Use of Creatine

Hey guys long time no see.

I wasn't able to post much for the last year, mostly because of work and stuff. I've gotten back on the regimen(Eclonia cava, resveratrol, curcumin, vitamin d-3 & k-2, maca, krill oil, vitamin C) its been 3-4 months. I've also been working out for the last couple of months and I am using whey protein + casien whey dual action protein + creatine. I've observed some serious shedding for the last month or so, so I am wondering if something specific is the cause of it. I remember reading some threads about creatine and its effects on hair and some people claimed they were negative effects. I couldn't find those threads so I created a new one.
So anyone have any experience with creatine or any specific knowledge on it ? How it effects general health(especially hair) and stuff.

Well creatine has been shown in a study* to raise the DHT:T ratio.

And whey may also contribute to a raise in sex hormones and growth factors, like igf-1.


*"Three Weeks of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation Affects Dihydrotestosterone to Testosterone Ratio in College-Aged Rugby Players"

I used creatine on and off. I think it may have aggravated my hair loss, but I can't say for sure.

Nuada,

I cant comment on the creatine, but as far as whey protein goes, along with a few others on here, I believe it may have accelerated my hair loss. Check some of the other protein threads, there was a study done show that whey isolate can potentially increase T to DHT conversion. Granted, its only one study.

Check out Pea, brown rice, and egg protein powders. I will probably be switching to one of those soon.

Creatine is most probably the culprit. Avoid it for some time and see if things get better.

thanks for the replies. It is sad to hear that about whey protein, that is like my day saver. I am dude with trouble of gaining weight and building muscle so I definitely need extra supplements. And I am not sure what I can replace the whey protein with.
I also will quit creatine for a month and see how it goes. But I can definitely say that creatine makes a difference in terms of muscle mass.

Nuada,

Whey protein may be a problem for me, but not necessarily for you. I was just sharing my experiences with it. Also, the study in question discussed whey isolate as potentially increasing T to DHT conversion, not whey concentrate. It may not even be a problem for you, im personally just getting off of whey altogther for the a while.

hairloss research says it raises dht according to a study,but with a dht reducer it might not matter personally id stay away from the stuff unless very short term it causes too many other side effects, but they vary depending on the user.

RESULTS: After 7 days of creatine loading, or a further 14 days of creatine maintenance dose, serum T levels did not change. However, levels of DHT increased by 56% after 7 days of creatine loading and remained 40% above baseline after 14 days maintenance (P < 0.001). The ratio of DHT:T also increased by 36% after 7 days creatine supplementation and remained elevated by 22% after the maintenance dose (P < 0.01).

http://www.hairloss-research.org/UpdateCreatine10-09.html

hmm I see... I really have to eleminate creatine then. No bigge, I'll have to do some more research on the whey protein though.
these are the whey protein products I am using btw : http://www.iherb.com/Bluebonnet-Nutrition-Dual-Action-Protein-Whey-Casein-Powder-Natural-Chocolate-Flavor-2-1-lb-952-g/24137?at=0 and http://www.iherb.com/Bluebonnet-Nutrition-Whey-Protein-Isolate-Natural-Chocolate-Flavor-2-lb-924-g/15912?at=0

The only problem I have with this study is that it only had 20 participants. I have been taking creatine on and off for the last 15 years and have not noticed any increased shedding while I was on it. I also had some issues with acne when I was younger and did not notice any difference from when I was on creatine compared to when I was off it.
I am currently a vegaterian and use creatine (about 3-4 grams) everday and do not engage in any loading phases. I think I need some more evidence before I would consider going off creatine. Does anyone know what immortal hair thinks about creatine?

I take creatin everday and my shedding has pretty much stopped now. When I run out of it, I won't order again though, it's not that important for building muscles

I found several links that discuss the study (see below)


http://www.brinkzone.com/supplement-science/creatine-side-effects/

http://www.steroidtimes.com/an-update-on-creatine-and-dht-%E2%80%93-part-one/2010

http://www.steroidtimes.com/an-update-on-creatine-and-dht-%E2%80%93-part-two/2010

http://bloodonthebell.blogspot.com/2009/09/creatine-monohydrate-supplementation.html

Below is a link to a forum discussing this topic:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=118984541

regardless if it does increase dht or not it causes me some others to break out in acne which could be related dht,or not I've used several brands too maybe they all are bad though IDK. Regardless I don't think it's generally healthy and anything that's not healthy is probably not good for the hair if you get any side effects(or suspect sides from it) from it stop using it.

Creatine is a supplement used by many bodybuilders and weightlifters to gain strength and muscle size. As with any supplement, there are things you should know to take creatine.

I would not recommend it for people with problems with sugar balance or heart problems. As above said, riding on and by the continued use can cause kidney / liver problems. Increase water intake, drink as much as possible to take creatine can lead to dehydration because it is actually retain the water into the muscles.