American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Issue: August 2012

Creatine and the Male Adolescent Athlete
Shauna Schumaker, Christina Eyers, & Thomas Cappaert 

Abstract: As the level of competition in youth sports increases, so does athletes' vulnerability to experimenting with performance-enhancing aids (PEAs) at alarmingly young ages. One of the more commonly used PEAs is a supplement called creatine, which has the ability to generate muscular energy, allowing athletes to train at higher intensities for longer periods of time. In order to determine the prevalence of creatine use among the male adolescent population, a retrospective survey was developed and distributed to all available male student-athletes in a Midwest National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II conference. This article describes the results of that survey, and offers suggestions to coaches, sports administrators, and parents for providing general education on PEAs, their associated risks, and healthy alternatives to improve performance.

Article Category: Health