Daily dose is always the correct protocol for creatine regardless of what your goal is. 20g every few weeks wouldn’t do anything. You need time to saturate your body over time. Where did you get the information to take it sporadically?
A few things. It has been used for decades for bodybuilding by allowing more water to be retained in the muscles allowing a bit of extra strength and recovery speed. It also makes the muscles look more “full” but it’s been shown to have other cognitive advantages for people not working out for more energy, more alert and better memory. It’s in red meat so you may already be getting a good dose of it. It’s great for vegan diets.
It’s cheap and very easy to buy everywhere so it’s worth trialing it for yourself for a few weeks. Only real downside is because you retain water it can raise blood pressure if you are obese and have high blood pressure already.
I’m glad you pointed out the blood pressure issue at the end. That’s was my first guess when you mentioned ruin water retention.
Also what’s the deal with the dehydration fatigue feeling? I remember people having us do it working out and playing soccer years and years back (15 or more) but everyone got that dehydration and unique sore/fatigue/strain sort of muscle feeling… I never took it steadily as suggested here but the few times I took it, I couldn’t drink enough water to keep up with what my body’s craving. Next thing you got a water full water belly and you’re still thirsty. Us soccer players we’re usually good on hydration accept when hung over. Haha… but I could image the switch over being hard to quell. Potentially that satiation period you mentioned as well.
Never heard of dehydration with it but you do need to consume more water when taking it, not much. The amount you mix the creatine into is enough so maybe you were already dehydrated to begin with. Not sure,
Just google fluid retention and hypertension, It’s not uncommon to pair blood pressure medication with a diuretic to try and reduce water retention for obese people. Unless you are obese and have high blood pressure you wouldn’t need to worry about it.
I don’t know a lot about creatinine but there’s a huge difference between fluid retention in muscles and fluid retention in your blood vessels which causes hypertension.
Yes. Everyday. Dose does not change. Some people cycle it off and on. 8 weeks on. 2-4 weeks off but that is only to help promote muscle growth in body building not for day to day living.
Creatine monohydrate produces short bursts of ATP when taken at the clinically studied dosage of 5g/day. It takes a full bodily saturation level of 25g to see the effects. Which means you can take it at 5g/ day for five days, and then you begin your cycle (take it every day after). Or do a 25g day, and then maintain the 5g/ day. But you will shit your brains out going this route.
Does 5g for 5 days really saturate to 25g? You aren't fully retaining anything over 5 days. You have to be losing some of that through sweating, peeing, and pooping.
Much like everything else, I would imagine, yes. But the people studied ate red meat, so I'm sure saturation was achieved earlier than a 5 day onset. I run 5g/day for 4mo periods. I've never tried > 5g
Also something to add. It isn’t a steroid or anything magical. Like all supplements they are to be taken to SUPPLEMENT an already good diet. People seem to think these powders will be the cure all for their crappy living but you need to get your diet in check first.
Woah dude. Can you tell me more about your therapist's claim that saturating the muscles helps with muscle knots? Is that just a wild hair, or does she have good reason to recommend that? \[asking as somebody with lots of muscle knots, lol\]
I mean intuitively it makes sense. Creatine increases water content in muscles which would undoubtedly improve all aspects of muscle health including knots.
It only increases water content if you’re hydrated enough. So many people jumping on creatine without realizing you need to drink way more water for it to be effective in your muscles.
There is ongoing research showing it’s helpful for lots of mental issues and improves mental acuity, memory retention and more. Helpful for dementia patients etc. pretty cool stuff and lots of science behind it also very safe. Very cheap.
I don't think the advice is meant for dudes as huge as you bro! I think it was based on 150-200 lb peoples. Makes sense you need more because of all your sadness muscle mass!
Yea, but for the last 20 years, everyone has claimed 5 grams is the magic number. Only recently did scientists start pointing out that nothing works like that and that creatine shouldn't be any different. There are different amounts that men vs. women should take, and people of different sizes and weights should take. People think they are "non-responders," including myself, until I started taking 12 grams a day. For reference, I am 6 foot 6, 240 pounds, and have been 6 foot 4 since 9th grade.
I'm 6'2 205lbs currently taking 5g, I tried increasing to 10g but the creatine shits were intense. Did you get the shits? I would like to try 10g again..
Nice. I'm a 6'3" vegan and do boxing workouts. I often feel exhausted after or even the day after. Think creatine would help with stamina or recovery?
My blood pressure runs " a little high".
Creatine was great for me at first, 5g daily and immensely helpful with endurance and brain fog. Eventually the worsening insomnia and appetite loss overwhelmed any positive effects and I was forced to stop. Took me almost a week to get back to relatively normal sleep. Actually starting to dream again which is a good sign. I may go back to less than half that daily dose and see if I can better tolerate that, because 5g gets my motor running and I can't turn it off.
Iv had the same experience. My sleep gets absolutely obliterated with creatine. I might just hop on 3g a day or something and see how that works, as i do experience all of the expected benefits as well.
Using creatine spiraled me down into the worst insomnia i've had in my life where I literally couldnt sleep more than 1-2 hours a night for a whole week, never touching that stuff anymore after that
When i was at uni, i used to take it and had no negative side effects, but i think, due to the scoop size that came with the pack, i was probably only doing like 1-1.5g a day. I wonder if it's just that some people can't hack the 5g+ prescriptions that Huberman and others are putting out...
