Creatine Supplements Not Recommended for Adolescent Boys and Girls
The New Jersey Wing has over 1,000 members, consisting of cadets between the ages of 12 and 21, and senior members, who must be over 18 years of age. I was the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist speaker at the Cumberland Squadron's monthly meeting, along with staff from Inspira's Fitness Connection, Vineland NJ.
Cumberland cadets live in South Jersey counties that have repeatedly been ranked poorest in health in the state. I presented my "Kids with Guts" program an interactive lesson about why our food choices are so important. I was impressed with the cadets' knowledge about the gastrointestinal system and how the digestive system works.
We also discussed the importance of daily physical activity and healthy eating. Eating a variety of wholesome foods from the 5 ChooseMyPlate food groups is the best way to yield energy and nutrients needed to improve performance.
Like many boys across America, some of them want to use creatine dietary supplements to build muscle. Studies are extremely limited on effects of creatine on children and adolescents. This is why the Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement over a decade ago NOT recommending creatine use by adolescents. Studies for adults have shown some people had improved anaerobic resistance training using creatine; however, 30% of adults got no benefit at all. Overall, few benefits have been reported for improvements in cardio or endurance training.
Creatine is formed from 3 amino acids: Arginine, Methionine and Glycine. The body makes creatine with help from our kidneys and liver. Most of the body's creatine (95%) is stored in muscle and 5% in the brain.
The daily requirement is about 2g to replace the amount lost as creatinine in urine. Meat eaters get creatine from diet and from endogenous production (the body making it). Vegetarians depend 100% on their bodies own synthesis of creatine.
The FDA does not regulate dietary supplements. The best source for creatine is your own body's production and intake obtained by eating quality proteins as part of a healthy diet. Dietary sources for creatine come from meat and fish.
Creatine's biosynthesis (building blocks) come from essential and nonessential amino acids:
- Arginine - The highest food sources for Arginine include: crab, shrimp, lobster, clams, scallops, spinach, spirulina, watercress, pork, beef, fish and game meats.
- Glycine - The smallest amino acid, glycine can be made by the body, but is also found in gelatin and many of the same proteins sources as Arginine.
- Methionine - A good food source for an essential amino acid, Methionine is found in: spirulina, broccoli raab, mushrooms, watercress, nuts, spinach, asparagus, beans, egg whites, fish, chicken and turkey.
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