# Creatine monohydrate 104 Hacker News commenters recommended Creatine monohydrate and 51 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 1 years (21 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** A heavily studied, widely considered safe supplement that people credit with strength gains and sharper thinking, especially when sleep deprived; some report hair loss, stomach trouble or disrupted sleep. ## Why people recommend it - Well studied and safe (8 comments): "Creatine is one of the most studied supplements in fitness and i don't think there ever was evidence it was harmful." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48349162)) "Creatine is the closest the supplements industry has ever gotten to actually producing something that helps people." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45850807)) "It is one of the most studied substances and except in special cases like kidney issues it is totally safe." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49009394)) - Helps when sleep deprived (7 comments): "the "creatine high dose to fight drowsiness" hack works and has no side effects (other than upset stomachs)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49835534)) "I have noticed a lot less cognitive impairment after a poor night's sleep since starting on 10g per day." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49009797)) "There was actually a VERY recent study on mega-dose creatine for sleep deprivation" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49013144)) - Boosts mental sharpness and focus (6 comments): "Creatine helps. It gets stored in the brain as phosphocreatine, which can be used via creatinease to build ATP faster from ADP." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47052969)) "I can keep on track for a significantly longer time since ive started supplementing with it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49009882)) "Personally I've been doing so for a year now and can unquestionably confirm a strong effect" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49837333)) - Improves strength and athletic performance (5 comments): "Significant physical changes! But other than the pure aesthetics, it's hard to say that my strength increases are tied to creatine" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49012761)) "In terms of optimizing overall health I would say take it + running + strength training is a good combination." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48348653)) "it is proven to work for athletic performance and second, it's relatively safe" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48354377)) ## What people warn about - Stomach and digestive issues (4 comments): "I had a lot of issues with stomach when taking creatine until I tried the micronised version. Bucked up makes a good product you can find at Walmart." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48347630)) "the "creatine high dose to fight drowsiness" hack works and has no side effects (other than upset stomachs)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49835534)) "Creatine monohydrate (and seemingly HCL too, though not tested long term) kind of makes me constipated." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47044696)) - Disrupts sleep (3 comments): "If I take creatine too late in the day, it definitely wrecks my sleep." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48347495)) "I can't stop having vivid, and mostly bad dreams with it making me tired the next day." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48356145)) "I suspect creatine is responsible for me not being able to get back to sleep easily" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49835967)) - Possible hair loss (3 comments): "I’ve gone through two periods where I took it and liked the effects, but felt like I shed way more hair and stopped due to that." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48347696)) "I experienced dramatic and obvious hair loss in my late twenties after starting creatine supplementation." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49010455)) "Creatine is known to increase DHT, and higher levels of DHT is linked to hair loss." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49013404)) - Purity and adulteration concerns (3 comments): "There is a brand of creatine manufactured in the US (con-cret)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49010880)) "You mean known for its branding. Most people have never heard of creapure and those who do haven't tested it for purity." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48349436)) "considering I don't live in a country with very great control over stuff like adulterants" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49013477)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Melatonin](https://hackerapproved.com/p/melatonin.md): 43 recommend - [Magnesium glycinate](https://hackerapproved.com/p/magnesium-glycinate.md): 31 recommend - [N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplement](https://hackerapproved.com/p/n-acetylcysteine.md): 17 recommend - [Psyllium husk](https://hackerapproved.com/p/psyllium-husk.md): 13 recommend - [Magnesium L-threonate](https://hackerapproved.com/p/magnesium-l-threonate.md): 9 recommend ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Creatine monohydrate", https://hackerapproved.com/p/creatine/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).