Does creatine raise testosterone?
Thirteen studies have tested creatine against testosterone levels, covering 278 participants combined. Of those, ten studies, involving 218 men, found no change at all. Meanwhile, three studies, with 60 participants between them, reported a small increase. Overall, a 2021 review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found creatine doesn’t raise testosterone in most people. That’s because creatine supports energy metabolism in muscle cells rather than manipulating hormones. So any testosterone bump lifters notice usually traces back to the resistance training itself, not the supplement.
The DHT study everyone cites
The idea that creatine spikes DHT traces back to a single 2009 study of 20 college rugby players. In that study, researchers gave the group 25g of creatine daily for a week, then 5g daily for two more weeks. DHT rose 56% after the loading week and stayed 40% above baseline through the maintenance phase, though testosterone itself didn’t move.
However, no one has replicated that result in over fifteen years. What’s more, the creatine group started with DHT levels 23% lower than the placebo group before starting the supplement, which raises real questions about whether the two groups were comparable to start with. Later, a separate 12-week randomized trial set out to test the same DHT question, this time looking at hair follicle health, and found no difference in DHT levels or the DHT-to-testosterone ratio between creatine and placebo groups. In short, the study behind the myth remains an outlier.
What the actual sperm research shows
Until recently, no one had tested creatine directly on human semen. That changed in October 2025, when researchers ran the first controlled trial measuring whether creatine changes sperm quality itself, rather than proxy hormone levels.
The team gave 15 men creatine, creatine plus ubiquinol, or a placebo for eight weeks. Five of those men had low sperm counts (oligospermia) at baseline. Here’s what they found:
- Men taking creatine plus ubiquinol saw sperm concentration rise by 7.4 million per millilitre on average, though the increase didn’t reach statistical significance.
- 60% of men taking creatine, with or without ubiquinol, saw their sperm concentration improve by the 8-week mark, compared to 20% in the placebo group.
- Every man with a low sperm count who took creatine improved by follow-up, while men with low counts in the placebo group stayed flat or got worse.
- Sperm creatine concentration itself rose 35.8% in the creatine-plus-ubiquinol group, confirming the supplement reached the target tissue.
Oligospermia means a sperm concentration below 15 million per millilitre, the World Health Organization’s threshold for a low count. The trial split its 15 participants across three arms for a reason: creatine alone, creatine plus ubiquinol, and placebo, so researchers could separate what creatine does on its own from what ubiquinol adds. Since ubiquinol already has research behind it as a standalone fertility supplement, isolating creatine’s effect meant testing it apart from ubiquinol, not just alongside it.
Why creatine might help sperm
There’s a scientific reason to expect this. Sperm cells carry their own creatine kinase enzyme, and the testis has a dedicated creatine transporter gene, features usually found in tissues with high energy demands, like muscle. In fact, lab research from the 1980s found that adding creatine phosphate to sperm samples in a dish boosted motility and swimming speed. Building on that, a 2022 paper from some of the same researchers behind this trial had already flagged creatine as a promising addition to a man’s preconception diet. This pilot trial is the first attempt to test that theory in living men rather than lab dishes.
Still, the study’s authors call these findings preliminary and want larger, longer trials to confirm them. Fifteen participants is a small sample. That said, it’s the first direct evidence that creatine doesn’t harm sperm quality, and it points to a possible benefit worth watching, especially for men with lower counts.
Does creatine cause erectile dysfunction?
No clinical evidence supports this claim. Instead, the confusion likely comes from mixing up creatine with anabolic steroids, synthetic hormones that do suppress natural testosterone production and can affect erectile function. Unlike steroids, creatine isn’t a hormone, so it doesn’t work the same way.
The practical takeaway
Standard creatine doses of 3–5g daily show no link to lower testosterone, DHT spikes, sperm damage, or erectile dysfunction in the evidence available today. Already taking creatine for training and trying to conceive? Current research gives you no clear reason to stop. Thinking about starting instead? The emerging fertility data leans encouraging rather than concerning, though it’s still early.
Trying for a baby? A sperm test tells you far more about your fertility than any supplement debate will.
FAQs
Does creatine lower testosterone?
No. Most studies, 10 of 13 reviewed, show no change in testosterone with creatine use.
Does creatine increase DHT?
One small 2009 study found a temporary DHT increase in 20 rugby players. No study since has replicated it, and a later 12-week trial designed to test the same question found no DHT difference between creatine and placebo groups.
Does creatine affect sperm count?
A 2025 pilot trial found no negative effect on sperm concentration. Men taking creatine were more likely to see their sperm count improve over 8 weeks than men on placebo, including every participant who started with a low count. The study’s authors call this preliminary and want larger trials to confirm it.
Does creatine cause erectile dysfunction?
No clinical evidence links creatine to ED. The myth likely comes from confusing creatine with anabolic steroids, which do suppress natural hormone production.
Is it safe to take creatine while trying to conceive?
Current evidence at standard doses (3–5g/day) shows no harm to sperm quality or fertility hormones. If you’re trying to conceive, a sperm test gives you a clearer picture of your fertility than supplement choices alone.
