My 15 year old son is begging me to let him take creatine - he has started working out, and is becoming more muscular, but wants the faster, bigger results that he thinks he will get with creatine.

I don't know what this stuff is, and the information I have found on the internet isn't really clear to me - some kind of amino acid combination, but can't seem to figure out how it is made or what it is made of, or whether it would be okay for someone to use who hasn't finished growing.

My son swears it is a health food product, but I am nervous about this idea - it's funny, of all my family, he by far eats the most fruit, and I am sure this is one reason he looks so great. Don't know why he would want to change, but you can't tell kids anything (sigh!) once they make up their mind. I am also concerned that if I just flat out refuse, he may find other sources of supplements and who knows what that would mean.

I would love any and all advice you can offer.

Thanks!!

you can get creatine from nuts and seeds ..its an amino acid

i had a trainer once that tended to the more natural approach of bodybuilding that told me that unless you know what you are doing regarding micro-managing your amino acids, vitamins, minerals etc... you should consult a professional who does know how to prescribe you on a balanced supplement regime .. (this could be an expensive undertaking tho ..i think naturapaths do this)

makes sense to me .. as over using one thing could throw something out of balance ...

just my 2 cents

p.s. show him pics of richard blackman maybe he will be tempted to go natural

and perhaps remind him that growing too fast at his age can lead to stretch marks ... but well 15 year olds dont have a whole lot of patience ..

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2009 10:07PM by Jgunn.

My brother took it and once I took it from him before a ballet class. Imagine cocaine, speed and caffeine all at once. I never had a better class. It cannot be that good for you. I was out of control and my teacher told me to stop chewing the insides of my mouth





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2009 11:56PM by suvine.

I don't think it's worth taking. It might do a little for beginners, bringing water into muscle cells, but does not much if anything after a while.

[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

It's probably safe, though.

Thanks!!

IMO a person can get everything their body needs from raw foods.

Hi if you like your kidneys beter to stay away from this garbage.

Suvine is right.

Sapphire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My 15 year old son is begging me to let him take
> creatine - he has started working out, and is
> becoming more muscular, but wants the faster,
> bigger results that he thinks he will get with
> creatine.
>
> I don't know what this stuff is, and the
> information I have found on the internet isn't
> really clear to me - some kind of amino acid
> combination, but can't seem to figure out how it
> is made or what it is made of, or whether it would
> be okay for someone to use who hasn't finished
> growing.
>
> My son swears it is a health food product, but I
> am nervous about this idea - it's funny, of all my
> family, he by far eats the most fruit, and I am
> sure this is one reason he looks so great. Don't
> know why he would want to change, but you can't
> tell kids anything (sigh!) once they make up their
> mind. I am also concerned that if I just flat out
> refuse, he may find other sources of supplements
> and who knows what that would mean.
>
> I would love any and all advice you can offer.
>
> Thanks!!


The Best Thing to do is contact a Dr. and ask them if he can take it at that age. It will make him extremely strong and muscular. Theres no way that your son can eat enough plants to get his body to create enough creatine to get the results he is looking for. Not even if he ate beef he would need to eat several pounds of it aswell as deer which has higher content of creatine. Creatine misused can cause damage possibly I would assume. If you allow your son to take it he is fine aslong as he follow the directions. I assume he needs the extra creatine anyway being he isnt eating much meats, as plants have less content of creatine. Since you and your son appear to live extremely healthy I would stray away from the powder which is cheap and difficult to digest at times. I would suggest Liquid form if the Dr. sees no issue with it go for it just use it 2 months then off 1 month to let the body know it still needs to make this stuff on its own too

[www.powersupplements.com]

you can read about it and get it from there and let us know how it goes

Yeah I can see the gorilla or the elephant at the local "Drug Shop" buying creatine.

Please take your BS somewhere else thanks.

Creatine is safe cmon.

globalresult Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yeah I can see the gorilla or the elephant at the
> local "Drug Shop" buying creatine.
>
> Please take your BS somewhere else thanks.
>
> Creatine is safe cmon.

Its as safe as the raw vegetables that you eat with moderation. Too many apples disrupts the stomach acid, too many carrots causes the skin to change colors and the eyes to yellow.ect. Creatine Possibly cause kidney damage if used too much.

