At what age can you start taking creatine?

A star in bodybuilding and sports in general, Créapure creatine Créapure creatine is a real help for improving performance and supporting recovery. But at what age can you start taking creatine? While there is no scientific consensus on the age limit, nor any evidence of negative impact, it is advisable to use it in certain specific cases, after optimizing the diet andtraining plan. That's what this article is all about.

What is creatine? 

Creatine monohydrate is a popular supplement in the world of sports. However, this white powder, taken in regular doses as a cure, complements a varied and balanced diet, which always comes first.

Why use creatine?

Creatine has an ergogenic role. It is used for its ability to intensify training adaptations and to perform during exercise. On its own, without effort, it is of no interest.

This amino acid derivative is found naturally in the body, which needs it. It comes from ourdiet, which provides around half of our daily intake. The foods richest in creatine are meat and fish, particularly beef and salmon. The other half is synthesized by the liver and kidneys(production can be increased slightly).

In total, exogenous dietary intake and endogenous production provide 1 to 3 grams daily¹. With it, the body maintains levels of phosphocreatine, which provides energy for muscle contraction. In fact, 95% of creatine is found in muscle cells. 

Note that this is a long-term supplement, not a one-off solution before a session. Taking creatine pre-workout is of little immediate interest, since it doesn't offer an instant "boost" like caffeine or nitric oxide boosters.

Its benefits are essentially based on progressive saturation of muscle reserves, requiring regular consumption over the medium term. The optimal duration of creatine intake to see results is 4 to 8 weeks, followed by an equivalent break.

Different forms of creatine available 

Powdered in milk or water, in capsules, as creatine monohydrate or ethyl ester, the choice is wide.

And yet, even if certain brands claim one benefit or another, only the monohydrate form has scientifically proven impacts. In fact, this is the form of creatine recommended by the Australian Institute of Sport.

In addition to the form of creatine, care must be taken to ensure that it comes from a pure source, if it is to be fully effective and safe. The Creapure® label was created with this in mind.

This European (Germany) company has developed an ultra-secure manufacturing method to produce a supplement of optimum purity.  

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At what age can you start taking creatine? 

There is no clear consensus in the scientific literature on theminimum age for taking creatine. 

Is creatine recommended for teenagers?

A survey shows that 5-20% of teenagers claim to have taken the supplement, by the time they are in junior high or high school¹. Among this population, as more generally, consumption is higher among men than women, even though creatine and the female public are compatible.

But is it safe?

For teenagers, there is no clear prohibition. We just say that you should wait until the end of puberty to avoid boosting mass gains before the end of growth, without any scientific proof of possible problems at this level.

That said, Unnithan et al. have described the use of creatine in adolescents¹. From a metabolic point of view, they justified that, in athletes with high-intensity anaerobic activities, there is indeed an advantage to consuming creatine.

If we were to summarize, creatine plays a dual role in adolescence:

• It is an ergogenic aid for teenagers with a good level of athletic ability, who have already optimized their diet and sports program;
• it also has a cerebral interest, as we see a little further down in this article.
  

Why is creatine not recommended before the age of 18?

We see a lot of warnings from manufacturers about not recommending use in people under 18, but these are more in line with the precautionary principle.

In fact, the International Society of Sports Nutrition took a stand in 2017. It recommends that young athletes consider use under certain conditions, such as:

• parental consent; 
• advice from a healthcare professional;
• vigilance over product quality;
• compliance with indicated dosages;
• optimizing diet before supplementation.

Despite this favorable stance on its use, scientific data nevertheless suggests that a course of exogenous creatine may be less effective. In children and teenagers,absorption into tissues, particularly the brain¹, is morelimited than in the adult population. 

The case of top-level teenage athletes

Very few studies have examined the use of creatine in adolescents. The effects of creatine on the adult population are well known, but less so in the case of young athletes who practice their physical activity intensively.