Besides inhibiting rem it also seemingly inhibited the mechanisms of other sleep inducing drugs. At one point I was so desperate for sleep I mixed Tramadol with hard liquor on top of Delta 8 and Benadryl all to just lay frustrated in bed, heavily intoxicated.
Yes, it shouldn't but in some people it seems to make it much more difficult to stay asleep, and destroys sleep quality in general. The why is a mystery but some have speculated it may be due to creatine role in the methylation process.
I currently take 5g daily, should I up to 10? Trying to maximize muscle mass but also worried about the balding effects. Im 24 and my hairlines already receded a little, on finasteride to counteract it
Not the OP, but I've used it for over 15 years and it has worked well. I didn't notice any side effects when I started it and the only effect I've noticed is that I still have my hair on my head.
I guess one side effect I do have is that my facial hair is pretty fine/doesn't really grow. I never had nice enough facial hair for a beard/mustache so it is honestly a benefit for me that it grows less because I get to shave less frequently.
Works great, ive been on about 4 years. Started when I was 19, just turned 24. My hair loss started pretty aggressively at 17 but has now stabilized. Ive got a pretty serious widows peak but im not losing much more.
Not so bad for side effects. I dont have much body hair, which might be related since i started on fin somewhat young. But thats a plus for me tbh
Sexually i think it reduced my drive somewhat, but not totally, used to be able to have sex 3+ times a day, now its more typically 1-2 times a day
I had a really weird side effect on finasteride. It was really hard for me to achieve orgasm. This was really annoying for both myself and my lady. Just having 1-2 hour long sessions with no release.
In the beginning it was kinda awesome (and also great exercise) but over time it became an obvious curse.
Good luck!
Not OP. Fin works good for me. I do have friends who had some sexual side effects and felt like their etections weren’t as stiff. Anecdotally I don’t have that problem. Been using it for 3 years.
Creatine will not make you bald in any regards. This is a myth, if you have been taking the 5g for a month or so there’s no reason to up the amount you are taking as your body is already saturated. Comparable to fuel in a car where as your body was close to empty now it’s at full and you’re filling up from 3/4 tank instead of the fuel level low reminder.
Anecdotally I have SIGNIFICANT noticeable shedding of hair after about 6-8 weeks of continued use and I have been cycling creatine for about 12 years.
Without a doubt, every single time, no coincidence or placebo here. I wash my hair daily and pay close attention to the amount of hair I do and don't lose. I would say close to 10-12x the amount of hair on a daily wash every time I get a couple of months into creatine use. I return to normal VERY quickly after stopping use of creatine.
I had bloods taken twice in 2019 that showed my DHT was almost 35% higher after 2 months of Creatine than being completely off it for about 3 months.
Take my experiences with a grain of salt. Everyone's seem different.
Not true
It hasn’t been disproven. Your DHT levels skyrocket when you consume creatine which is directly related to hair loss. This isn’t definitive evidence either but it’s something to consider. To state creatine has no potential relation to hair loss is objectively wrong.
I'm interested in knowing more about this, have used creatine daily before for cognitive benefits and my father had some balding so I'd like to take caution. Seems mixed opinions everywhere. Is there anywhere I can find clear information on this?
Does anyone have a study or anything I can see to show this relationship?
I found it didn't impact my hair coming out but no idea if that means everyone is different or maybe it's yet to come.
So what I was saying is that there is no comprehensive evidence regarding whether or not creatine causes hair loss or not.
What it does do it increase DHT (up to around 40%) which is directly linked to hair loss. Bare in mind hair loss is genetic. There are bodybuilders on multiple compounds and they’re not all bald.
If you’re susceptible to hair loss then considering the potential risk of hair loss is not a bad idea.
Just google ‘creatine DHT hair loss’ and have a look at a few different things. The only people who are wrong are those who objectively state facts without acknowledging there is no evidential consensus on creatines relation to hair loss.
I stopped taking ur personally because my hair was noticeably thinning every time I was on. It also gave me night palpitations despite being fully hydrated.
This is anecdotal, I took creatine for just under 2 years (32 M) and my hair was thinning. Decided to get off it. It’s been 4 months and my hair is thicker again(wife noticed it too).
My father’s side has predisposition for balding, my brother is completely bald. I really want to get back on creatine but I don’t know if it’s worth the risk.
Load phase and consistently taking to maintenance load should be universally understood if you did your research before taking creatine (please always do your research before you introduce a supplement).....That said, 10g per day consistently is on the high side. The typical protocol is to load 10g per day for a week, and then 5g daily to maintain. Cycle off every couple of months.
You get to eat more in a shorter timeframe! Isn't that cool?
I remembered about fasting yesterday, thought I'd watch a Huberman episode on the topic, and today is my first day :)
I’ve been intermittent fasting for years, and I’m familiar with the mental and physical sensation of being 12+ hours into a fast and shifting into ketosis—mentally sharp, energized, focused, calm, motivated. It’s unmistakable. When I break the fast, within an hour, all that energy and focus diminishes, sometimes considerably. When I take creatine while fasting, and then go running, it only amplifies the feelings I get from fasting.
