Creatine myths, checked
What people believe about creatine, why it sounds right, and what the studies found.
Not the way you think Creatine is just water weight
Week one is mostly water, 1.37 L in one trial. But with lifting, lean mass rose 2.4 lb (1.1 kg) more than lifting alone across 35 trials, and muscle fibers grew more.
No You have to load creatine first
20 g a day for 6 days and 3 g a day for 28 days ended at the same 20% rise. Loading only gets you there about three weeks sooner, with more water and more stomach upset.
No Creatine makes your hair fall out
The fear comes from one 2009 study of 20 rugby players that measured a hormone and never looked at hair. A 2025 trial measured hair for 12 weeks and found no difference.
Not the way you think Creatine damages your kidneys
It raises creatinine, the number a kidney test uses, by about 0.14 mg/dL. Kidney filtering measured directly didn't drop across 26 trials. With kidney disease, ask first.
No Creatine is a kind of steroid
Your liver and kidneys make creatine, and 2.4 lb of raw steak holds a scoop's worth. Steroids are a different molecule. Testosterone didn't change in a 12-week trial.
Yes, but After your workout is the best time to take creatine
A small 2013 trial leaned toward after training, but the difference wasn't significant. The daily total is what fills your muscles, so take it whenever you'll remember.
Sort of Coffee cancels out creatine
In two of six studies, big daily caffeine doses during a loading week blunted creatine. A coffee before training once your stores are full didn't, and often helped.
No You need to cycle off creatine
When you stop, your stores drift back to where they started over about a month, and never below. A break only empties what you filled, so there's nothing to reset.
No HCl and other new forms work better than monohydrate
Monohydrate is already 87.9% creatine, and about 99% of it is taken up or passed in urine. HCl did no better in two head-to-head trials, and no other form has beaten it.
