Creatine is an amino acid that can enhance athletic performance, but high levels can cause adverse effects such as stomach pain, dehydration, and kidney problems. It occurs naturally in the body and can be derived from certain meats. Creatine supplements are popular among athletes, but possible side effects include muscle cramps, diarrhea, and kidney failure. Some supplements may be laced with substances not listed on the packaging.
Creatine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the body, but can also be purchased as a dietary supplement designed to enhance athletic performance, typically found in pill or powder form to be taken with liquid. Creatine monohydrate, the most common supplement formula, has been increasingly used as a substitute for steroids, and many people who would never touch steroids have claimed to use creatine as a legal performance enhancer. Users should be aware, however, that as with many steroids, high levels of creatine in the body have been found to have adverse effects such as stomach pain, dehydration, or kidney problems. While any long-term side effects have yet to be discovered, some athletes choose to avoid the possibility of short-term side effects altogether.
Natural Creatine
Produced by the liver and kidneys, creatine is used as an energy source by muscles and other organs. Creatine can also be derived naturally by eating certain meats, poultry and fish. In most cases, the body regulates the proper amount of creatine itself, regardless of whether the creatine is produced by the body or consumed from meat sources. High levels of creatine in the body only occur when creatine supplements are consumed, resulting in more creatine being present in the body than would occur naturally.
Creatine supplements
Many athletes add creatine supplements to their diets because high levels of creatine have been shown to improve sports performance when bursts of energy are needed, and manufacturers of creatine supplements claim that high levels of creatine fuel skeletal muscles. The supplement is usually taken in pill or powder form that can be mixed with sports drinks. Creatine supplements have been available since the late 1980s and can be purchased in many health food stores and online.
Peer pressure is one of the reasons creatine supplements are so popular among athletes; the pressure to compete and win in today’s society, no matter what the cost, has increased the sales of these supplements. Creatine has been used in competitive sports at the college and high school levels, and competitors with high levels of creatine have been found at nearly every level of sport, from amateur to professional. The dietary supplement is most often used in sports such as weightlifting, running, wrestling and hockey.
Possible side effects
According to health and sports officials, possible side effects of creatine can include muscle cramps, dehydration, diarrhea and nausea. Another possible side effect is anterior compartment pressure, which usually appears as tightness in the calf, shin splints, or both, and high levels of creatine can also cause tears in muscles or ligaments. When creatine supplements are used, the kidneys have to filter out the excess creatine, which causes them to work harder; this can lead to kidney failure if the kidneys are overstressed. The possible long-term side effects of high levels of creatine have yet to be determined, but studies of the use of creatine supplements for up to five years have shown no major effects beyond those mentioned above.
Many athletic coaches are well aware that students use these nutritional supplements to improve their abilities, regardless of the possibility of side effects. A study by the health insurance company Blue Cross showed that one million people between the ages of 12 and 17 used nutritional supplements to improve their sports performance. While creatine is legal and easy to buy, there have been some concerns about the content of the supplements. Health officials said at least 25 percent of these dietary supplements are laced with substances not listed on the packaging, which could pose additional risks.
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