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<\/p>\nTeen creatine trend: Orlando doctor explains potential effects, safety advice<\/p>\n
A new study reveals that nearly one in six teenage boys are using creatine supplements, raising questions about its safety and the influence of social media on fitness trends<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWELCOME BACK. A NEW STUDY FOUND NEARLY 1 IN 6 TEENAGE BOYS ARE TAKING A POPULAR SUPPLEMENT MORE NOW THAN JUST FIVE YEARS AGO. IT\u2019S CALLED CREATINE. A SOCIAL MEDIA AND FITNESS TRENDS. THEY\u2019RE ACTUALLY FUELING ITS POPULARITY. MANY PARENTS MAY BE WONDERING NOW, IS CREATINE ACTUALLY SAFE FOR GROWING BODIES? JOINING ME HERE LIVE THIS MORNING IN THE STUDIO TO REALLY SEPARATE FACT FROM FICTION IS ORLANDO HEALTH PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE DOCTOR JENNA WHEELER. JENNA, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT CREATINE DON\u2019T REALLY KNOW THE EFFECTS OF IT. SO WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY DO? WHAT IS CREATINE? CREATINE IS ACTUALLY A SUBSTANCE THAT\u2019S IN YOUR BODY. IT COMES FROM AMINO ACIDS. AND IT\u2019S MEANT TO BOOST ENERGY. OUR BODY USES IT. OUR BRAIN, OUR HEART, OUR MUSCLES ALL USE IT AS A SOURCE OF ENERGY. SO IS CREATINE SAFE FOR ADOLESCENTS? IT\u2019S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. YES AND NO. THE YES IS THAT LIKE I SAID, IT\u2019S A NATURALLY OCCURRING SUBSTANCE. SUPERVISION, IF YOU DON\u2019T HAVE KIND OF A REASONS NOT TO TAKE IT, IT CAN BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE BENEFICIAL. IF YOU\u2019RE AN ATHLETE, IF YOU\u2019RE TRYING TO GET IN SHAPE. BUT THERE ARE CERTAINLY SOME RISKS THAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY WITH DOSING, WITH LONG TERM USE THAT WE DON\u2019T QUITE KNOW ABOUT WITH OUR TEENAGERS. AND WHEN WE\u2019RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE LONG TERM EFFECTS, WHAT ARE WE MOSTLY TALKING ABOUT? IS IT LIVER? WHAT IT\u2019S DOING TO YOUR LIVER OR LIVER AND KIDNEYS? OKAY. CREATINE. WE USE THAT LAB ACTUALLY TO LOOK AT KIDNEY FUNCTION OVER TIME. AND SO SOMETIMES IF YOU\u2019RE TAKING A LOT OF CREATINE, YOU CAN MASK SOME OF THE EARLY SIGNS THAT SOMEONE, YOUR DOCTORS MIGHT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AND SAY, HEY, MAYBE THEIR KIDNEYS ARE STARTING TO HAVE ISSUES, RIGHT? SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE KIDNEY ISSUES, A FAMILY HISTORY OF KIDNEY ISSUES DOESN\u2019T MEAN AS A TEENAGER YOU CAN\u2019T TAKE IT. BUT DEFINITELY YOU SHOULD BE TALKING TO YOUR DOCTOR, EVEN COACHES, MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTES IT. MAKE SURE YOU\u2019RE NOT TAKING TOO MUCH OF IT. TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING IS NOT GOOD, RIGHT? ALMOST LIKE TAKE IT IN CYCLES, RIGHT? SO DO IT FOR A MONTH AND THEN BE OFF FOR A MONTH AND GO BACK ON IT. YOU CAN TAKE IT IN CYCLES AND THEN JUST PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW MANY GRAMS YOU HAVE. YOUR BODY ONLY USES SO MUCH. AND IF YOU\u2019RE TAKING, YOU KNOW, EXTRA AND EXTRA, YOUR KIDNEYS, YOUR LIVER, YOUR ORGANS ARE HAVING TO TRY TO PROCESS THAT, WHICH CAN BE DAMAGING. BUT IF YOU TAKE IT PROPERLY, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THOSE GOOD EFFECTS WITH YOUR ATHLETICS AND WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE. WHY DO YOU THINK MORE TEENS ARE TAKING THIS SUPPLEMENT? YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF THE REASON IS THERE\u2019S MORE SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION OUT THERE. IT\u2019S CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHIER. IT\u2019S SOMETHING THAT YOUR BODY MAKES NATURALLY. SO IT\u2019S TAKING US AWAY FROM SOME OF THE MORE CHEMICAL BASED THINGS THAT WE KNOW ARE DANGEROUS FROM YEARS PAST. AND SO I THINK THERE\u2019S JUST MORE INFORMATION OUT THERE AND IT\u2019S EASY TO GET. YOU DON\u2019T NEED A PRESCRIPTION. YOU KNOW, KIDS CAN GET IT ONLINE. THEY CAN GET IT IN, YOU KNOW, JUST REGULAR STORES. AND SO I THINK THAT ALSO, WHILE IT\u2019S MORE ACCESSIBLE, PARENTS NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE PUTTING IN THEIR BODY AND MAKING SURE THAT THEIR CHILDREN AREN\u2019T ONE OF THOSE AT RISK KIDS, THAT THEY NEED THEIR DOCTOR\u2019S INVOLVEMENT. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BRIEFLY, BUT WHICH TEENS, IF ANY, SHOULD REALLY AVOID CREATINE? SO IF THEY HAVE THEIR OWN KIDNEY PROBLEMS, IF THERE\u2019S A STRONG FAMILY HISTORY OF KIDNEY ISSUES, IF THEY HAVE DIABETES OR IF THEY\u2019RE PRONE TO DEHYDRATION BECAUSE IT CAN, TAKING TOO MUCH CREATINE CAN ACTUALLY INCREASE DEHYDRATION. SO IF YOU\u2019RE DOING A SPORT WHERE DEHYDRATION IS ALREADY A RISK TAKING CREATINE, DOING THAT SPORT CAN PUT YOU AT MORE RISK, WHICH CAN THEN LEAD TO ORGAN DAMAGE AND SUCH. WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU HAVE FOR PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN MAY BE TAKING CREATINE, AND JUST SO THAT THEY CAN BE MORE INFORMED AND AWARE OF WHAT THE SUPPLEMENT ACTUALLY IS? THE BIG THING IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE COACH KNOWS THAT THEIR CHILD IS ON IT, AND MAKING SURE THAT THEIR PEDIATRICIAN KNOWS AS WELL. IT DOESN\u2019T HAVE A STIGMA. IT\u2019S NOT SOMETHING ILLEGAL OR BAD. SO IT\u2019S SOMETHING IT\u2019S A SO HAVE A VERY OPEN CONVERSATION BECAUSE THEN AS YOUR CHILD\u2019S BODY IS GROWING A\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Teen creatine trend: Orlando doctor explains potential effects, safety advice<\/p>\n
A new study reveals that nearly one in six teenage boys are using creatine supplements, raising questions about its safety and the influence of social media on fitness trends<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tUpdated: 9:33 AM EDT Jul 6, 2026\n\t\t<\/p>\n