Creatine Works Even When You Can't Breathe: Freediver Trial Shows
Creatine is famous for helping you lift heavier and sprint harder, but can it help when you are not breathing at all? A new double-blind trial in trained freedivers found that a 7-day loading phase of 20 g/day boosted total work and time to exhaustion on a breath-hold cycling test. Strangely, blood lactate ended up lower in the creatine group than in placebo despite the better performance. Here is what the study did, who might benefit, and why a sample of just 20 divers means you should keep your expectations in check.
Creatine and Hair Loss: The 56% DHT Spike Explained
A 2009 study found that a 7-day creatine load of 25 g/day raised DHT by 56%, with levels still about 40% higher on 5 g/day maintenance, while testosterone stayed flat. Since DHT is linked to male-pattern baldness, the finding fuelled the creatine hair-loss debate. But the trial had just 20 rugby players, lasted three weeks, and never measured hair at all. Later studies haven't consistently reproduced the DHT increase. Here is what the research really shows, who might care, and how to adjust your approach if you're worried.