Rhonda Patrick here. New episode with Dr. Darren Candow explores creatine’s potential to support brain longevity by enhancing bioenergetic resilience. Brain uptake is limited—higher doses (~10g/day) elevate brain creatine, slow age-related energy decline in neurons, and lower neurodamage markers.

[u/rperciav]

https://youtu.be/ICsO-EHI_vM?si=q_uqd5lkNZRw1qt-

[u/Background-South-433]

Perhaps we guys would be getting bald even without creatine

[u/stuffitystuff]

Doesn't creatine raise DHT levels and obliterate scalp hair?

[u/tedfa → u/stuffitystuff]

Doesn't look that way:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7871530/

DHT is a metabolite of testosterone, formed when the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase converts free testosterone to DHT [63]. In males, DHT can bind to androgen receptors in susceptible hair follicles and cause them to shrink, ultimately leading to hair loss [64]. However, in the van der Merwe et al. [61] study, no increase in total testosterone was found in the 16 males who completed the study. Free testosterone was not measured. Moreover, the increase in DHT and the DHT: testosterone ratio remained well within normal clinical limits. Furthermore, baseline (prior to supplementation), DHT was 23% lower in the creatine group (0.98 nmol/L) compared to the placebo group (1.26 nmol/L). Thus the small increase in DHT in the creatine group (+ 0.55 nmol/L after 7 days of supplementation and + 0.40 nmol/L after 21 days of supplementation), in combination with a small decrease in the placebo DHT response (-0.17 nmol/L after 7 days of supplementation and -0.20 nmol/L after 21 days of supplementation) explains the “statistically significant” increase in DHT noted by van der Merwe et al. [61]. While it is possible that creatine supplementation upregulated 5-alpha-reductase activity in these males (potentially leading to increased formation of DHT), no study has reported hair loss/baldness in humans.

To date, 12 other studies have investigated the effects of creatine supplementation (i.e. doses ranging from 3-25 g/day for 6 days to 12 weeks) on testosterone. Two studies reported small, physiologically insignificant increases in total testosterone after six and seven days of supplementation [65, 66], while the remaining ten studies reported no change in testosterone concentrations. In five of these studies [67–71], free testosterone, which the body uses to produce DHT, was also measured and no increases were found.

[u/xXCsd113Xx → u/stuffitystuff]

One single study on rugby players showed an increase in DHT, it did not normalize findings for the potential increase in DHT that occurs from doing more exercise. It has never been replicated. From some reading a few people have said their DHT on bloodwork increased after taking Creatine, but with the variance that can occur with low quality blood testing it’s not conclusive

[u/leanatx → u/stuffitystuff]

N=1, but the guy recommending taking a shit ton of creatine looks pretty bald.

There's no reproduced research pointing to this, but after a few experiments personally it 100% leads to shedding for me. Which is pretty sad, I used it for a long time with good results. Each time I'm like "oh, it will be fine - there's no evidence" I try it again and literally within days I start noticing more hair coming out.

[u/adamsdayoff → u/leanatx]

I keep it bald but hate shaving. This is just an extra benefit 👍

[u/just_tweed → u/leanatx]

How very anecdotal of you.

[u/biohacker045 → u/stuffitystuff]

They discuss the hair loss myth here

[u/tomthespaceman → u/biohacker045]

I'm no biologist but it seems like he's dismissing it as a myth at the same time that he's saying it increased DHT by 57%? That's a pretty huge jump

[u/riemsesy]

Am already bald. Nothing to loose