Quick Read: Boosting DHT by 50% With Creatine

Introduction

Whilst Creatine has long been touted as a supplement for improving strength and muscle growth, it also appears to have some interesting endocrine effects. Creatine can be obtained both through diet and endogenous synthesis, with there being around 4.5g of creatine per kilo of beef. [1] When creatine is consumed it can be converted into phosphocreatine in muscles, which serves as a rapidly useable store of high-energy phosphates in skeletal muscle. [2]

Phosphocreatine can be used to regenerate ATP in cells which is vital during short burst of high-intensity exercise such as weightlifting. Creatine also comes with some added aesthetic appeal by pulling more water into the muscles, not only giving them a larger appearance but also improving anabolism (muscle growth).

Given its wide appeal in the fitness community, there are countless studies on the effect of creatine on sports performance. Creatine can improve strength and power output in both trained an untrained populations. [3] However a little-known side effect of this handy supplement is its impact of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) synthesis. A 2009 study by van der Merwe et al. measured the effect of serum DHT before and during a 21-day course of creatine against placebo in College-aged rugby players. [4]

The subjects were given 25g of creatine for 7 days to rapidly saturate the muscles with creatine. This was followed by 12 days of creatine dosed at 5g per day. After 7 days or 14 days of creatine supplementation, Testosterone remained unchanged. However, at the 7 day mark the creatine group had an elevation in serum DHT by 56%. After the 14-maintenance phase of 5g of Creatine serum DHT remained elevated by 40%. Since Testosterone was unimpacted, this change represent a one third boost to the ratio of DHT to Testosterone.

The fact that creatine can increase DHT without a parallel increase testosterone would suggest that it either upregulates the enzyme that converts Testosterone in DHT, or it increases Free Testosterone making it more available for conversion. Subsequent studies have since found there is no measurable effect of Creatine on Free Testosterone which supports the notion that Creatine is in fact increasing the expression of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme. [5]

The isoform that’s primarily responsible for the DHT present in the blood stream is Type II, which contributes two-thirds of circulating DHT. [6][7] This isoform is present in the liver, skin and prostate and is targeted for suppression by the hair loss medication Finasteride. It therefore seems likely that Creatine could work to antagonise the effect of Finasteride by upregulating this same enzyme.

The form of Creatine used in this study was Creatine Monohydrate. Creatine monohdyrate also has the greatest abundace of scientific evidence supporting its efficacy in improving sports performance . If you’re considering purchasing Creatine, you can do so through this link. This helps to support this website.