The warning comes as a TikTok trend is encouraging users to boost their intake of creatine supplements to improve their stamina. Hair loss: Creatine supplements may trigger hair loss, warn experts – A number of factors are required for hair health, but none are more important than diet. This is because the nutrients we acquire from food promote both the rate and growth of hair follicles. Overloading on certain compounds can have undesirable effects, however. Experts are warning that an excess of creatine, for instance, could trigger hair loss by interfering with hormone levels.
Experts have warned that over-supplementation with creatine could drive hair loss by increasing levels of dihydrotestosterone.
The warning comes after a trend blew up on TikTok encouraging users to exceed the recommended daily intake of creatine in order to increase muscle stores.
Hair loss: Creatine supplements may trigger hair loss, warn experts
Despite the ongoing popularity of the trend, internet searches for ‘creatine hair loss’ have reportedly risen 57 percent over the last year and are up by 158 percent in the past week, according to News Shopper.
It appears TikTokers are also becoming increasingly concerned over hair thinning and loss after the hashtag #creatinehairloss amassed more than 80,000 views on the social media platform.
Experts at Cloud Nine told NewsShopper: “There are many misconceptions around creating but we strongly advise using caution when taking the supplement.
“There are limited studies on creatine’s effect on hair loss with some stating that the use of the supplement can increase the hormone dihydrotestosterone which can trigger hair loss.
“But, the trend itself of ‘creatine loading’ can also cause side effects and pose its own health risks.
“Excessive use of creatine can result in stomach issues and digestive concerns. It can also interfere with medications that affect liver or kidney function.”
The experts advise anyone using creatine to take the pills as directed, and closely follow dose instructions.
The topic of hair loss in relation to creatine was addressed in a body of research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2021.
The researchers concluded that current research “does not indicate that creatine supplementation increases total testosterone, free testosterone, DHT or causes hair loss/baldness”.
The report also stated that the vast majority of speculation regarding the relationship between creatine supplementation and hair loss stems from a single study on rugby players.
All sportsmen supplementing with creatine in the study “experienced an increase in dihydrotestosterone concentrations over time”.
Levels of the hormone increased by 56 percent after a seven-day landing period alone and remained approximately 40 percent above baseline values for 14 days.
The authors of the report state that changes in dihydrotestosterone have been linked to occurrences of hair loss and baldness in several studies.
“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,” they noted.
The researchers also made a point of noting that the results of the small studies have not been replicated in other research.
Intense resistance exercise itself has been linked to increases in androgenic hormones, they noted.
Other causes like seasonal hair shedding could explain an increase in hair loss, as seasonal hair shedding peaks during autumn.
Early reports in the journal Dermatology explain: “A number of otherwise healthy women without clinical alopecia complain of recurrent hair loss, presumably reflecting seasonality in the growth and shedding of hair.”
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