Does creatine affect testosterone or hormones?

No — creatine doesn't meaningfully raise (or lower) your testosterone. The honest answer to “does creatine increase testosterone” is that its real benefit is training performance, not hormones.

Across more than a dozen trials using 3–25 g a day for up to 12 weeks, the consistent finding is no change in total or free testosterone. The most thorough review, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, concluded that creatine does not increase total testosterone, free testosterone, or DHT. So the popular idea that creatine is a testosterone booster simply isn't supported by the evidence.

Where did the myth come from? A single 2009 study in rugby players found a small rise in DHT (a potent testosterone metabolite) — but it was never reliably repeated, and no study has shown creatine raises testosterone itself. That same DHT finding fuelled the “creatine causes hair loss” worry; in 2025, the first trial to directly measure hair-follicle health over 12 weeks found no effect, which is reassuring if you've avoided creatine for that reason.

So why do people feel more “anabolic” on it? Because creatine lets you train harder — more reps, more power, and more lean mass over time. That improvement in training is what indirectly supports healthy hormones, not any direct effect on your endocrine system. Creatine works through your muscles' energy system, not your testes.

It's also one of the most-researched and safest supplements available — which is more than can be said for most testosterone supplements on the shelf.

What to do: if you lift, creatine monohydrate at around 3–5 g a day is a cheap, well-evidenced way to train harder and recover better — just don't expect it to move your testosterone. For that, focus on sleep, body fat, and training.