Creatine

In their quest to run further, jump higher, and outlast the competition, many athletes have turned to a variety of performance-enhancing drugs and supplements. Creatine is the most popular of these substances, believed by some to enhance muscle mass and help athletes achieve bursts of strength.

Part of the reason for creatine's popularity might be its accessibility. Creatine powder, tablets, energy bars, and drink mixes are available without a doctor's prescription at pharmacies, supermarkets, health and nutrition shops and over the internet.

The EU body responsible for checking claims about food products has concluded it does not help endurance performance.

What is creatine?

Creatine is a natural substance that turns into creatine phosphate in the body. Creatine phosphate helps make a substance called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP provides the energy for muscle contractions.

The body produces some of the creatine it uses. It also comes from protein-rich foods such as meat or fish.

How is creatine used?

In the 1970s, scientists looked at taking creatine in supplement form to enhance physical performance. In the 1990s, athletes started to catch on, and creatine became a popular sports supplement.

Creatine was thought by some to improve strength, increase lean muscle mass, and help the muscles recover more quickly during exercise. This muscular boost may help athletes achieve bursts of speed and energy, especially during short bouts of high-intensity activities such as weight lifting or sprinting.

Under new EU rules, claims about creatine have been assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

It considered that in order to obtain the claimed athletic effect, 3g of creatine would need to be consumed every day by adults for increasing their workout capacity and increasing endurance performance.

Basing its opinion on three scientific studies, the EFSA concluded that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of creatine and an increase in endurance capacity.

It also checked one piece of research study which reviewed 18 other human studies, and concluded the evidence did not show a cause and effect of creatine supplements on measures of endurance performance.

Despite the popularity of creatine among young people, there has been very little research conducted in children under the age of 18. Of those studies, a few have suggested a positive effect but the overall evidence is inconclusive.

Researchers are studying whether creatine might also be useful for treating certain health conditions caused by weakened muscles, including:

• Heart failure and heart attack
• Huntington's disease
• Neuromuscular disorders, including muscular dystrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease)

Creatine is also being studied as a way to lower cholesterol in people with abnormally high levels. Although early research has been promising, it's too early to say for sure whether creatine is effective for any of these conditions and more research is needed.