Does creatine cause hair loss?
What the studies we have published say — strongest evidence first. Every claim below links to the paper it came from.
Meta-analyses indicate that combining creatine supplementation with resistance training improves ageing muscle mass and upper body strength beyond resistance training alone, and creatine also shows promise for bone mineral density and indices of bone biology.
well supported · human dataReasonably solid for muscle and upper body strength: the conclusion rests on pooled trials of creatine combined with resistance training in the context of ageing. The bone findings are promising rather than proven, and the abstract does not report how large the added benefits are.
In adults under 50, adding creatine to resistance training produced a very small 1.19% reduction in body fat percentage but no change in absolute fat mass, across pooled results from 12 trials involving 266 people.
well supported · human dataSolid as pooled evidence goes: 12 trials in 266 adults under 50 all point the same way, but the percentage change was tiny and several of the authors have financial ties to creatine companies, which is worth knowing when reading it.
Pooled data from ten randomised trials in 211 older women show that adding creatine to resistance training improves upper-body strength, with both upper- and lower-body strength improving when programmes lasted at least 24 weeks. Measures of muscle mass did not change.
well supported · human dataPromising but thin: results pooled from ten trials covering just 211 older women, and the authors themselves call for higher-quality studies to confirm it. Strength improved, yet muscle size showed no measurable change.
Creatine supplementation did not improve recovery of muscle strength, soreness, range of motion or inflammation after muscle-damaging exercise across pooled trials; the only change was a lower blood marker of muscle damage at 48 hours.
well supported · human dataA solid null: results pooled from 13 trials covering 278 people, mostly men aged 20 to 60. The trials disagreed with each other quite a bit, so the authors still want bigger, tighter studies before closing the book.
Pooled results from ten randomised trials suggest curcumin supplementation reduces post-exercise muscle soreness and the muscle damage marker creatine kinase, with modest improvements in strength and joint range of motion.
well supported · human dataFairly credible as supplement evidence goes: results pooled from ten randomised trials, all pointing the same modest direction. The trials were small, though, and the authors say larger, higher-quality studies are still needed to confirm the effects and settle long-term safety.
Across 63 trials in 1489 people, adding creatine to resistance training produced greater gains in upper-body strength, lower-body strength and lean mass than training alone, with no significant change in fat mass. The small rise in total body weight was mostly lean tissue, and body-fat percentage dipped slightly.
well supported · human dataAbout as solid as sports nutrition evidence gets: results pooled from 63 trials in 1489 people, most showing the same direction of benefit. The included trials varied in diets and training backgrounds, and the hint that younger lifters gain more strength is exploratory rather than proven.
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This page collects what our published, cited studies say; it is information, not medical advice. Have a different question? Ask it here.