Current Trends in Creatine Use Rates Among the Adolescent Athletic Population

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to obtain the current creatine usage rates among the adolescent athletic population and compare the usage rates between different demographics including sex, age, and sport of participation. We conducted a survey of student athletes in grades 7-12 investigating current trends in creatine use within this population. Of the total participants, 16.3% reported knowing someone who takes creatine; 8.7% have thought about taking creatine themselves; 3.8% admitted to currently using creatine supplements, with the majority of those taking creatine comprising of upper classmen and football athletes. Most students have not researched how creatine or other supplements would affect their health, and 71.2% reported not knowing what creatine was. Only 6.5% believed that creatine use was safe to use as a supplement. The demographics of those using creatine remained consistent since the early 2000s, but the usage rate appears to have dropped. It appears that lack of knowledge on the subject and lack of research could be contributing to the low usage rates seen in this survey. A greater number of students also felt that creatine use was unsafe, and the general consensus seems to be trending away from creatine use in this population.