What are the risks of using creatine?
The studies conducted on creatine use so far have all used adult subjects to gather information on short-term creatine supplementation. To date only one study of creatine use has been conducted with adolescents (7), and no studies have examined the long-term consequences of use. The safety and effectiveness of long-term use cannot be guaranteed, especially among adolescents. Therefore, the risks to adolescent users are unknown, and creatine use for this population should be discouraged. In adult populations, creatine use has been shown to enhance the ability of the muscle to exert force and power, especially in bouts of repeated high-intensity movements (7). In addition, it is not banned by the NCAA. However, the NCAA cautions that since over the counter supplements are not regulated by the FDA, they may contain substances that could result in a positive drug test. (8) Despite the apparent benefit of creatine supplementation for adult athletes involved in high intensity sports, caution
