Creatine: Safety Concerns

I always read your posts on diet and weight training.What do you think about Creatine? My son (14, but already through puberty) really wants to start taking it to get bigger,but I've heard some negative things about it. What do you think?

Glad to know someone reads my rants! Creatine Monohydrate is one of the most widely researched sports supplements ever on the market. Having said that, I believe it is as safe as any sports supplement can be. Any product can be misused and cause health problems. If your choose to use Creatine buy higher quality to avoid cheap fillers which may cause cramping. I recommend using the supplement for 6-7 weeks pre workout (w/out a loading phase) than cease use for at least a month.

Now more to the point, is Creatine pertinent for a 14 yr. old?
Creatine aids in lifting weights in two ways: 1. Energy is produced in the first 10 seconds of a lift via the breaking of phospho-creatine bonds. As we train and age some of these bonds go unfilled reducing our power. In a 14 yr. old this is not typically an issue. 2. Creatine helps speed up recovery from an intense workout so you can work out sooner and with similar intensity. In many novice lifters the intensity is rarely maximal. That is why they can go to the gym and work out for hours 3 & 4 times per week.

In a growing boy, muscle mass is typically still in the control of genetics. In other words, if his parents are densely muscled by nature then he will likely have an easier time building muscle, if they are thin he will most likely have difficulty adding bulk, etc. This needs to conveyed to boys so they don't fall prey to misleading advertising which guarantee muscles galore by eating these pills or drinking these shakes. The scary truth is that this causes many teens to turn to steroids when they don't get the results like the product stated.

Have him eat a diet rich in nutrients and low in sugar. More vegetables, nuts, fruit and lean meats. Many believe muscles are made of protein so the more protein the better. Eating more/larger portions of protein may satisfy the appetite but won’t make much of a difference in muscle development. In a perfect digestive system no more than 20 grams of protien per meal can be assimilated for muscle production. Pretty hard to digest more than 10 oz of any protein in one sitting.

In closing, it is very healthy for young men and women to exercise and specifically to lift weights. But in young men the goal of adding muscle can become addicting and leads some to make poor choices. You right to be cautious of what he puts into his body. Personally, my kids wont be taking sports supplements until they have maxed out thier God given potential.
I hope this helps, if you have specific questions just let me know.
Best of Luck
Dave