Sweat drips as hands clasp tightly around the cold, shining metal bar. Brows furrow and heartbeat quickens as muscles visibly tense in preparation for the attempt to deadlift a new personal record.
Junior Abby Scritchfield has been taking on these weights for years, and has even participated in power-lifting competitions. In order to give her that edge and enhance her natural ability, Scritchfield, like many other student athletes and weight-lifters, has invested in creatine.
But what is creatine? Simply put, creatine is a natural compound that helps to supply energy to the muscles, especially during high-intensity exercise. It is traditionally found in red meat, pork, fish such as salmon, and chicken, though through these sources a typical person will only get 1-2 grams a day.
Many athletes, therefore, being influenced by their peers and social media, have begun to augment these natural sources. Athletes are now commonly taking creatine supplements; some taking small amounts over long periods of time and others taking larger amounts in occasional cycles, but both producing similar results.
“I took a cycle of creatine for about a month or two,” junior Brayden Higgins said. “I noticed I started gaining a lot of weight because of the water retention… I also noticed I was getting stronger quicker. My workouts even felt easier after a couple weeks. I could notice a difference in how much weight I was lifting, and I felt healthier overall.”
Creatine boosts the body’s energy by increasing its production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), speeds up recovery, and can increase cell hydration, instigating growth and muscle repair. Not only does creatine have impacts physically, but it also has cerebral benefits, such as improved memory, mood, and cognitive processing.
“People take it for the health benefits most of the time. It’s great for running, it reduces dizziness and headaches, and you’re less likely to get dehydrated. It’s great too for people lifting weights, just great for physical healthiness overall,” Higgins said.
Creatine has steadily gained popularity in recent years, largely due to its increased prevalence online. However, it’s been around for a long time, with research dating back to the 1830s and long-term studies on its effects, making it one of the most well-researched supplements.
“In the bodybuilding community, a lot of people take it just to enhance their muscle strength,” Scritchfield said. “It makes you stronger and able to adapt more to different environments, things that come along your way, so you don’t plateau as much”.
Despite its benefits, creatine isn’t nearly as effective without consistent exercise. It isn’t a replacement for physical activity, but helps workouts to be more effective and enhances the user’s natural ability.
“I started because when I was younger, I wanted to be stronger and faster than everyone, and I realized I needed a supplement because my own ability wasn’t going to be able to get me to that level,” Scritchfield said.
Creatine is just that, a supplement. It doesn’t create change out of nowhere, it just enhances natural ability through additions of a nutrient your body already creates. Only when paired with exercise, proper nutrition, enough sleep, and other healthy behaviors, is it able to help to its full potential, though that is often skated over in advertisements of the product.
“It’s very encouraged in the weightlifting community… throughout the gym, there are stations where you can buy [creatine], and sometimes there are representatives there to sell you on it and share the benefits,” Scritchfield said.
While this is a much more outright and obvious advertisement, many young athletes feel pressure from their peers, coaches, parents, and even influencers online to try to enhance their workouts through supplementation.
“Teenagers are seeing constant promotion of pre-workouts, creatine and other performance products from influencers, athletes and even their peers,” registered dietitian and specialist in sports nutrition, Jenaed Ruddock, said.
Instagram and TikTok in particular are full of body-building influencers trying to convince the next generation of athletes to buy specific products, persuading them that each contains the secret to building their dream body. For many viewers, these are the first places people hear about such supplements.
“[I heard about creatine] a lot on TikTok and even Instagram; there are a lot of ads going around… A lot of influencers [I would see] were talking about the effects of it, how it makes you bigger, and why teens should take it,” Higgins said.
Influencers make money through these brand placements in their videos, and therefore often use their platforms to advertise certain products. These supplements are also well promoted through social media stores, such as Tik Tok Shop.
“There’s easier access now through online stores, and a perception that supplements are a shortcut to faster gains in sport or appearance. Add in pressures around body image, and it’s not surprising more teenagers are experimenting with supplements,” Ruddock said.
When adding new supplements into your diet, Ruddock and other nutritionists heavily emphasize the importance of researching them thoroughly beforehand, looking into both long and short term effects; additionally, they encourage young athletes to keep in mind that supplements shouldn’t take the place of a healthy lifestyle.
“Focus on getting enough total energy first – growth plus sport is very demanding,” Ruddock said. “Aim for protein at every meal and snack, about 1-1.5g per kilogram of bodyweight per day, spread evenly across the day”.
Creatine has risen in popularity for a reason: when taken correctly, in balance with a healthy lifestyle, it’s an easy addition that leads to notable benefits in cognitive thinking, muscle growth, and perceived overall well-being.