In the few studies carried out in the 4 corners of the world (Hungary, USA, Australia, UK, Yugoslavia) we note :

• improved performance in dynamic strength and sprinting; 
• theabsence of problems resulting from the plug². 

Beyond performance, Juhasz et al. also show that creatine helps support tendonitisrehabilitation in adolescent swimmers, if combined with a targeted program. 

Creatine in young endurance athletes

Creatine is often associated with short, explosive efforts, but it is also of interest to endurance athletes, albeit from a different angle.

For cyclists, runners or triathletes, for example, it doesn't directly affect pure endurance (aerobic capacity), but rather the ability to perform repeated accelerations or maintain high intensities during intermittent efforts (climbs, sprints, repeated attacks).

It could also help speed up muscle recovery after intense training or long competitions.

In young endurance athletes, creatine supplementation could be considered with caution and only after full optimization of nutritional factors, sleep and training.

For these young athletes, the main benefit would be to enhance their ability to tolerate high training loads or recover efficiently, rather than to directly improve their fundamental endurance.

Creatine in endurance sports remains a potential supplement, but should be used with discretion, particularly in young athletes, taking into account the precautions outlined above.

Creatine benefits and risks by age group

Creatine in minors: a question of ethics 

Even though studies have not reported anynegative effects of creatine on the health markers of competitive athletes, it is questionable whether there is anypoint in using creatine at a very early stage. Creatine remains an aid for people who have already optimized their physical and sporting preparation, which includes training, nutrition and sleep.

In reality, the most common use of supplementation in paediatric populations is in response to pathological creatine deficiency. Certain diseases limit or render impossible the secretion of creatine by the body, which explains the low levels of phosphocreatine in muscles and brain. This is the case, for example, with Duchenne syndrome.

However, warnings on product labels should not be taken as evidence of any danger. There just isn't enough data to confirm these warnings, which have no scientific basis¹, but are based on the precautionary principle favored by the authorities. 

Creatine in young adults (18-25 years)

Use increases significantly from this age onwards, in contexts of peak performance or for muscle development.

The vast majority of studies show no negative impact from creatine use between the ages of 18 and 25. Only one, in 2019, provides the first controversial data on safety and adverse effects, concerning young athletes. The authors conclude that they cannot exclude "that creatine supplementation has a detrimental effect on the airways of elite athletes, particularly in those with allergic sensitization".

These isolated results underline the need for further research to confirm or refute these data.

Creatine for seniors 

Some scientific data suggest an advantage of creatine in :

• prevention of sarcopenia, which corresponds to muscle wasting; 
• its neuroprotective role.

In particular, four studies have monitored the effects of supplementation on senior citizens undergoing physical training with a strength objective. These studies show an increase in the time to exhaustion on a leg extension (repeated until exhaustion), as well as a clear increase in intramuscular creatine levels.

Once again, science points out that the substance, on its own, is unlikely to lead to gains in muscular strength. However, it does have beneficial effects on muscle fatigue.

Creatine is also said to have a positive effect on bone mineral content, suggesting that it may provide musculoskeletal benefits for the elderly. 

Creatine and brain development in young people

This nutritional supplement is gaining legitimacy in the rehabilitation of concussions and traumatic brain injuries¹.

Sakellaris et al. report significant improvements in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries in children and adolescents supplemented for 6 months³. 

These neurological benefits are of interest to sportsmen and women liable to collide, where the risk of concussion is real, as in rugby.

Conclusion

Creatine is the subject of much curiosity, given its proven benefits in improving sporting performance and supporting recovery. However, its use remains preferable after the age of 18 and in a context ofoptimization.

There are no clear restrictions for teenagers, but caution is advised, especially before the end of puberty. For young adults, its use is risk-free, and its potential extends to seniors.

The latter enjoy promising musculoskeletal and cognitive benefits. Nevertheless, whatever the age, product quality and dosage compliance are essential for effective, safe supplementation.

Sources