The idea that athletes are willing to experiment with performance-enhancing drugs or dietary supplements to gain a competitive advantage is not new.
Creatine, the best selling sports supplement of all time, is a natural supplement taken by many athletes to enhance anaerobic performance. It is an amino acid produced in the liver, kidneys and pancreas that increase the energy supply to the muscles. There are many proponents of creatine and its benefits.
Athletes should be able to (continue to) use creatine; why? Well, first let’s take a look at some of the risks of creatine before pointing out the benefits.
Risks
Liver complications
Kidney failure
Diarrhea
Dehydration
Possibly death (read more below)
You may be thinking “No! Creatine is very dangerous!” But now let’s take a look at the benefits before I explain my reasononing.
Benefits
More energy during workouts (due to ATP regeneration)
Building up of muscles
Increase fat-free mass
An increase in skeletal muscle total
Enhanced game performance
First of all, the risks listed above have only been found in people who abuse creatine. There have been no other serious side effects on people taking normal doses. Creatine is 100% natural, and it’s found naturally in our bodies and in the food we eat.
Please understand that creatine is NOT a drug or steroid, therefore it is legal to use. Creatine can and has provided many athletes with the chance to increase their muscle size and excel in the sports they play, safely of course.
Creatine is not banned in any sports; in fact it can’t be because it is made naturally by the body, and is found in foods we eat everyday such as beef, tuna and herring. Therefore, creatine couldn’t be tested for because it’s already present in our bodies.
“I personally know people who use creatine in safe doses and they’ve had no bad side effects. They perform better than other players on their teams, and find it easier to workout and train,” says an unnamed student at ------ High School.
Although there don’t seem to be many bad side effects of creatine, there have not been enough long-term studies done on creatine for use as a supplement. Because of this people tend to speculate and therefore use of creatine is a hotly debated subject. From the studies done so far though, creatine has never been proven to interfere with growth in teenagers, which is obviously a good thing.
If creatine were so bad for athletes, would it be sold right off the shelf? Wouldn’t the government want to make it hard for people to buy creatine? There are thousands of websites that easily allow people to access creatine.
The risks of creatine (taken correctly) are small and the benefits are big. Many athletes have had much success with creatine, allowing them to build up their muscle and enhance game performance. Creatine cannot be banned, and the risks are small, so why not enhance your game play? Why not become a stronger, more muscular person?
Like mentioned before, creatine is 100% natural! It’s found in your body already; and by increasing the amount of creatine your body can endure longer, more vigorous physical activities. And again, undesirable effects have only been found in people who over-use creatine.
Overall, creatine still remains a hotly debated subject and will continue to be until more information on the supplement is available. From the studies done to this point and the minimal risks that are present when used safely, athletes should be able to use creatine. The benefits definitely outweigh the risks and creatine allows more energy during workouts, the building up of muscles, and enhanced game performance.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
It's been a while since I studied muscles, so I can't remember all that much about creatine. If I remember correctly, though, it is used as part of a battery of tests for muscle damage, including death of heart muscle.
But why specifically take creatine supplements? It's a protein, and found in muscles. So why not eat a higher protein diet? That would take care of any creatine shortage you have, along with other essential amino acids.
If creatine were so bad for athletes, would it be sold right off the shelf? Wouldn’t the government want to make it hard for people to buy creatine? There are thousands of websites that easily allow people to access creatine.
Just because it is readily accessible doesn't mean it's safe. The FDA just recently decided to start regulating vitamins, making sure that what was on the label was actually in the pill. Before that, vitamins and supplements weren't subject to FDA standards. I don't know how that will affect the availability of creatine supplements.
In addition, it's been shown time and time again that the FDA allows things to be sold that aren't all that good for you. Perhaps you've heard of Avandia? If not, you should watch the news a little more. It's been all over it recently. And I'm sure you've seen commercials for lawsuits against the makers of 'phen-phen' or other drugs... same concept there. Just because the FDA allows it, doesn't mean it's good for you.
~C
Visit my blog: www.progressiveu.org/blog/mvenus929
Read the news: www.progressiveu.org/news