell you a little bit about creatine. Creatine is already available in your body and 95% of it is stored in the skeletal muscle. Being an ATP amplifier, it provides your cells with short bursts of explosive energy for athletic and short workouts.
The Creatine and Hair Loss Connection
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People correlate creatine with hair loss because creatine increases DHT levels in the body. DHT is short for Dihydrotestosterone, which is a potent androgen. An enzyme called 5-alpha reductase converts testosterone into DHT. Higher DHT levels are responsible for hair loss and baldness. This theory actually came to light when there was a study conducted on 40 rugby players. The players were put on creatine monohydrate supplementation for 7 days and after 7 days of creatine loading and 14 days of creatine maintenance dose. The level of DHT increased by 56% after seven days and remained 40% above baseline on the maintenance dose. This study is the only reason why creatine monohydrate is said to cause baldness in men.
No Study To Show A Direct Relation
The study that has been discussed above shows a relation between higher DHT levels and consumption of creatine monohydrate. It does not establish a direct relationship between creatine monohydrate and hair loss. The purpose of the study was to establish the effects of creatine monohydrate on selected androgens. In fact, there hasn’t been any other study on creatine monohydrate and male hair loss pattern. Another thing to note here is that in conclusion of the above study, it was clearly mentioned that further investigation is warranted before coming to a conclusion as the group was too small to establish the findings.
Creatine Monohydrate is Safe, Completely Safe
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Personally, I am yet to see a case where creatine usage has caused baldness. This myth starts making inroads as people started relating a study that actually was conducted for a totally different objective altogether. Hair loss and baldness has more to do with hereditary factors than anything else. If your father and grandfather had good hair growth, chances are you will also have the same, irrespective of the fact that you take creatine or not. And if they were bald, no matter how many precautions you take, chances are that you will also lose your hair. So, go ahead and supplement with creatine and don’t worry about losing your hair.
Anuj Tyagi is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Sports Nutritionist and Therapeutic Exercise Specialist From American Council on Exercise (ACE) . He is the Founder of the website where he provides online Training. Though a Chartered Accountant by education, he has been closely associated with Fitness Industry since 2006. His motto is to transform people Naturally and he believes that the secret formula for Fitness is Consistency and commitment towards your Training and Nutrition. You can connect with him through Facebook and Youtube.
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