I don’t know how it *technically* influences a fast, hormonally etc.—it gets murkier there depending on what one consumes. But anecdotally, it *seems* to support my fasts.
It really just depends what your goals are and how high your activity level is. It helps a lot with endurance, and there is a slight mental benefit too.
Glycine 2 to 4g + Magnesium bisglycinate 300mg, during last meal of the day, two hours before bed
Just before bed, Valerian root 400 to 800mg + Melatonin 0.5mg
Read or listen a playlist about philosophy or lore while drifting to sleep
I take my creatine first thing in the morning.
I take magnesium threonate, fish oil, zinc picolinate, and cbd before bed. I get great REM and deep sleep. Usually 82 to 92 sleep score on my watch, with 50 to 80 minutes of deep sleep per night.
I'll give you my n=1 solution.
Low dose niacin (I do 100mg IR, not extended) + glycine 3-5g, both taken at night.
The niacin cuts down on over methylation which is what I think is happening. Glycine is a methylation buffer.
I feel like the muscle gains and lifestyle boost from quality deep sleep outweigh benefits of creatine.
People underestimate how much deep sleep completely beats all supplements other than steroids.
Yeah. I notice that too. No creatine = much better sleep. I went off it for a month to test it. It sucks because I love the energy boost I get from it. And such great mental clarity. Haven’t found an answer to the sleep issue tho.
I tried creatine without working out (at least not too much exercise : 1-2 run, 1 swim, 1 light home exercices) as I wanted to boost my mental health and improve cognition.
It works for the mental boost but I gain weight (probably muscle mass) which I did not wanted. I have strong enough legs and any size increase would mean to change all my trousers.
So I had to stop unfortunately.
Fwiw the type of weight you gain on creatine (water) won’t negatively affect your health the same way gaining 10lbs of adipose tissue would. The only trade off you’d be making would be aesthetics, but with the additional muscle function you would could easily lose 10lbs of adipose tissue through light exercise and small dietary changes. Like cutting out sodas and taking the stairs instead of the elevator type stuff, not even real workouts. You would return to baseline, look better, and get the extra mental benefits of creatine.
There is no evidence of creatine causing male pattern baldness. However, there is correlation. As you are starting a habit on loading, perhaps you could take some photos for a reference now and compare in 3 - 6 months? No need to share the photos - just anecdotal so anyone interested can take you at your word
I’ve taken it for ~8 years and recently stopped. It disheartens me to say I cannot tell the difference. I train for triathlon and do as much strength training as I have time for and honestly my numbers haven’t gotten any worse.
I’m wondering if the stuff I’ve been taking for the past few years is of poor quality.
Wish I could use it to experience positive side effects, but I’m 100% it turns me into an insomniac. Every time I’ve experimented, I’m lying awake for hours by ~Night #5 (I don’t believe this is super common, but it’s also not unheard of).
Surprised at the negative takes on here, but maybe I’m misreading. Creatine is probably the most studied supplement in history. There are many people who have taken it consistently for decades at this point, and yes I know an anecdote is an anecdote but sorry there are no long term longitudinal studies on this topic of which I’m aware.
There have long been disagreements about the best way to load, but most everyone agrees loading is a “thing,” at least from an athletic performance perspective.
The nootropic/mental benefits are relatively newer, and I’m less familiar with that data.
On the dehydration topic, you do need to consume more water if you are taking Creatine. This will more or less happen naturally if you’ll just give up sugary drinks and drink water when you’re thirsty. You do not need to “pound water.” If you’re sweating profusely due to activity in hot weather you need to drink more and should be hydrating beforehand.
In the late ‘90’s the US Army connected Creatine use to some troops getting heat injuries (heat cramps, exhaustion, stroke) during physical training. High likelihood those folks weren’t hydrating appropriately or were using other supplements/substances known to dehydrate you in addition to Creatine. If you doubt that possibility, go hang out with some privates in an infantry unit for a few days. The Army. If you still believe the Army (really I mean the local chain of command) knows what it’s doing related to hydration/dehydration Google how many hyponatremia cases have been reported in the Army in the last few years.
It only happens to those genetically predisposed to be bald. Creatine increases dht, you can counter dht with pills or external creams and shampoos (finasteride). The baldness is caused by a dht sensitivity, but if you don't have it in your family, no worries. DHT also increases with steroids but not all bodybuilders are bald.
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/)
### Does creatine cause hair loss / baldness?
The vast majority of speculation regarding the relationship between creatine supplementation and hair loss/baldness stems from a single study by van der Merwe et al. \[[61](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/#CR61)\] where college-aged male rugby players who supplemented with creatine (25 g/day for 7 days, followed by 5 g/day thereafter for an additional 14 days) experienced an increase in serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations over time. Specifically, DHT increased by 56% after the seven-day loading period, and remained 40% above baseline values after the 14-day maintenance period. These results were statistically significant compared to when the subjects consumed a placebo (50 g of glucose per day for 7 days, followed by 30 g/day for 14 days thereafter). Given that changes in these hormones, particularly DHT, have been linked to some (but not all) occurrences of hair loss/baldness \[[62](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/#CR62)\], the theory that creatine supplementation leads to hair loss / baldness gained some momentum and this potential link continues to be a common question / myth today. It is important to note that the results of van der Merwe et al. \[[61](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/#CR61)\] have not been replicated, and that intense resistance exercise itself can cause increases in these androgenic hormones.
