Creatine is one of the most popular supplements in the world with tons of data documenting its
performance-enhancing benefits. Being so popular also means
asking a lot of questions about it. So in this video, we’ll quickly go
over five of those questions people commonly ask about taking creatine.
Number 1, Is Creatine Safe?
For healthy adults, based on the research, creatine supplementation is generally safe.
Now, it can cause water retention, especially early on, but that does not pose much of an
issue outside managing your weight. Creatine does, however, increase
levels of creatinine. If you have kidney issues, it might be wise to consult with
your doctor about creatine even though there is short-term data suggesting it is safe.
And if you’re wondering, creatine is an amino acid compound and NOT a steroid.
Number 2, when should you take creatine? Although there is a lack of data on the dangers
of taking creatine in adolescents, there’s also a lack of data on its safety. For this reason,
for ages 18 and under, I suggest taking creatine only under proper adult supervision.
As for timing creatine, some limited data suggest it is better to take it immediately after workout,
but by far the most important creatine timing factor is simply taking it consistently,
be it before or after your workout, or any other time of the day.
Number 3, which type of creatine is best? Creatine monohydrate has by far the most
evidence of its benefits and other creatine forms have never demonstrated to be superior.
It’s also among the most inexpensive forms of creatine. So, save your money
and stick to the stuff that just works, and that’s monohydrate.
Number 4, do you need to load creatine? It takes roughly 3 to 4 weeks to fully
saturate the muscles with creatine when taking the standard 3-to-5-gram daily dose.
On the other hand, it only takes about 7 days when using a creatine “loading” phase of about
20 grams per day for the first 5 to 7 days. This 2-to-3-week difference is not a lot of time,
especially when thinking of the big picture of long-term fitness.
But, if this difference is important to you for whatever reason,
then you can give loading a shot. For athletes, you might even consider
multiple loading phases to keep your muscles consistently saturated.
And number 5 of some of the most common creatine questions is: Does creatine cause hair loss?
Much of the speculation about creatine and hair loss stems from a 2009 study that showed creatine
supplementation can increase DHT, which is a hormone connected to certain hair loss patterns.
However, this data was never replicated, and similar hormones, like testosterone,
which is a precursor to DHT, has not shown to be influenced with creatine supplementation.
As far as the science goes, there is no indication that taking creatine directly causes hair loss.
Yet , as much as I like science and data, I would be remiss if I did not mention that,
over the years, I’ve noticed that hair loss after taking creatine is one of
the most prevalent personal complaints I’ve seen for a so-called fitness “myth.”
I’ve personally never experienced it, as you can see, but I do think it’s sensible
for anyone concerned about it that you do a bit of experimenting of your own.
Science might say otherwise, but it will be you deciding whether that copious 900-ounce
container of hair gel will ever be used again.
If you wanna learn more about creatine, then check out my other creatine video explaining
what creatine is and how to take it. That’s it for this one, I hope you
found it useful and if you still have questions, please feel free to leave
them in the comments. Other than that,
If you enjoyed this video, please give it an hairy thumbs up and share it with your
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As always, thank you for watching and don’t forget to get your protein!