What is creatine? How to take it, side effects and the hair-loss question

Creatine is a compound the body makes itself and that is found in red meat and seafood. Most of it is stored in muscle. Research supports it for short bursts of hard effort when taken alongside training, and the usual amount is 3–5 g a day. This page covers what creatine does, how to take it, whether the different forms differ, and the side effects people ask about, including hair loss.

What is creatine?

The 2017 position stand of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) describes creatine as a naturally occurring compound made in the liver and kidneys from the amino acids arginine and glycine. About 95% is stored in skeletal muscle and the rest in the brain and testes. A typical person uses about 1–3 g a day, half of it from food; a pound (about 450 g) of uncooked beef or salmon provides about 1–2 g.

What the research says it does

The ISSN calls creatine monohydrate the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes. The studies it reviews show more capacity for high-intensity exercise and more lean mass during training. After loading, high-intensity or repeated efforts generally improve by about 10–20%, depending on how much muscle phosphocreatine rises. These results were measured in people who were training, so creatine does not replace the training.

How to take creatine

Loading: the ISSN says the fastest way to fill muscle stores is about 0.3 g per kg of body weight a day, split into four doses, for 5–7 days. For a 70 kg person that is about 20 g a day, followed by 3–5 g a day to maintain. Larger athletes may need 5–10 g.
No loading: take 3 g every day and muscle creatine rises gradually over about 28 days. The ISSN's 2021 common-questions paper confirms that loading is not required; 3–5 g a day works, it just takes about 4 weeks or more.
Timing: the 2021 paper does not conclude that before or after training is better. What matters is the daily total, so pick a time you will remember every day.
Tablets or powder: check the grams of creatine per tablet or per scoop on the label and count up to the daily amounts above.

Monohydrate, HCl and Creapure compared

The 2017 ISSN paper calls creatine monohydrate the most extensively studied and clinically effective form, and says claims that other forms are better absorbed or retained are unfounded. The 2021 paper concludes that no published study shows creatine salts or other forms raise muscle creatine more than monohydrate. Creatine HCl (hydrochloride) is one such salt. Neither paper tests HCl by name, so they offer no evidence that HCl is better.

Creapure is not a different kind of creatine. It is a brand name for creatine monohydrate from Germany. The brand's website lists Alzchem Group AG in Trostberg as its contact and runs a quality seal that buyers can check with a 6-digit code to confirm a product is in its partner network.

Downsides and side effects

Weight gain: the 2017 ISSN paper says the only consistently reported side effect is weight gain. Loading can hold about 0.5–1 litre of extra water in the short term; the 2021 paper reports that over longer studies, body water relative to muscle mass does not change.
Kidneys: in healthy people at recommended doses, the ISSN finds no evidence that creatine harms kidney function. The 2021 paper explains that creatine can raise creatinine in blood and urine without meaning the kidneys work less well, so tell your doctor you take it before a blood test.
Caffeine: Mayo Clinic says taking it with caffeine might reduce how well creatine works, but more research is needed.

Does creatine cause hair loss?

The idea comes from a 2009 study by van der Merwe and colleagues in 20 male rugby players who took 25 g of creatine a day for 7 days, then 5 g a day for 14 days. Blood DHT rose 56% after loading and stayed 40% above baseline during maintenance. That study measured hormones, not hair, and the ISSN's 2021 paper notes that no study in humans has reported hair loss or baldness from creatine.

In 2025 Lak and colleagues ran a randomised, double-blind trial in resistance-trained men; 38 finished. They took 5 g of creatine monohydrate or a placebo every day for 12 weeks. There was no difference in DHT and no effect on hair count, density, or the share of hairs in the growing and resting phases. The authors list their own limits: men only, 12 weeks, one dose, and no look at family history of hair loss.

Can you take creatine with whey?

Yes. The 2017 ISSN paper reports that taking creatine with carbohydrate, or carbohydrate plus protein, leads to more consistent creatine retention, although performance may be no better than with creatine alone. Stirring it into a whey shake is simply convenient. For daily whey amounts see how many scoops of whey a day, compare every brand on the whey protein page, and see creatine in our store.

Who should check with a doctor first

Mayo Clinic says research on creatine in people with kidney disease is limited and suggests that people with kidney disease talk with their healthcare team before using it. If you have another condition or take regular medication, asking a doctor or pharmacist before you start costs nothing.