UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Toxicology

Title: Performance Enhancing Drugs: creatine

Keywords: creatine, supplement, weight lifting (PubMed Search)

Posted: 1/3/2013 by Ellen Lemkin, MD, PharmD (Updated: 4/25/2024)
Click here to contact Ellen Lemkin, MD, PharmD

Creatine

is the most popular nutritional supplement, accounting for $400 million in sales annually
a nonessential amino acid
has been shown to improve performance in short, high intensity exercises, including weight lifting

Adverse effects: weight gain, edema, GI cramping, fatigue and diarrhea

Dandoy C, Gereige RS. Performance-Enhancing Drugs. Pediatrics in Review June 2012;33(6):265-72.