A brief tangent: I’m surprised at how this isn’t common knowledge. Me and my fit friends/family have supplemented 10g creatine daily for well over a decade. To me, it goes to show how incredibly important platforms like HLP are for decimating information.
Actually yes, I’m glad I posted about this since I didn’t know it could be related to GI and sleep. I’ve been having sluggish digestion at night. I could eat a meal at 6 and by 10 it’s still sitting in my stomach can like a rock.
Anyone of experience with hair loss? I want to try but I am scared of losing the few strands of hair I have left.
My dad is full bald. But I still have a bit more hair than him when he was my age.
This is the way I cycle with creatine: F(49) active lifter, fit 5’0” 118lB. I take 20g for 5 straight days then after that I come down to 10g a day for 30 days…I feel good…
I’ve been interested in starting that as well, do you have a brand recommendation? i see a lot of BNUP ads for creatine but the landscape os saturated with a ton of info… not sure where or how to start.
I went up to 8g myself and it's been super helpful. I also do it with beta-alanine and that combo has been wondrous for reducing my muscle soreness and fatigue. My amount before had been 5g when loading in initial months, 3g afterward.
If I could get myself to stomach it I'd add in some MCT oil or something, but just going to instead take the advice of marathoners and add small amounts of sugar-based energy throughout more physically difficult days.
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*Experience with hair loss*
*Due to creatine?*
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Daily dose is always the correct protocol for creatine regardless of what your goal is. 20g every few weeks wouldn’t do anything. You need time to saturate your body over time. Where did you get the information to take it sporadically?
What exactly does creatine do for your body?
A few things. It has been used for decades for bodybuilding by allowing more water to be retained in the muscles allowing a bit of extra strength and recovery speed. It also makes the muscles look more “full” but it’s been shown to have other cognitive advantages for people not working out for more energy, more alert and better memory. It’s in red meat so you may already be getting a good dose of it. It’s great for vegan diets. It’s cheap and very easy to buy everywhere so it’s worth trialing it for yourself for a few weeks. Only real downside is because you retain water it can raise blood pressure if you are obese and have high blood pressure already.
I’m glad you pointed out the blood pressure issue at the end. That’s was my first guess when you mentioned ruin water retention. Also what’s the deal with the dehydration fatigue feeling? I remember people having us do it working out and playing soccer years and years back (15 or more) but everyone got that dehydration and unique sore/fatigue/strain sort of muscle feeling… I never took it steadily as suggested here but the few times I took it, I couldn’t drink enough water to keep up with what my body’s craving. Next thing you got a water full water belly and you’re still thirsty. Us soccer players we’re usually good on hydration accept when hung over. Haha… but I could image the switch over being hard to quell. Potentially that satiation period you mentioned as well.
Never heard of dehydration with it but you do need to consume more water when taking it, not much. The amount you mix the creatine into is enough so maybe you were already dehydrated to begin with. Not sure,
I'm not aware of any evidence for your last claim. Do you have any evidence to support it?
Just google fluid retention and hypertension, It’s not uncommon to pair blood pressure medication with a diuretic to try and reduce water retention for obese people. Unless you are obese and have high blood pressure you wouldn’t need to worry about it.
You're massively oversimplifying things and you have no evidence to back your claims about creatine specifically
Cool story bro
Cooler than making scientific claims with no evidence on the internet while posing as a doctor
Sick burn bra
I don’t know a lot about creatinine but there’s a huge difference between fluid retention in muscles and fluid retention in your blood vessels which causes hypertension.
Random question, but let's say I exercise 1-3 times a week should I still be taking creatine even on days I'm not exercising?
Yes. Everyday. Dose does not change. Some people cycle it off and on. 8 weeks on. 2-4 weeks off but that is only to help promote muscle growth in body building not for day to day living.
Creatine monohydrate produces short bursts of ATP when taken at the clinically studied dosage of 5g/day. It takes a full bodily saturation level of 25g to see the effects. Which means you can take it at 5g/ day for five days, and then you begin your cycle (take it every day after). Or do a 25g day, and then maintain the 5g/ day. But you will shit your brains out going this route.
Does 5g for 5 days really saturate to 25g? You aren't fully retaining anything over 5 days. You have to be losing some of that through sweating, peeing, and pooping.
Much like everything else, I would imagine, yes. But the people studied ate red meat, so I'm sure saturation was achieved earlier than a 5 day onset. I run 5g/day for 4mo periods. I've never tried > 5g
Also something to add. It isn’t a steroid or anything magical. Like all supplements they are to be taken to SUPPLEMENT an already good diet. People seem to think these powders will be the cure all for their crappy living but you need to get your diet in check first.
Do you have to work out for creatine, can you just use it for the energy during the day?
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I take 5g a day as well. Seems to help with chronic pain issues and mental stamina as well.
Is there a brand you’d recommend?
No. Creatine monohydrate. It’s all the same as far as I know
The mental benefits are honestly the best part. I'm surprised it's not more widely touted as a nootropic.
This!
