Creatine myths fact checked: kidneys, hair loss, water and loading phase

Dietary supplements are no longer a niche topic: According to a survey published in May 2025 on behalf of thesmittelklarheit.de portal and reported by the consumer advice center, 77 percent of those surveyed regularly use dietary supplements. Creatine is one of the substances that is discussed a lot - less often about the effects than about suspected risks.

At the same time, there are warnings that are older than much of the research on this. There are four objections you hear particularly often: kidneys, hair loss, water retention and the loading phase. We sort them according to what was actually examined - and say where the data remains thin.

What creatine is and what can be said about it

Your body produces creatine itself, according to the consumer advice center in the liver as well as in the kidneys and pancreas, and also absorbs it through food. Fish and meat therefore have levels of around 0.5 grams of creatine per 100 grams, cow's milk around 10 milligrams per 100 grams.

According to the consumer advice center, two health claims for creatine are approved in the EU, both linked to a daily intake of 3 grams. The first is: Creatine increases physical performance during speed training as part of short-term intensive physical activity. The second is aimed at adults over 55 and states that taking 3 grams of creatine daily can increase the effect of resistance training on muscle strength, with resistance training at least three times per week for several weeks. European food law says nothing more about creatine. Everything you read beyond this is reported research and not an approved statement. The studies mentioned below were almost entirely carried out with creatine monohydrate.

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Myth 1: Creatine puts a strain on the kidneys

The suspicion has a understandable origin: creatine is broken down into creatinine in the body, and it is precisely this creatinine value that is used in laboratory medicine as a marker for kidney function. The consumer advice center classifies it as follows: The creatinine value can increase as a result of taking it, which is not problematic and is not a sign of impaired kidney function.

A systematic review with meta-analysis by Kabiri Naeini and colleagues, published in BMC Nephrology in 2025, has quantified the point. 21 studies were reviewed, 12 were included in the analysis of serum creatinine, with 177 participants in the creatine group and 263 in the control groups. Serum creatinine increased slightly but statistically significantly (mean difference 0.07 µmol/l, 95 percent confidence interval 0.01 to 0.12). In the glomerular filtration rate, the actual measure of kidney performance, there was no significant difference between the groups in five studies. The authors' classification: The increase in the laboratory value is probably due to the metabolic turnover and not to damage.

According to the consumer advice center, the sports nutrition working group at the German Nutrition Society considers dietary supplements with up to five grams of creatine monohydrate per day to be safe for athletes. Regardless, the advice from the same source applies: People with previous illnesses, especially those of the kidneys, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, as well as infants, children and adolescents should only take creatine after a doctor's recommendation.

Myth 2: Creatine causes hair loss

This objection is based on a single study. Van der Merwe, Brooks and Myburgh published a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in 20 college-age rugby players in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine in 2009. The participants took 25 grams of creatine daily for seven days, then 5 grams for 14 days. The dihydrotestost