Were are your reports that show it harmed HEALTHY individuals and how long have you had experience with it.

lol the site I posted even have a formula for the vegans

Thanks to everyone who has helped me out with your posts.

In all the stuff I have found on the internet, my understanding is that creatine is a specific combination of isolated amino acids that has this effect on increasing muscle mass when taken. I believe amino acids are the building blocks of protein. but instinctively, this seems wrong to me. It's like it is a fractured thing - taking certain properties from the whole and leaving the rest out. Kind of the same thing as taking a vitamin C tablet in place of an orange. (and I can't find anything about how they do this - do they extract this from liver, soybeans, some unpronouncable chemical concoction or what....??)

I am not inclined to ask my doctor much. He is the guy that convinced my hubby that TUMS are an excellent way to get your calcium, and he is also the guy who convinced my husband to get his gall bladder removed not so long ago, despite my pleas to have him try a healthier diet first. He is also pressuring me big time to get my daughters vaccinated with that gardisal or whatever it is, and I just don't think that sounds really good. (but that's a whole other topic)

So, I have decided that creatine is probably not horribly harmful - there's lots of other choices a teenage boy could make that would surely do a lot more harm. But I intend to make it clear that while I will be okay about it in small doses, I do not really feel very good about it, but he is somewhat past the age where my approval is going to make him decide. And of course, all of my family will continue to be encouraged by me to make healthy food choices to begin with, so hopefully some damage control there.

Anyway, my son just got his first cell-phone yesterday, so it looks like he is having so much fun he is distracted, at least for the time being, so I am just letting this slide...

Thanks again!

Awesome. Too bad your doctor is ignorant. Just monitor his intake he wont need much because hes growing enough due to puberty. just enough to replace what he isnt getting from lack of red meats. Which does plays into the orange theory.

he is 16
[forum.bodybuilding.com]

For all it's worth my band kids were buying and taking ephedrine at the health food store during parade season. Heck there are monsters, jolts and red bulls out there for sale! That doesn't mean you can take them without consequence! Let your son know that herbal remedies can be just as dangerous as, if not more than, prescribed ones.

Danger of creatine use significant, study says


By Michelle Minon
Collegian Staff Writer
A study on creatine by a French government agency may cause some students to think twice about the dietary supplement that boosts endurance and body mass.

The French Agency of Medical Security for Food (AFSSA) said in a report published on its Web site (www.afssa.fr) on Wednesday that the use of creatine could lead to cancer and more studies are necessary to uncover other possible harmful effects.

"The use of creatine particularly in the long term constitutes a potential carcinogenic risk," the AFSSA report said.

Creatine is naturally produced in the liver and kidneys, but many students who work out and are trying to "bulk up" use creatine formulas as a dietary supplement.

The supplement increases the body's ability to give more protein and oxygen to the cells, said Brian Stevens, associate in sports performance sales at Fitness Headquarters in Wilkes-Barre. As a result, it gives users more endurance and allows for a faster recovery, he said.


SOURCE: CNN
GRAPHIC: Tracy Wilson However, Louis Maier (senior-kinesiology) stopped using creatine and wasn't surprised at the AFSSA's finding that the supplement may not be beneficial and even possibly harmful to all of its users. Maier was told that by taking creatine he could increase his weight and have stronger sessions at the gym.

"I stopped taking it because it didn't really enhance what I wanted it to," Maier said. "Also, studies aren't sure what side effects it may cause, and it could be more harmful than we think it is."

According to the report, some of the positive effects of creatine are unfounded and the increase in body mass is often largely due to water weight gain. Experts on an AFSSA committee studying human nutrition said creatine only enhances an athlete's sports performance for a short period of time, usually about 15 seconds, according to the agency's Web site.

The AFSSA also cited studies that showed creatine causing "digestive, muscular, and cardiovascular problems."

Kevin Ranze (senior-architecture) is a runner who used creatine in an attempt to build his endurance and extend his workout time.

Ranze started with the powder formula but switched to the liquid form because it made him go to the bathroom frequently.

Ranze finally stopped using creatine all together because he said it didn't do much for him. "I don't think it made any difference. I worked out just as long without creatine," Ranze said. "Creatine just helps your mental state."

Creatine is described as a legal steroid and is listed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a dietary supplement.