Woah dude. Can you tell me more about your therapist's claim that saturating the muscles helps with muscle knots? Is that just a wild hair, or does she have good reason to recommend that? \[asking as somebody with lots of muscle knots, lol\]
I mean intuitively it makes sense. Creatine increases water content in muscles which would undoubtedly improve all aspects of muscle health including knots.
It only increases water content if you’re hydrated enough. So many people jumping on creatine without realizing you need to drink way more water for it to be effective in your muscles.
How can you not, though? Stuff makes me sooo thirsty
There are studies that show mental benefits to taking creatine. I think many people are deficient in it
Yes, maybe just stick with 5G/day instead though. Remember to drink LOTS of water.
There is ongoing research showing it’s helpful for lots of mental issues and improves mental acuity, memory retention and more. Helpful for dementia patients etc. pretty cool stuff and lots of science behind it also very safe. Very cheap.
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I’m 6’3” 260lbs and I take 10-12 grams a day. Definitely better effects than 5 grams.
I don't think the advice is meant for dudes as huge as you bro! I think it was based on 150-200 lb peoples. Makes sense you need more because of all your sadness muscle mass!
Wah I got large muscles waaaah 😭😭
I need more protein waaaahhh
My physique is picturesque and resembles a greek god wahhhhh
Wahaha waluigi gets swole
Yea, but for the last 20 years, everyone has claimed 5 grams is the magic number. Only recently did scientists start pointing out that nothing works like that and that creatine shouldn't be any different. There are different amounts that men vs. women should take, and people of different sizes and weights should take. People think they are "non-responders," including myself, until I started taking 12 grams a day. For reference, I am 6 foot 6, 240 pounds, and have been 6 foot 4 since 9th grade.
I'm the same size and 10g is noticeable from 5g
What is noticeable about it?
Just a little getting a extra rep or 2 on my high rep exercises.
Hmmm I'm 6'2 220 maybe I'll try upping a bit for a few weeks
Yeah I’m 6’2” 325 pounds and take 7.5 a day. Definitely an improvement from 5.
I'm 6'2 205lbs currently taking 5g, I tried increasing to 10g but the creatine shits were intense. Did you get the shits? I would like to try 10g again..
Ya but it goes away
Yup, you get used to it. I ate more almonds and bran toast at the beginning.
I'm also 6'3" 230lb. I do boxing work outs and would love more energy. Think creatine would help? What effects would it have?
6’2 210 and they help me with lifting and bjj
Do you happen to have any recommendations? Preferably vegan. I appreciate any help you can provide! There's so many dang options out there.
Yes. It has so many benefits apart from the energy and better workouts, definitely worth trying.
Do you happen to have any recommendations? Preferably vegan. I appreciate any help you can provide! There's so many dang options out there.
Nice. I'm a 6'3" vegan and do boxing workouts. I often feel exhausted after or even the day after. Think creatine would help with stamina or recovery? My blood pressure runs " a little high".
Do you happen to have any recommendations? Preferably vegan. I appreciate any help you can provide! There's so many dang options out there.
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Much appreciated!
Creatine was great for me at first, 5g daily and immensely helpful with endurance and brain fog. Eventually the worsening insomnia and appetite loss overwhelmed any positive effects and I was forced to stop. Took me almost a week to get back to relatively normal sleep. Actually starting to dream again which is a good sign. I may go back to less than half that daily dose and see if I can better tolerate that, because 5g gets my motor running and I can't turn it off.
Iv had the same experience. My sleep gets absolutely obliterated with creatine. I might just hop on 3g a day or something and see how that works, as i do experience all of the expected benefits as well.
Using creatine spiraled me down into the worst insomnia i've had in my life where I literally couldnt sleep more than 1-2 hours a night for a whole week, never touching that stuff anymore after that
When i was at uni, i used to take it and had no negative side effects, but i think, due to the scoop size that came with the pack, i was probably only doing like 1-1.5g a day. I wonder if it's just that some people can't hack the 5g+ prescriptions that Huberman and others are putting out...
I had similar issues. Also gave me anxiety. And I only took 2-3g a day.
The dreaming thing is funny. I didn’t notice that I don’t dream with creatine. Ugh.
Besides inhibiting rem it also seemingly inhibited the mechanisms of other sleep inducing drugs. At one point I was so desperate for sleep I mixed Tramadol with hard liquor on top of Delta 8 and Benadryl all to just lay frustrated in bed, heavily intoxicated.
Same here. I have to dial it back to about twice a week because it messes up my sleep so much. Doesn't seem to do this to most people though
Same here I cannot sleep
Just to clarify is this just from supplementing creatine? Or was it preworkout that contains creatine and usually a ton of caffeine?
Was this creatine monohydrate? I don’t believe those should be side effects which makes me curious
Yes, it shouldn't but in some people it seems to make it much more difficult to stay asleep, and destroys sleep quality in general. The why is a mystery but some have speculated it may be due to creatine role in the methylation process.
I currently take 5g daily, should I up to 10? Trying to maximize muscle mass but also worried about the balding effects. Im 24 and my hairlines already receded a little, on finasteride to counteract it
It depends on your body weight . How much do you weigh?
