Aug 17, 2025
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by Michal Jetelina

Is Creatine Harmful? 10 Most Common Myths and Facts

Aug 17, 2025
0 comments
by Michal Jetelina

A measuring tape, vitamins and spilled creatine.

Despite the fact that creatine monohydrate is the most studied substance in the world among dietary supplements for athletes, it is still surrounded by many myths that have long been disproven.

In this article, we will therefore focus on the myths and misconceptions about creatine , which still often appear in online discussions or gym locker rooms, and we will set all the facts straight so that you can make a fully informed decision about its use.

Below in the article you will find answers to these questions and refutations of the following myths:

Is creatine harmful?
Does creatine cause water retention?
Does creatine cause dehydration?
Can I drink alcohol while taking creatine?
Can women use creatine?
Is a saturation phase necessary?
Do I need to take a break or take creatine in cycles?
Creatine can damage the kidneys
Creatine causes cramps
Does hair fall out after creatine?

What is creatine and what is it good for?

Creatine monohydrate is a source of energy for your cells . It is naturally produced in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. You can also get creatine through your diet by eating red meat and fish .

Creatine is stored in your skeletal muscles as phosphocreatine , which can later be broken down during physical activity and used as energy for muscle contractions .

Taking creatine as a muscle building supplement increases the amount of creatine available in muscle tissue . This increase in creatine levels allows your muscles to generate more energy .

Creatine is a suitable supplement for active people and athletes who want to increase strength and performance during training , support muscle growth and regeneration .

Is creatine harmful?

No. Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied dietary supplements for athletes and its use is completely safe when used in the correct dosage . On the contrary, creatine has positive effects on performance , regeneration and muscle growth for both men and women.

Does creatine cause water retention?

Creatine monohydrate does not cause water retention. One common myth is that creatine and water have a negative relationship, causing excessive water retention in the body.

Creatine binds fluid in muscle cells , which can lead to a slight increase in body weight. However, this phenomenon is caused by an increase in muscle volume and not by water retention in subcutaneous fat or other parts of the body.

Does creatine cause dehydration?

No, creatine monohydrate does not cause dehydration . This claim is again speculation, which ties into the unproven hypothesis in the previous point .

Can I drink alcohol while taking creatine?

Drinking alcohol reduces the effects of creatine . If you frequently drink alcohol while taking creatine, you are reducing the effect of creatine on building muscle mass , increasing strength , and recovery .

This happens because:

Alcohol is a diuretic and draws water from tissues, which can cause dehydration, muscle cramps, and pain.
In the absence of water in the body Creatine cannot bind fluid in muscle cells and thus increase their volume and your strength . Therefore, the function of creatine is limited.
Regularly drinking too much alcohol can damage your muscles, liver, and kidneys. Since Creatine is partly produced by our body and is used by these organs, drinking alcohol can weaken our body overall.

Can women use creatine?

Yes, women can safely take creatine monohydrate. Women who use creatine can benefit from its positive effects just as much as men. Creatine can help women improve their performance in their discipline and strength training by supporting strength, recovery, and muscle growth.

Since creatine does not cause water retention, women do not need to worry about rapid weight gain or creatine causing a bloated belly. Women also do not need to worry about major muscle growth or muscle volume that would make them look like bodybuilders. On the contrary, creatine can help build muscle without excess fat molecules.

The dosage and method of taking creatine should be the same for women as for men, taking into account individual needs and goals.

Is a saturation phase necessary?

Loading is not necessary. You will achieve the same levels of creatine in your muscles with both a loading phase and after about 4-5 weeks of taking 5 grams of creatine per day.

So if you want to get the most creatine into your muscles in a short period of time and want faster strength gains , choose the loading phase. If you're not in a hurry, you can take a more gradual approach.

Do I need to take a break or take creatine in cycles?

Long-term use of creatine monohydrate is completely safe and there is no need to take breaks or interrupt creatine use in any way. There is no need to cycle it either.

However, if you decide to take a break or cycle creatine , keep in mind that it will take a while for your body to replenish creatine. However, this does not mean that you will lose all your muscle mass and strength .

Creatine can damage the kidneys

No. In healthy adults taking creatine monohydrate in recommended amounts, it does not cause kidney damage.

When creatine is metabolized in the body, a waste product called creatinine is produced. In healthy individuals, creatinine, like any other metabolic waste , is filtered from the blood and excreted as waste.

The kidneys are responsible for this task, as filtering the blood and removing metabolic waste from the body is their primary task .

If an individual has limited kidney function , one aspect is that the kidneys are unable to filter waste effectively and it builds up in the blood .

See the argument foul yet? Of course, someone with already impaired kidney function could experience adverse effects from taking creatine because their body is unable to effectively excrete any metabolic waste.

Creatine causes cramps

There are currently no scientific studies providing credible and direct evidence that taking creatine monohydrate can cause cramps.

There is only speculation that increasing creatine levels in the muscles leads to changes in cellular osmotic pressure and water transport into and out of the cells. Increased sweating due to physical activity (and heat) can lead to dehydration and thus cause muscle cramps. However, this claim is unsubstantiated and has never been proven .

Does hair fall out after creatine?

No. Despite the fact that this is still a very widespread myth about creatine in the Czech Republic, which is spread mainly in men's locker rooms, there is currently no evidence that the use of creatine monohydrate causes hair loss .

In conclusion

More than 95% of all studies on creatine and its effects on the human body have been conducted on creatine monohydrate .

Creatine monohydrate is therefore the most studied dietary supplement in the world and there is currently countless direct evidence of its safety and positive effects on the human body.

Persistent myths and misconceptions about creatine often stem from misinformation and misleading interpretations of scientific studies and popular imagination.

However, when choosing creatine, pay attention to the manufacturer from whom you purchase it. Creatine is sold in several qualities that the average person has no chance of knowing.

On behalf of the hyve team, I recommend creatine with the accompanying Creapure® brand , which is a guarantee of laboratory purity of keratin monohydrate, and when using it, follow the recommended dosage .

If you suffer from impaired kidney function or are at risk of blood clots , I recommend consulting your doctor about using creatine.

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