Manufacturers of creatine claim that prolonged use of the supplement may increase the strength, agility, and speed. Athletes use this supplement hoping that it will allow them to work out longer and harder in order to gain advantages on their competition (Graham & Hatton, 1999, Introduction). Brady Anderson, a centerfielder for Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles, admitted that he uses ten times the daily recommended dosage of creatine because he believes it will help him become bigger, faster, and stronger (Graham & Hatton, Adverse Effects). From my viewpoint, Anderson has become bigger and stronger but his performance in the game of baseball has not improved. Studies conducted on the effect of creatine supplementation on muscle strength, high-intens

Although studies are inconclusive, there may be a link between creatine and some adverse effects, including cancer. The French government, speculating that creatine is a carcinogen, banned use of the supplement nationwide (Minon, 2001). Like other nutritional supplements, creatine is subject to the risk of contamination and impurities in the manufacturing process (Graham & Hatton, Adverse Effects). Because it is not classified as a drug, the FDA cannot regulate the impurities companies allow in the commercial product (Graham and Hatton). In a survey to high school athletes, of the one hundred and ten teens who admitted using creatine, twenty-six percent reported that they had suffered side effects. These side effects reported include stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, cramping, and dry mouth (Ray et al, Results). A case report in an issue of Lancet magazine (cited by Graham & Hatton, Adverse Effects) showed a patient who began using five grams of creatine four times a days. It was around four weeks before side effects began appearing in the patient. These side effects included nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and abdominal tenderness. Clinical Pharmacology (2001, Adverse Effects) lists anxiety, diarrhea, fatigue, migraine headaches, nausea, vomiting, nervousness, rash, atrial fibrillation and seizures as adverse effects of the use of creatine. The website also states that “The effects of long-term creatine supplementation have not been determined” (Clinical Pharmacology). This lack of long-term testing of the supplement shows that the actual dangers of extended use of cre

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