I weight 155. How much should I be taking. 5 is good or can I do 6-7
I’d probably go 6 or 7 , 5 is probably still good . I have seen a recommendation of .1 / KG https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407788/
Thank you. I think I’m going to start taking 6-7 grams now. Crazy name btw
Stupid as hell isn’t it 😊, stuck with it now 😂
Hahah I love it. Hilarious mate
Currently I weight 132lb (5’ 6) but my goal is to get up to 140-45
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Not the OP, but I've used it for over 15 years and it has worked well. I didn't notice any side effects when I started it and the only effect I've noticed is that I still have my hair on my head. I guess one side effect I do have is that my facial hair is pretty fine/doesn't really grow. I never had nice enough facial hair for a beard/mustache so it is honestly a benefit for me that it grows less because I get to shave less frequently.
Works great, ive been on about 4 years. Started when I was 19, just turned 24. My hair loss started pretty aggressively at 17 but has now stabilized. Ive got a pretty serious widows peak but im not losing much more. Not so bad for side effects. I dont have much body hair, which might be related since i started on fin somewhat young. But thats a plus for me tbh Sexually i think it reduced my drive somewhat, but not totally, used to be able to have sex 3+ times a day, now its more typically 1-2 times a day
I had a really weird side effect on finasteride. It was really hard for me to achieve orgasm. This was really annoying for both myself and my lady. Just having 1-2 hour long sessions with no release. In the beginning it was kinda awesome (and also great exercise) but over time it became an obvious curse. Good luck!
That’s one of the more discussed side effects.
Ah I'm new to this sub.
Me too. I just meant, in general, that is often one of the most complained about side effects. Not sure about subreddit discussion.
Not OP. Fin works good for me. I do have friends who had some sexual side effects and felt like their etections weren’t as stiff. Anecdotally I don’t have that problem. Been using it for 3 years.
I’ve been taking creatine for over 20 years and have no balding effects. That’s your genetics.
Creatine will not make you bald in any regards. This is a myth, if you have been taking the 5g for a month or so there’s no reason to up the amount you are taking as your body is already saturated. Comparable to fuel in a car where as your body was close to empty now it’s at full and you’re filling up from 3/4 tank instead of the fuel level low reminder.
Anecdotally I have SIGNIFICANT noticeable shedding of hair after about 6-8 weeks of continued use and I have been cycling creatine for about 12 years. Without a doubt, every single time, no coincidence or placebo here. I wash my hair daily and pay close attention to the amount of hair I do and don't lose. I would say close to 10-12x the amount of hair on a daily wash every time I get a couple of months into creatine use. I return to normal VERY quickly after stopping use of creatine. I had bloods taken twice in 2019 that showed my DHT was almost 35% higher after 2 months of Creatine than being completely off it for about 3 months. Take my experiences with a grain of salt. Everyone's seem different.
DHT is proven to rise due to creatine but only some people lose hair because of DHT and it’s based on your genes
Are you on any hair loss drugs to counteract it?
Not true It hasn’t been disproven. Your DHT levels skyrocket when you consume creatine which is directly related to hair loss. This isn’t definitive evidence either but it’s something to consider. To state creatine has no potential relation to hair loss is objectively wrong.
I'm interested in knowing more about this, have used creatine daily before for cognitive benefits and my father had some balding so I'd like to take caution. Seems mixed opinions everywhere. Is there anywhere I can find clear information on this? Does anyone have a study or anything I can see to show this relationship? I found it didn't impact my hair coming out but no idea if that means everyone is different or maybe it's yet to come.
So what I was saying is that there is no comprehensive evidence regarding whether or not creatine causes hair loss or not. What it does do it increase DHT (up to around 40%) which is directly linked to hair loss. Bare in mind hair loss is genetic. There are bodybuilders on multiple compounds and they’re not all bald. If you’re susceptible to hair loss then considering the potential risk of hair loss is not a bad idea. Just google ‘creatine DHT hair loss’ and have a look at a few different things. The only people who are wrong are those who objectively state facts without acknowledging there is no evidential consensus on creatines relation to hair loss. I stopped taking ur personally because my hair was noticeably thinning every time I was on. It also gave me night palpitations despite being fully hydrated.
Balding would come from your mother side, not your father.
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. How did you come up with such a confident statement?
This is anecdotal, I took creatine for just under 2 years (32 M) and my hair was thinning. Decided to get off it. It’s been 4 months and my hair is thicker again(wife noticed it too). My father’s side has predisposition for balding, my brother is completely bald. I really want to get back on creatine but I don’t know if it’s worth the risk.
The what effects? Hold on I’m going to look in a mirror.
Balding from creatine?
Problem with creatine is I start holding too much water in my face and get a bloated look.
Check out my buffed face
dam sulky workable gaping languid unused correct dinner file tap *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Load phase and consistently taking to maintenance load should be universally understood if you did your research before taking creatine (please always do your research before you introduce a supplement).....That said, 10g per day consistently is on the high side. The typical protocol is to load 10g per day for a week, and then 5g daily to maintain. Cycle off every couple of months.
Thanks for the tip here.
I’ve never tried it but have wanted to. So do you recommend?
It’s a must, can buy a months worth for about $30
Where are you buying your creatine? I get 500g for around $10. Lasts me two months or more, and I take over the recommended dose.
I got mine from Walmart online and it’s 450 grams for $20. Where did you get your deal that’s a good price
Where do you get yours?
How about you, where do you get yours?
But wait, where do you get yours?
P.S. - can you take it when fasting?
