Creatine = hairloss

[namean]

Creatine raises DHT levels 56%

A recently published study examined testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in collegiate age athletes. While creatine is widely considered a non-hormonal supplement, evidence provided by this study seems to indicate the opposite; although supplementation with creatine did not effect serum testosterone levels, Dihydrotestosterone was elevated by 56% during the loading phase, and remained elevated by 40% during the maintenance phase.

Because testosterone levels were not lowered, the increase in DHT could not have come from excess conversion of testosterone to its 5a-reduced form. This gives cause to (perhaps wildly) speculate that the testosterone substrate is being preferentially metabolized into DHT rather than estrogen; this line of speculation would provide cause to investigate whether creatine has anti-estrogenic potential.

Dihydrotestosterone levels are positively correlated (anecdotally, at least) in a hard, quality physique, and DHT based anabolic steroids are generally thought to impart a defined look to the physique (we’re thinking about Masteron, Winstrol, Anavar, and other steroids in this family). This may be good news for anyone using creatine, and attempting to achieve a leaner physique.

Clin J Sport Med. 2009 Sep;19(5):399-404.
Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players.

van der Merwe J, Brooks NE, Myburgh KH.

Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Comment in:
Clin J Sport Med. 2010 May;20(3):220; author reply 220-2.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated resting concentrations of selected androgens after 3 weeks of creatine supplementation in male rugby players. It was hypothesized that the ratio of dihydrotestosterone (DHT, a biologically more active androgen) to testosterone (T) would change with creatine supplementation. DESIGN: Double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study with a 6-week washout period. SETTING: Rugby Institute in South Africa. PARTICIPANTS: College-aged rugby players (n = 20) volunteered for the study, which took place during the competitive season. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects loaded with creatine (25 g/day creatine with 25 g/day glucose) or placebo (50 g/day glucose) for 7 days followed by 14 days of maintenance (5 g/day creatine with 25 g/day glucose or 30 g/day glucose placebo). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum T and DHT were measured and ratio calculated at baseline and after 7 days and 21 days of creatine supplementation (or placebo). Body composition measurements were taken at each time point. RESULTS: After 7 days of creatine loading, or a further 14 days of creatine maintenance dose, serum T levels did not change. However, levels of DHT increased by 56% after 7 days of creatine loading and remained 40% above baseline after 14 days maintenance (P < 0.001). The ratio of DHT:T also increased by 36% after 7 days creatine supplementation and remained elevated by 22% after the maintenance dose (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Creatine supplementation may, in part, act through an increased rate of conversion of T to DHT. Further investigation is warranted as a result of the high frequency of individuals using creatine supplementation and the long-term safety of alterations in circulating androgen composition. STATEMENT OF CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although creatine is a widely used ergogenic aid, the mechanisms of action are incompletely understood, particularly in relation to dihydrotestosterone, and therefore the long-term clinical safety cannot be guaranteed.

PMID: 19741313 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Rogues]

Do you know how many grams of creatine these rugby players were taking? I don't want to go bald by the time i'm 30.

[pLanterz32]

I love DHT, hello strength, hardness, fat loss, lowered estrogen, etc.

I am taking ~ 20 grams of creatine per day.

I believe the subjects in this study used 25 grams for a week, and then a maintenance phase of 5 grams a day thereafter.

[On Fire]

I love DHT, hello strength, hardness, fat loss, lowered estrogen, etc.

I am taking ~ 20 grams of creatine per day.

I believe the subjects in this study used 25 grams for a week, and then a maintenance phase of 5 grams a day thereafter.

inb4 you lose a kidney.

[whitely]

Never taught creatine has any hormonal impact. Anyhow, wouldn't DHT <-> test balance shifted a bit on the test side?

[mark118]

how does anyone rate this uni's track record? reliable?

seems like some crazy stuff has been coming out recently from unheard of unis eg onion juice raising testosterone etc...

[whitely]

eg onion juice raising testosterone etc...

I knew it!!!

[pLanterz32]

inb4 you lose a kidney.