Members of Penn State's Center for Sports Medicine said in a statement that they do not recommend the use of creatine.


"There is good data and bad data about creatine," said Dr. Margot Putukian, director of primary care sports medicine. "While there are benefits, we don't know much about the side or long term effects."

There have been no long-term studies on the supplement and that people who use it everyday for recreational benefit may experience more harm then benefit, Putukian said.

The sale of creatine is banned in France and the AFSSA report is urging committees such as the International Olympic Committee to ban the use of the supplement as well.

Some students such as Ranze, however, said unless researchers uncover more dangerous affects of creatine, the decision to use the supplement should be left up to the individual.

creatine was developed in the 1800s if it was causing cancer we wouldve known of this before the year 2009. The article was wrong to begin with it dosent increase endurance. Its for body builders and power lifters. Football Players and Baseball players not marathon runners. and if it did cause cancer why not interview the person that has cancer instead of Ranze guy who discredited it because he misused it to gain endurance which is backwards from the start. BS.

saphire, I just read a book by brendan braizer I would suggest your son look into some of his ideas for body building. I would also suggest to your son to research it himself to encourage him to be self suficciant and know how to judge things his own way. Its a good thing he wants to work on his body it would be great if he made an informed decision on his own. Good luck to you
Pam

Supply sufficient fuel to the body,

Do strenous excercises

Visualization

Get plenty of quality rest

No need for this creatine garbage.

At The Speed of Life Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> creatine was developed in the 1800s if it was
> causing cancer we wouldve known of this before the
> year 2009. The article was wrong to begin with it
> dosent increase endurance. Its for body builders
> and power lifters. Football Players and Baseball
> players not marathon runners. and if it did cause
> cancer why not interview the person that has
> cancer instead of Ranze guy who discredited it
> because he misused it to gain endurance which is
> backwards from the start. BS.

From my understanding, it supplements the amount of ATP in your body. ATP is the fuel of anerobic respiration which means that if you want to do a powerful movement then it needs ATP to fuel it. However no one believes that creatine increases overall output of the muscles, it has been suggested however that these muscles might work anarobically for a little longer...For instance, if it takes 6 seconds to exhaust your atp levels without creatine, it might take 10 seconds to exhaust them on creatine...As far as I'm aware, there have been no studies to confirm this (which shouldn't be hard to test for).

I used creatine when I played basketball which was probably about the same age as your son, it didn't work for me so I stopped using it. I know quite a few others who had the same experience.

So I don't think it would be too bad if he takes it...Just try to get him into healthy living and I'm sure he will come around eventually...As a kid though you need to experience these scams before you wisen up. If he's willing to use his own money then it's probably not worth having a fight over...

Kombaiyashii Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At The Speed of Life Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > creatine was developed in the 1800s if it was
> > causing cancer we wouldve known of this before
> the
> > year 2009. The article was wrong to begin with
> it
> > dosent increase endurance. Its for body
> builders
> > and power lifters. Football Players and
> Baseball
> > players not marathon runners. and if it did
> cause
> > cancer why not interview the person that has
> > cancer instead of Ranze guy who discredited it
> > because he misused it to gain endurance which
> is
> > backwards from the start. BS.
>
> From my understanding, it supplements the amount
> of ATP in your body. ATP is the fuel of anerobic
> respiration which means that if you want to do a
> powerful movement then it needs ATP to fuel it.
> However no one believes that creatine increases
> overall output of the muscles, it has been
> suggested however that these muscles might work
> anarobically for a little longer...For instance,
> if it takes 6 seconds to exhaust your atp levels
> without creatine, it might take 10 seconds to
> exhaust them on creatine...As far as I'm aware,
> there have been no studies to confirm this (which
> shouldn't be hard to test for).
>
> I used creatine when I played basketball which was
> probably about the same age as your son, it didn't
> work for me so I stopped using it. I know quite a
> few others who had the same experience.
>


Theres before and after pics of a 16 year old body builder who is about the same age you were playing basketball in this thread. You tell me if creatine effects overall muscle output. 6 months time frame. You would never accomplish this Because Your time is runing on a basketball court and not weight training because it isnt needed for that sport. MILLIONS of people are getting the responces that they are looking for while you know a few people who couldnt. Creatine wont replace the work you have to put on the weights, You have to pump the Iron. What do you think all of the pro football and baseball players are taking If it makes you work out a little longer like you said then why do most Body Builders take it, after a workout?