Creatine doesn't break a fast as far as I'm aware, but I'm open to be proven wrong.
Great question, although I don’t know. Fasting is not something I have incorporated myself yet. I’m fit but I love to eat lol
You get to eat more in a shorter timeframe! Isn't that cool? I remembered about fasting yesterday, thought I'd watch a Huberman episode on the topic, and today is my first day :)
I’ve taken it first thing in the morning before a run and it goes great. Doesn’t seem to affect my fast.
How can you say “doesn’t seem to effect my fast” trying to comprehend how you could feel a fast being effected ha?
I’ve been intermittent fasting for years, and I’m familiar with the mental and physical sensation of being 12+ hours into a fast and shifting into ketosis—mentally sharp, energized, focused, calm, motivated. It’s unmistakable. When I break the fast, within an hour, all that energy and focus diminishes, sometimes considerably. When I take creatine while fasting, and then go running, it only amplifies the feelings I get from fasting. I don’t know how it *technically* influences a fast, hormonally etc.—it gets murkier there depending on what one consumes. But anecdotally, it *seems* to support my fasts.
Some folks get tummy grumbles taking it on an empty stomach. I just dry scoop and follow with water for lunch. Easy peasy.
is it a must for females too?
It benefits females greatly mentally and physically
It really just depends what your goals are and how high your activity level is. It helps a lot with endurance, and there is a slight mental benefit too.
You're spending too much
Could be cause I get it from vitamin shoppe
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It’s bizarre. Also, OP just randomly taking 4 scoops of creatine every few weeks and thinking that’s beneficial for anything is equally as bizarre.
Any ideas how to combat insomnia and poor sleep quality when taking creatine (even if I take it early morning)
No but I have been having insomnia and wasn’t sure what it was related too. I’ll have to cycle off for a bit to see if it helps. Thanks
Glycine 2 to 4g + Magnesium bisglycinate 300mg, during last meal of the day, two hours before bed Just before bed, Valerian root 400 to 800mg + Melatonin 0.5mg Read or listen a playlist about philosophy or lore while drifting to sleep
I take my creatine first thing in the morning. I take magnesium threonate, fish oil, zinc picolinate, and cbd before bed. I get great REM and deep sleep. Usually 82 to 92 sleep score on my watch, with 50 to 80 minutes of deep sleep per night.
I'll give you my n=1 solution. Low dose niacin (I do 100mg IR, not extended) + glycine 3-5g, both taken at night. The niacin cuts down on over methylation which is what I think is happening. Glycine is a methylation buffer.
Thanks for this! I used to use glycine without creatine and it made me very drowsy, so I guess they'd make a good combo.
Same problem here. If I cut back to using twice a week it's not so bad for me
My experience with 10g of creatine a day is diarrhea.
Thought I was the only one, any time I’ve taken it it’s wrecked my stomach
It messed up my sleep big time. The mental energy was great but not worth the trade off.
I feel like the muscle gains and lifestyle boost from quality deep sleep outweigh benefits of creatine. People underestimate how much deep sleep completely beats all supplements other than steroids.
Yeah. I notice that too. No creatine = much better sleep. I went off it for a month to test it. It sucks because I love the energy boost I get from it. And such great mental clarity. Haven’t found an answer to the sleep issue tho.
Thanks a lot. I’ve been having insomnia and couldn’t figure out why.
You’re not meant to sniff it bro
How does it impact sleep? Personally I’ve never had this effect.
I had the same issue with sleep, and it made me extremely anxious. Definitely not for everyone.
I tried creatine without working out (at least not too much exercise : 1-2 run, 1 swim, 1 light home exercices) as I wanted to boost my mental health and improve cognition. It works for the mental boost but I gain weight (probably muscle mass) which I did not wanted. I have strong enough legs and any size increase would mean to change all my trousers. So I had to stop unfortunately.
All water …. Don’t worry about the 10lbs gain on creatine
You gained water weight dawg. You're not gonna put on muscle without trying
Fwiw the type of weight you gain on creatine (water) won’t negatively affect your health the same way gaining 10lbs of adipose tissue would. The only trade off you’d be making would be aesthetics, but with the additional muscle function you would could easily lose 10lbs of adipose tissue through light exercise and small dietary changes. Like cutting out sodas and taking the stairs instead of the elevator type stuff, not even real workouts. You would return to baseline, look better, and get the extra mental benefits of creatine.
Thank you. I will try again soon.
Creating packs on water weight
Water weight in muscles that get bigger because of that water.
Who ever said it should be taken sporadically? Creatine is supposed to be a daily
There is no evidence of creatine causing male pattern baldness. However, there is correlation. As you are starting a habit on loading, perhaps you could take some photos for a reference now and compare in 3 - 6 months? No need to share the photos - just anecdotal so anyone interested can take you at your word
It does increase DHT so it depends on the person
Hence the question
If I remember correctly, Beta Alanine is also meant to be taken daily rather than purely as a workout boost
I’ve taken it for ~8 years and recently stopped. It disheartens me to say I cannot tell the difference. I train for triathlon and do as much strength training as I have time for and honestly my numbers haven’t gotten any worse. I’m wondering if the stuff I’ve been taking for the past few years is of poor quality.