"Short or long-term creatine supplementation (up to 21 months) was found to have no significant effect on a 54-item panel of quantitative blood and urine markers or on a 15-item panel of qualitative urine markers. Creatine did not cause any clinically significant changes in serum metabolic markers, muscle and liver enzyme efflux, serum electrolytes, blood lipid profiles, red and white whole blood cell hematology, or quantitative and qualitative urinary markers of renal function."

Kreider, R.B.; Melton, C., Rasmussen, C.J., Greenwood, M., Lancaster, S., Cantler, E.C., Milnor, P. & Almada, A.L. (2004-11-01). "Long-term creatine supplementation does not significantly affect clinical markers of health in athletes". Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry (Springer Netherlands) 244 (1-2): 95–104.

[skaffer]

So...they said that testosterone was being converted into DHT instead of estrogen...so does that mean creatine lowers estrogen levels?

[ebongo91]

inb4 you lose a kidney.

this

[eldawg]

"Short or long-term creatine supplementation (up to 21 months) was found to have no significant effect on a 54-item panel of quantitative blood and urine markers or on a 15-item panel of qualitative urine markers. Creatine did not cause any clinically significant changes in serum metabolic markers, muscle and liver enzyme efflux, serum electrolytes, blood lipid profiles, red and white whole blood cell hematology, or quantitative and qualitative urinary markers of renal function."

Kreider, R.B.; Melton, C., Rasmussen, C.J., Greenwood, M., Lancaster, S., Cantler, E.C., Milnor, P. & Almada, A.L. (2004-11-01). "Long-term creatine supplementation does not significantly affect clinical markers of health in athletes". Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry (Springer Netherlands) 244 (1-2): 95–104.

And how much creatine were they taking (over 21 months)?

[DASBUNKER]

meh in the end we are all gonna turn into dust anyway

[IronTerminator]

meh in the end we are all gonna turn into dust anyway

[DASBUNKER]

^^^ im just being reality

[bassbehemoth]

Creatine = Hugeness.

[BiggJohn]

So...they said that testosterone was being converted into DHT instead of estrogen...so does that mean creatine lowers estrogen levels?

Come on man.

[soundslikeboxer]

...so should i take creatine or not? i dont need any hairloss, i was born with a fivehead

[mark118]

...so should i take creatine or not? i dont need any hairloss, i was born with a fivehead

so 1 publication by an unheard of uni, which we have no idea if its reliable or not, has you doubting possibly the most research and safe sports supplement?

[athenrye]

how does anyone rate this uni's track record? reliable?

seems like some crazy stuff has been coming out recently from unheard of unis eg onion juice raising testosterone etc...

According to them:

Stellenbosch University is recognised as one of the four top research universities in South Africa. It takes pride in the fact that it has one of the country’s highest proportions of postgraduate students of which almost ten percent are international students.

http://www.sun.ac.za/university/index.html

Fair enough, being in the top 4 Uni's in South Africa sounds reasonable until you see how they're ranked worldwide:

According to the University of Leiden’s ranking, SU ranked 454th out of the top 500 universities worldwide in terms of international publication output and 415th in terms of the impact of citations from SU scientific publications in 2007. This is one of the most reliable rankings in respect of research but it does not – and rightly so – attempt to rank universities in a comprehensive sense.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellen...ersity#Ranking

[dherald]

So is this the only report out there that says creatine causes hairloss??

[namean]

My hair sheds when I am using SizeOn. I asked Gaspari and they say nothing hormonal in the product which leads me to believe the study has some truth to it. I have used other creatine products but i cant remember if hairloss was a factor.

[JochemG]

honestly i suffered severe hairloss due to creatine. I bought a stash and have to sell it because the hairloss was so bad. So i would recommend that balding people stay away from it if you see the same problem , for people with no hairloss problems , go nuts ... sidenote: the hair grew back after i stopped the creatine.

Too bad i have to mis out on this product

[JRDFrosty]

inb4 you lose a kidney.

lolz x2

[Jordipau]

I suffered hairloss too and a lot of acne over my back and my face and bloating.

Stop creatine = new life.

srs.