Creatine and Testosterone: Compare Hormone and Hair Outcomes

Two creatine studies are often quoted as if they asked the same question. One measured hormones over a short period in rugby players; the other also measured hair outcomes over 12 weeks. Neither found a significant increase in testosterone attributable to creatine.

The rugby study measured DHT, but did not measure hair loss

A 2009 placebo-controlled crossover study involved 20 college-age rugby players. Resting testosterone did not change significantly. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone made from testosterone, and the ratio of DHT to testosterone rose during the creatine phase under the study conditions. The researchers did not measure hair loss, so the study cannot tell you whether anyone lost hair.

The later trial measured both blood markers and hair

A 2025 randomized trial recruited 45 resistance-trained men ages 18 to 40; 38 completed it. Over 12 weeks, the researchers found no significant differences between creatine and placebo in changes in total testosterone, free testosterone, DHT or the hair measures they tracked. That result applies to the people, product and follow-up studied. It does not settle what happens with every product, in every population or over longer periods.

Check what the claim actually promises

• Which outcome is named: testosterone, DHT, a measured change in hair, or symptoms such as low libido?
• Does the claim refer to the ingredient studied or to a finished blend with other ingredients?
• Does the study include people like you, and does it follow them long enough to answer your question?

If your concern is new hair loss or symptoms you think may be hormone related, bring the exact product label and a short description of what changed to a clinician. Those details can help them decide what to assess. A supplement study cannot tell you the cause of an individual symptom.

Brand disclosure: This guide is published by Organic Fuel, a supplement retailer. For another example of why the measured outcome matters, see our guide to sauna and testosterone studies.