---
title: "The 2009 Rugby Creatine DHT Study Audited: Why Baseline Disparity Skewed the Result (Stellenbosch Rugby RCT Audit) | Nutrition Research Labs"
source_url: "https://nutritionresearchlabs.com/studies/creatine-hair-loss-dht-rugby-study-methodology-audit"
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description: "Clinical audit of Stellenbosch Rugby RCT (PMID: 19741313, 20 male collegiate rugby union players): Serum DHT increased from 0.98 nmol/L to 1.53 nmol/L after 7 d"
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> **Canonical Source:** [https://nutritionresearchlabs.com/studies/creatine-hair-loss-dht-rugby-study-methodology-audit](https://nutritionresearchlabs.com/studies/creatine-hair-loss-dht-rugby-study-methodology-audit)
>
> *Clinical audit of Stellenbosch Rugby RCT (PMID: 19741313, 20 male collegiate rugby union players): Serum DHT increased from 0.98 nmol/L to 1.53 nmol/L after 7 d*

## Media Hype vs. Absolute Clinical Reality (Information Gain Audit)

- **Viral Headline Claim:**
- **True Placebo-Adjusted Absolute Outcome:** Serum DHT increased from 0.98 nmol/L to 1.53 nmol/L after 7 days loading (+56%), remaining at 1.38 nmol/L (+40%) after 14 days maintenance. Serum testosterone remained unchanged.
- **Relative vs. Absolute Statistical Breakdown:** The creatine cohort started with an unusually low baseline DHT (0.98 nmol/L) compared to placebo (1.26 nmol/L). The 56% relative increase simply brought the creatine group up to 1.53 nmol/L—well inside the normal physiological laboratory reference range for healthy young males (0.4 to 2.5 nmol/L). Not a single hair follicle, scalp biopsy, or shedding rate was measured.
- **Funding & Sponsor Audit:** Departmental Academic Research Fund, Stellenbosch University (Independent Academic / NIH)
- **Human Equivalent Dosing Protocol:** Loading phase: 25g/day divided into 5g doses with carbohydrates for 7 days; maintenance: 5g/day single dose for 14 days.

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