Question 1

Is it true that creatine causes hair loss?

Accepted Answer

This scare traces back to a single 2009 study of rugby players that measured a rise in DHT (a hormone linked to male-pattern baldness) but never measured any actual hair loss — and no study since has replicated even the DHT change. Across decades of creatine research, hair loss has never been shown. If you are genetically prone to balding it will happen with or without creatine.

Question 2

Is it true that creatine is a steroid?

Accepted Answer

Creatine is a compound made from amino acids and stored in your muscles to recycle energy. It has no hormonal action whatsoever, which is why it is legal in every sport and sold in supermarkets. Steroids are synthetic hormones — a completely different class of molecule with completely different effects.

Question 3

Is it true that creatine damages your kidneys?

Accepted Answer

In healthy adults, long-term creatine use has repeatedly been shown to have no harmful effect on kidney function. The confusion comes from creatinine — a harmless breakdown product of creatine that can nudge a kidney blood marker upward without any actual damage. If you have existing kidney disease, clear any supplement with your doctor first.

Question 4

Is it true that you need to cycle creatine on and off?

Accepted Answer

There is no need to cycle creatine. Your muscles simply stay saturated while you take it and slowly return to baseline when you stop, so cycling off just means periodically losing the benefit for no reason. A steady 3 to 5g every day, training or not, is the whole protocol.

Question 5

Is it true that you must eat protein within 30 minutes of training?

Accepted Answer

The famous 30-minute anabolic window is far more forgiving than it sounds — research shows protein intake anywhere in the hours around training works well. What actually drives muscle growth is hitting your total daily protein target, spread across the day. A post-workout shake is convenient, not magic, and useless if the day as a whole falls short.

Question 6

Is it true that more protein always means more muscle?

Accepted Answer

Protein is essential for building muscle, but the benefit plateaus: most research lands on roughly 1.6 to 2.2g per kg of bodyweight per day as the range that maximises muscle gain. Beyond that, extra protein is not converted into extra muscle — it is simply used for energy or excreted. More scoops past your target is spent money, not spare gains.

Question 7

Is it true that bCAAs build muscle?

Accepted Answer

Building muscle needs all nine essential amino acids, not just the three branched-chain ones in a BCAA tub. Whey and any complete protein already contain the full set in better ratios, so if you are hitting your daily protein target, a separate BCAA product adds almost nothing. It is one of the most over-sold supplements in the shop.

Question 8

Is it true that you need supplements to build muscle?

Accepted Answer

Muscle is built by progressive training, enough total protein and enough calories — all of which you can get from food. Supplements are convenience and gap-filling, not a requirement: whey makes hitting protein easier, creatine adds a small proven edge, but neither is doing the heavy lifting. Anyone selling a powder as essential for gains is selling the marketing, not the muscle.

Question 9

Is it true that test boosters raise your testosterone?

Accepted Answer

The vast majority of over-the-counter test boosters — tribulus, most proprietary blends — have no meaningful effect on testosterone in men with normal levels. The occasional ingredient (like zinc or vitamin D) only helps if you were genuinely deficient. Genuinely low testosterone is a medical condition diagnosed by blood work and treated by a clinician, not a tub off a shelf.

Question 10

Is it true that pre-workout is bad for your heart?

Accepted Answer

A standard pre-workout is mostly caffeine, which is safe for healthy adults at sensible doses. The real risk is stacking too much: a strong scoop plus coffee can push you well past a sensible daily limit, and that is where the jitters and racing heart come from. Keep total caffeine under about 400mg a day, and if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure, check with a doctor first.

Question 11

Is it true that fat burners burn fat?

Accepted Answer

Fat is lost through a sustained calorie deficit, full stop. Thermogenic fat burners lean almost entirely on caffeine for a tiny metabolic bump and an appetite nudge — the rest is proprietary-blend filler with no meaningful effect. You would get the same caffeine from a coffee for a fraction of the price.

Question 12

Is it true that whey protein damages your kidneys?

Accepted Answer

In people with healthy kidneys, higher-protein diets — including whey — have not been shown to cause kidney damage. This myth comes from advice given to people who already have kidney disease, where protein is genuinely restricted, wrongly generalised to everyone. If your kidneys are healthy, whey is simply a convenient protein source.

Question 13

Is it true that caffeine genuinely boosts training performance?

Accepted Answer

This one is true. Caffeine is among the most well-evidenced ergogenic aids there is, reliably improving strength, endurance and perceived effort at roughly 3 to 6mg per kg of bodyweight taken 45 to 60 minutes before training. It is the ingredient actually doing the work in most pre-workouts — the rest is often window dressing.

Question 14

Is it true that creatine monohydrate is the most proven supplement there is?

Accepted Answer

True. Creatine monohydrate is backed by hundreds of studies over several decades showing genuine gains in strength, power and muscle, with a strong long-term safety record. It is cheap, it works, and the fancy "advanced" forms sold at a premium have never been shown to beat plain monohydrate. If you buy one supplement, this is the one with the evidence.

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