At The Speed of Life Wrote:
> Theres before and after pics of a 16 year old body
> builder who is about the same age you were playing
> basketball in this thread. You tell me if creatine
> effects overall muscle output.

It's not like you don't get before/after peoples for magistick and jazzasize and all other fads out there...

At The Speed of Life Wrote:
>6 months time
> frame. You would never accomplish this Because
> Your time is runing on a basketball court and not
> weight training because it isnt needed for that
> sport.

In fact ATP is EXTREMELY important to basketball players, if we could increase our ATP levels so we could sprint 10% more of the time, we would love it.

At The Speed of Life Wrote:
> MILLIONS of people are getting the
> responces that they are looking for while you know
> a few people who couldnt. Creatine wont replace
> the work you have to put on the weights, You have
> to pump the Iron. What do you think all of the pro
> football and baseball players are taking If it
> makes you work out a little longer like you said
> then why do most Body Builders take it, after a
> workout?

All these pros eat terrible diets also...It's not like they are susceptible to fads also...

Look, it's widely accepted that it just increases your ATP levels if that. It does nothing for your muscles other than that. It doesn't build fibres, it doesn't do anything but it may (not proven) increase your ATP levels...If this is so then potentially you could do more tonnage per workout which could give you an increase in musclemass.

It does nothing for cardio. It wont make you sprint faster. At some point you have to face the Facts that your Genetics are not as good as Usain Bolt. It pulls water into the muscles which makes them Bigger and Stronger. It would just dehydrate a basketball player because the water is getting pulled in the muscles
and is not being used at all.

What is this widely accepted ATP levels crap? This is the 1st I have heard of it. Is it Widely accepted because this artical?

You never mention why the Pros use it you just rambled about there diet which is irrelavant

I bench press #320. Thats a #100 in 2 1/2 months From creatine after being stuck at #220 for 6 months. I take mine after the workout so I dont see how it makes me work out longer? I dont even work out longer I work out harder(heavier). I dont Tone Up Im a Power Lifter. I dont Burn out. I MAX OUT. I do the same Routine 4 sets Just Heavier Weights I dont think you know what your talking about I also think you know you dont aswell

Kombaiyashii Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> It's not like you don't get before/after peoples
> for magistick and jazzasize and all other fads out
> there...
>
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY HERE? HE IS A REP FOR CREATINE? UNLIKELY AT 16. JUST A KID WHO IS SHOWING OFF HIS PROGRESS

> At The Speed of Life Wrote:

> In fact ATP is EXTREMELY important to basketball
> players, if we could increase our ATP levels so we
> could sprint 10% more of the time, we would love
> it.
>
YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION. THE PERSON WHO POSTED THE ARTICLE CONTRADICTED HIMSELF.
CREATINE MAKES YOU BUILD MUSCLE. POINT BLANK. WONT MAKE YOU RUN LONGER OR FASTER. IT PROBALLY SLOW YOU DOWN DUE TO THE WATER IN THE MUSCLES WHICH WILL CAUSE ADDED WEIGHT. IT MAKES YOU STRONGER BY PUTTING WATER WIEGHT IN THE MUSCLE IF IT DID RAISE ATP AND BASKETBALL PLAYERS BENEFIT FROM IT, WHY DIDNT THE BASKETBALL PLAYER DISCONTINUE USE? HE STATED IT HAS DONE NOTHING FOR HIM.


> At The Speed of Life Wrote:
> > MILLIONS of people are getting the
> > responces that they are looking for while you
> know
> > a few people who couldnt. Creatine wont replace
> > the work you have to put on the weights, You
> have
> > to pump the Iron. What do you think all of the
> pro
> > football and baseball players are taking If it
> > makes you work out a little longer like you
> said
> > then why do most Body Builders take it, after a
> > workout?
>
> All these pros eat terrible diets also...It's not
> like they are susceptible to fads also...
>
> Look, it's widely accepted that it just increases
> your ATP levels if that. It does nothing for your
> muscles other than that. It doesn't build fibres,
> it doesn't do anything but it may (not proven)
> increase your ATP levels...If this is so then
> potentially you could do more tonnage per workout
> which could give you an increase in musclemass.