Creatine - Are There Any Medical Reasons for Taking This Substance?

Are There Any Medical Reasons for Taking This Substance?

A very small number of children are born with a condition called guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency (GMAT; pronounced GWAN-ih-deen-oh-AH-suh-tate METH-uhl-TRANZ-fuh-rase). This extremely serious illness causes muscle wasting and seizures from the time of birth onward. Some of its symptoms are eased by high doses of supplemental creatine.

Small research studies show creatine supplements benefit people who have diseases that cause muscle degeneration, such as amyotrophic (ay-my-oh-TROH-fik) lateral sclerosis (ALS, or "Lou Gehrig's Disease"), myasthenia gravis (my-us-THEE-nee-uh GRAH-vuss), muscular dystrophy, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and McArdle's disease. It is important to note that creatine supplementation may slow the symptoms of these diseases, but it does not cure them.

Fast Facts about Creatine

Did you know the following facts about creatine supplements?

  • Half of the athletes surveyed by Time magazine in 2000 said they would be willing to take a deadly drug if it would allow them to win every event they entered for five years.
  • In 2001, $400 million worth of creatine supplements were sold in the United States.
  • Creatine supplements have not been banned by any professional or amateur sports authority, except the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), where it is classified as a "non-permissible" substance.
  • In 2001, survey findings suggested that 390,000 children between the ages of ten and fourteen had tried some sort of performance-enhancing product.

People who face long periods in bed recovering from surgery or from multiple broken bones may speed the restoration of their muscles by taking extra creatine. Creatine also appears to improve the exercise capacity in patients suffering from heart problems. Also, there is some evidence to suggest that the supplement helps elderly people retain balance and muscle control later in life.

When Norwegian wrestler Fritz Aanes (top) tested positive for steroid use prior to the Olympic Games, he claimed he had used only creatine. Reuters/Corbis.
When Norwegian wrestler Fritz Aanes (top) tested positive for steroid use prior to the Olympic Games, he claimed he had used only creatine. © Reuters/Corbis.