# Parents Are Giving Their Kids Creatine. Experts Have Concerns.
Parents increasingly supplement their children with creatine, hoping to boost athletic performance and muscle growth. The trend raises legitimate safety questions among sports medicine experts and pediatricians.
Creatine works by increasing phosphocreatine stores in muscle cells, which helps regenerate ATP during high-intensity exercise. This mechanism is well-established in adult athletes. Studies in adults show creatine supplementation improves strength and power output, particularly in repeated sprinting and resistance training.
The problem: pediatric data remains sparse. Children's bodies differ fundamentally from adults. Their hormonal systems still develop. Their kidneys process compounds differently. The International Society of Sports Nutrition acknowledges insufficient evidence to recommend creatine for athletes under 18.
Potential concerns include dehydration risk, kidney stress in predisposed individuals, and unknown long-term effects during critical growth periods. A 2017 review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition noted that while short-term creatine use appears relatively safe in healthy adults, applying this assumption to developing bodies requires caution. Children may not maintain adequate hydration alongside supplementation, compounding kidney strain.
Some pediatric sports medicine physicians worry about the message creatine sends: that supplements are necessary for youth athletic success. This can reinforce unhealthy relationships with performance enhancement before bodies finish developing.
The American Academy of Pediatrics hasn't issued specific creatine guidance for children, largely because research gaps exist. Most experts recommend delaying supplementation until adulthood, when bodies have matured and individual health status can be fully assessed.
Youth athletes achieve performance gains through evidence-based training: progressive resistance work, sport-specific skill development, and adequate sleep and nutrition. Whole foods provide creatine naturally, particularly in meat and fish.
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