Kreatin i tonåren; farligt?

[Toel]

Hittade detta på PubMed:

2001 Aug;108(2):421-5.

"OBJECTIVE: Creatine is a nutritional supplement that is purported to be a safe ergogenic aid in adults. Although as many as 28% of collegiate athletes admit taking creatine, there is little information about creatine use or potential health risk in children and adolescents. Although the use of creatine is not recommended in people less than 18 years of age, numerous anecdotal reports indicate widespread use in young athletes. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency, risk factors, and demographics of creatine use among middle and high school student athletes. METHODS: Before their annual sports preparticipation physical examinations, middle and high school athletes aged 10 to 18 in Westchester County, a suburb north of New York City, were surveyed in a confidential manner. Information was collected regarding school grade, gender, specific sport participation, and creatine use. RESULTS: Overall, 62 of 1103 participants (5.6%) admitted taking creatine. Creatine use was reported in every grade, from 6 to 12. Forty-four percent of grade 12 athletes surveyed reported using creatine. Creatine use was significantly more common (P <.001) among boys (53/604, 8.8%) than girls (9/492, 1.8%). Although creatine was taken by participants in every sport, use was significantly more common among football players, wrestlers, hockey players, gymnasts, and lacrosse players (P <.001 for all). The most common reasons cited for taking creatine were enhanced performance (74.2% of users) and improved appearance (61.3%), and the most common reason cited for not taking creatine was safety (45.7% of nonusers). CONCLUSIONS: Despite current recommendations against use in adolescents less than 18 years old, creatine is being used by middle and high school athletes at all grade levels. The prevalence in grades 11 and 12 approaches levels reported among collegiate athletes. Until the safety of creatine can be established in adolescents, the use of this product should be discouraged."

Finns det några nyare studier på området; kreatin och tonåringar? Dagens rekommendation är fortfarande att tonåringar bör avstå från att äta kreatintillskott tills de växt färdigt?

[Toel]

Mer läsning, taget från http://www.absolute-creatine.com/6.htm:

"Creatine and Teenagers

* Is it safe for teenagers to use creatine?

Again we must state a definitive, absolute - maybe! This is a very tough question to answer and is hotly debated. Let's start by looking at some facts:

The body is growing up until age 18

When are body is in its growth phase it is very important not to do anything that could interfere with growth. It is for this reason that it makes sense to spend some time trying to determine if creatine could in any way interfere with growth.

Creatine has never been proven to interfere with growth

This is obviously a good sign. However, critics will point to this next fact -

Creatine has not been studied long enough to guarantee it does not interfere with growth

It is true that long term studies with teenagers have not been done. In addition, for ethical reasons they probably never will be done. No one wants to pump teenagers full of creatine for a few years just to see if it harms them. So what we are left with is the old "is the glass half empty or half full" debate.

You can look at the facts and say creatine has not been linked to long term growth problems so I think it is safe for teenagers. Someone else could easily say - more research needs to be done before we can draw any conclusions. Our feeling is that if you want to be completely safe don't take creatine until you are older than 18. It is not that we have read anything that tells us that creatine is dangerous to teenagers, but if you want to error on the safe side - don't use it just in case new research comes out later.

One thing we want to mention is that it is unfair to hold creatine to a higher standard than any other food or supplement. Many parents will let their children drink can after can of soda without researching the possible dangers of caffeine. Then when it comes to creatine they want a guarantee that it is completely safe. Well, there are no guarantees in life - and it is important to understand that we take risks everyday when we eat or drink certain foods.

A very powerful argument could be made on the negative effects of sugar for teenagers. However, there is little public outcry to ban sugar sales to minors. Our point is that it is great to be a concerned parent - but creatine may not be the only thing you should be evaluating.

In the end, we feel that you have your whole life to use creatine - so why rush into it before you are 18. If you workout hard in the gym - that is the real key to building muscle mass. As you get closer to 18 it becomes a "less risky" decision if you decide to use creatine. Inversely we believe that 12 - 15 year olds are just too young to really be using any supplements. Of course, every person is different and it is best to make your decision with your doctor and parents.

* If a teenager does decide to use creatine do you have any advice?

Whatever you do - do not take more than the recommended dosage. We believe it makes sense to use less than the recommended dosage. Perhaps 4 grams of powder instead of 5 grams. You may want to consider the creatine serum because it has less creatine per serving.

If you find you have any negative side effects you should stop taking the creatine. "

[King Grub]

Långtidsstudier saknas och hälsoeffekten på långtida bruk i synnerhet hos barn/ungdomar är inte känd.

"Young athletes, however, must be cautious about taking creatine because its effects on growth and development are unknown and long-term safety has not been established."

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2003 Oct;33(10):615-21.

Det finns dock inget som säger att det skulle vara skadligt.