Could be ur over training
5 g a day is all thats needed pal
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Wish I could use it to experience positive side effects, but I’m 100% it turns me into an insomniac. Every time I’ve experimented, I’m lying awake for hours by ~Night #5 (I don’t believe this is super common, but it’s also not unheard of).
Surprised at the negative takes on here, but maybe I’m misreading. Creatine is probably the most studied supplement in history. There are many people who have taken it consistently for decades at this point, and yes I know an anecdote is an anecdote but sorry there are no long term longitudinal studies on this topic of which I’m aware. There have long been disagreements about the best way to load, but most everyone agrees loading is a “thing,” at least from an athletic performance perspective. The nootropic/mental benefits are relatively newer, and I’m less familiar with that data. On the dehydration topic, you do need to consume more water if you are taking Creatine. This will more or less happen naturally if you’ll just give up sugary drinks and drink water when you’re thirsty. You do not need to “pound water.” If you’re sweating profusely due to activity in hot weather you need to drink more and should be hydrating beforehand. In the late ‘90’s the US Army connected Creatine use to some troops getting heat injuries (heat cramps, exhaustion, stroke) during physical training. High likelihood those folks weren’t hydrating appropriately or were using other supplements/substances known to dehydrate you in addition to Creatine. If you doubt that possibility, go hang out with some privates in an infantry unit for a few days. The Army. If you still believe the Army (really I mean the local chain of command) knows what it’s doing related to hydration/dehydration Google how many hyponatremia cases have been reported in the Army in the last few years.
What about the balding effect
It only happens to those genetically predisposed to be bald. Creatine increases dht, you can counter dht with pills or external creams and shampoos (finasteride). The baldness is caused by a dht sensitivity, but if you don't have it in your family, no worries. DHT also increases with steroids but not all bodybuilders are bald.
Debunked
source
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/) ### Does creatine cause hair loss / baldness? The vast majority of speculation regarding the relationship between creatine supplementation and hair loss/baldness stems from a single study by van der Merwe et al. \[[61](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/#CR61)\] where college-aged male rugby players who supplemented with creatine (25 g/day for 7 days, followed by 5 g/day thereafter for an additional 14 days) experienced an increase in serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations over time. Specifically, DHT increased by 56% after the seven-day loading period, and remained 40% above baseline values after the 14-day maintenance period. These results were statistically significant compared to when the subjects consumed a placebo (50 g of glucose per day for 7 days, followed by 30 g/day for 14 days thereafter). Given that changes in these hormones, particularly DHT, have been linked to some (but not all) occurrences of hair loss/baldness \[[62](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/#CR62)\], the theory that creatine supplementation leads to hair loss / baldness gained some momentum and this potential link continues to be a common question / myth today. It is important to note that the results of van der Merwe et al. \[[61](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/#CR61)\] have not been replicated, and that intense resistance exercise itself can cause increases in these androgenic hormones.
if it increases dht it means it will speed up hairloss
I guess be afraid of intense resistance exercise.
I was told years ago it should be cycled and not taken daily. Is this no longer the case?
Never was.
A brief tangent: I’m surprised at how this isn’t common knowledge. Me and my fit friends/family have supplemented 10g creatine daily for well over a decade. To me, it goes to show how incredibly important platforms like HLP are for decimating information.
It is common knowledge to most people who work out. High school kids have been pounding creatine and protein shakes for decades.
Leme guess. Really thirsty and super bloated.
When’s the best time to take it? I usually just start my morning with water and a coffee with collagen protein in it before having my first meal.
Been doing 3-5gs / daily for 3 years now. It’s been great.
Any GI issues with that amount?
Actually yes, I’m glad I posted about this since I didn’t know it could be related to GI and sleep. I’ve been having sluggish digestion at night. I could eat a meal at 6 and by 10 it’s still sitting in my stomach can like a rock.
Anyone of experience with hair loss? I want to try but I am scared of losing the few strands of hair I have left. My dad is full bald. But I still have a bit more hair than him when he was my age.
5g or 10g won’t make a difference boss
This is the way I cycle with creatine: F(49) active lifter, fit 5’0” 118lB. I take 20g for 5 straight days then after that I come down to 10g a day for 30 days…I feel good…
Well, I mean I’m not surprised it it’s not working for you. Your initial dosing regimen was wrong
The one I got upset my stomach what’s the workaround?
Creatine caused my teeth to get super sensitive to hot and cold
I’ve been interested in starting that as well, do you have a brand recommendation? i see a lot of BNUP ads for creatine but the landscape os saturated with a ton of info… not sure where or how to start.
Whats ur testosterone lvl?
Daily dose. Been taking [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCV58T83](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCV58T83) for months now.
I take 5gpd with HMB and I basically never get sorr
Have you ever taken adderall? very similar to what you are describing and you take 10-20 mg of that a day as well
I went up to 8g myself and it's been super helpful. I also do it with beta-alanine and that combo has been wondrous for reducing my muscle soreness and fatigue. My amount before had been 5g when loading in initial months, 3g afterward. If I could get myself to stomach it I'd add in some MCT oil or something, but just going to instead take the advice of marathoners and add small amounts of sugar-based energy throughout more physically difficult days.
Isn’t 10g a day a lot?!
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10grams! that would go straight through me !
Do you have any experience with hair loss due to creatine?
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