The use of creatine in adolescents

Abstract

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound essential for cellular energy metabolism and is widely used as a dietary supplement to enhance high-intensity exercise performance. However, its use extends beyond structured athletic performance contexts. Due to broad availability in retail outlets and online platforms, creatine is increasingly used in recreational gym environments, school sports, and by adolescents seeking improvements in physique and muscle mass, often without professional guidance. While creatine supplementation is well established in adults, its use in adolescents remains controversial, largely attributable to ongoing safety concerns, persistent misconceptions, and the limited availability of robust long-term data. Beyond its ergogenic effects, emerging evidence suggests potential for creatine to influence cognitive performance. This review evaluates the prevalence of creatine use in adolescents, its mechanism of action, effects on athletic and cognitive performance, as well as safety profile, with emphasis on the pharmacist’s role in counselling and monitoring. Current evidence suggests that creatine supplementation, when used appropriately, is generally well tolerated in adolescents, although long-term safety data remain limited. Pharmacists play a key role in promoting evidence-based use, mitigating risk, addressing misinformation, and supporting safe supplementation practices in adolescent populations.