Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
Does creatine cause hair loss? What about bloating? In this episode, Greg and Lyndsey bust myths and misconceptions about creatine, one of the most popular supplements on the market. Greg also explains how creatine actually works to increase muscle growth and discusses myths related to creatine dosing (is 5g per day enough?). Then, they play a few listener calls about creatine and answer questions about creatine's impact on individual genetic potential for muscularity, different forms of creatine, and the interaction between caffeine and creatine.
*TIME STAMPS, SOURCES, AND LINKS*
0:00: Intro
3:23: What’s on your mind: Love Island
8:30: Plugs
Coaching: strongerbyscience.com/coaching
Bulksupplements.com: SBSPOD = 5% discount
MacroFactor: macrofactorapp.com
MASS: massresearchreview.com
Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/StrongerByScienceCommunity
Subreddit: reddit.com/r/StrongerByScience
Newsletter: strongerbyscience.com/newsletter
Send your Q&A questions to podcast@strongerbyscience.com
10:49: Creatine Introduction
Creatine and muscle growth: strongerbyscience.com/creatine-effect-size
17:56: History of Creatine
1912 study: jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(18)88723-3/pdf
1926 frog study: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1251888/pdf/biochemj01146-0208.pdf
1927 study : science.org/doi/10.1126/science.65.1686.401
38:39: Creatine and hair loss introduction
40:48: Background information on DHT
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557634
44:35: Discussion of the study everyone cites to support the idea that creatine causes hair loss
Creatine/DHT study: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19741313
Reference range: academic.oup.com/edrv/article/38/3/220/3788611
Variability in DHT levels: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2007.02976.x
54:21: The key thing everyone misses when discussing the creatine/DHT study
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28912032
1:04:09: Potential physiological explanations for increased scalp DHT production and hair loss
Blood flow: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2715645
Gravity-related hypothesis: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4174066
Different effects of DHT in hair follicles: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK278957
Scalp tension: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987717310411
Botox treatment: journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/FullText/2010/11000/Treatment_of_Male_Pattern_Baldness_with_Botulinum.79.aspx
Obesity/metabolic syndrome:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4144211
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24184140
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17341860
Heritability: jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(15)30544-3/fulltext
1:29:40: Known effects of creatine on the actual causes of hair loss
Creatine/free testosterone studies: examine.com/supplements/creatine/faq/ZJ73RJV-does-creatine-cause-hair-loss
Systemic vs. local DHT: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6459338/, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1551803
Supplemental DHT and lack of prostate growth: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21079217
1:38:00: Why do so many people think that creatine causes hair loss in the first place?
menshealth.com/health/a36450733/does-creatine-cause-hair-loss
womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/strength-training/a42178665/creatine
si.com/showcase/nutrition/creatine-benefits
forhims.com/blog/does-creatine-cause-hair-loss
nytimes.com/2022/10/24/well/eat/creatine-supplement-benefits-side-effects.html
Jose Antonio article: jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w
General info: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464621002176
1:48:31: How creatine actually works to increase muscle growth
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5679696
2:04:01: The idea that creatine doesn’t actually cause bloating is probably incorrect
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5469049
2:15:34 – Myth related to creatine dosing
Hultman study: journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/jappl.1996.81.1.232
Creatinine excretion ranges: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=creatinine_urine
Study on jacked people: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajhb.23102
2:38:01: Question 1: does creatine raise the limits of muscularity that you can achieve, or does it just lead to slightly faster progress toward the same limit?
2:40:28: Question 2: is it worth experimenting with other forms of creatine?
2:46:51: Question 3: do caffeine and creatine have inhibitory effects on each other?
SBS creatine guide: strongerbyscience.com/creatine
MASS article on the topic : massmember.com/products/mass-subscription/categories/2150809186/posts/2159651368
Does creatine cause hair loss? What about bloating? In this episode, Greg and Lyndsey bust myths and misconceptions about creatine, one of the most popular supplements on the market. Greg also explains how creatine actually works to increase muscle growth and discusses myths related to creatine dosing (is 5g per day enough?). Then, they play a few listener calls about creatine and answer questions about creatine's impact on individual genetic potential for muscularity, different forms of creatine, and the interaction between caffeine and creatine.
*TIME STAMPS, SOURCES, AND LINKS*
0:00: Intro
3:23: What’s on your mind: Love Island
8:30: Plugs
Coaching: strongerbyscience.com/coaching
Bulksupplements.com: SBSPOD = 5% discount
MacroFactor: macrofactorapp.com
MASS: massresearchreview.com
Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/StrongerByScienceCommunity
Subreddit: reddit.com/r/StrongerByScience
Newsletter: strongerbyscience.com/newsletter
Send your Q&A questions to podcast@strongerbyscience.com
10:49: Creatine Introduction
Creatine and muscle growth: strongerbyscience.com/creatine-effect-size
17:56: History of Creatine
1912 study: jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(18)88723-3/pdf
1926 frog study: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1251888/pdf/biochemj01146-0208.pdf
1927 study : science.org/doi/10.1126/science.65.1686.401
38:39: Creatine and hair loss introduction
40:48: Background information on DHT
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557634
44:35: Discussion of the study everyone cites to support the idea that creatine causes hair loss
Creatine/DHT study: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19741313
Reference range: academic.oup.com/edrv/article/38/3/220/3788611
Variability in DHT levels: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2007.02976.x
54:21: The key thing everyone misses when discussing the creatine/DHT study
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28912032
1:04:09: Potential physiological explanations for increased scalp DHT production and hair loss
Blood flow: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2715645
Gravity-related hypothesis: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4174066
Different effects of DHT in hair follicles: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK278957
Scalp tension: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987717310411
Botox treatment: journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/FullText/2010/11000/Treatment_of_Male_Pattern_Baldness_with_Botulinum.79.aspx
Obesity/metabolic syndrome:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4144211
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24184140
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17341860
Heritability: jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(15)30544-3/fulltext
1:29:40: Known effects of creatine on the actual causes of hair loss
Creatine/free testosterone studies: examine.com/supplements/creatine/faq/ZJ73RJV-does-creatine-cause-hair-loss
Systemic vs. local DHT: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6459338/, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1551803
Supplemental DHT and lack of prostate growth: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21079217
1:38:00: Why do so many people think that creatine causes hair loss in the first place?
menshealth.com/health/a36450733/does-creatine-cause-hair-loss
womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/strength-training/a42178665/creatine
si.com/showcase/nutrition/creatine-benefits
forhims.com/blog/does-creatine-cause-hair-loss
nytimes.com/2022/10/24/well/eat/creatine-supplement-benefits-side-effects.html
Jose Antonio article: jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w
General info: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464621002176
1:48:31: How creatine actually works to increase muscle growth
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5679696
2:04:01: The idea that creatine doesn’t actually cause bloating is probably incorrect
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5469049
2:15:34 – Myth related to creatine dosing
Hultman study: journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/jappl.1996.81.1.232
Creatinine excretion ranges: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=creatinine_urine
Study on jacked people: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajhb.23102
2:38:01: Question 1: does creatine raise the limits of muscularity that you can achieve, or does it just lead to slightly faster progress toward the same limit?
2:40:28: Question 2: is it worth experimenting with other forms of creatine?
2:46:51: Question 3: do caffeine and creatine have inhibitory effects on each other?
SBS creatine guide: strongerbyscience.com/creatine
MASS article on the topic : massmember.com/products/mass-subscription/categories/2150809186/posts/2159651368
