Creatine Use in Adolescents: What Parents Should Know

There is strong evidence that flavored creatine supplementation is still widely utilized among adolescents, in addition to its popularity as an ergogenic aid among athletic groups. A growing body of research also points to the therapeutic advantages of creatine monohydrate gummies for a wide range of clinical uses in both children and adults. Extensive research has shown that creatine may alleviate symptoms of several neuromuscular and metabolic diseases in children, and there is some early evidence that it can do the same for adult clinical groups. 

Creatine is a dietary supplement that you may hear about if your adolescent participates in youth sports. High school athletes rave about this supplement, which comes in both powder and pill form. Research has shown that over 35% of males in middle school and high school take creatine to enhance their performance on the sports field.

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a dietary supplement popular among athletes and bodybuilders. It can be purchased at health food shops, gyms, and even on the internet. Since it isn't restricted by law, kids of any age may buy flavored creatine whenever they want without their parent's knowledge or approval.

Even though doctors advise against it, health food businesses nonetheless often suggest these supplements to teenagers, according to new research.

Products like creatine monohydrate gummies are not governed by government laws that guarantee product safety or efficacy since they are categorized as dietary supplements. There is no legal need for manufacturers to verify the accuracy of the specified ingredients before selling their products.

Manufacturers tout creatine's ability to increase muscle growth, which entices youths for a range of reasons, including improving sports performance, boosting strength, and addressing body image issues. Nearly 17% of guys in 12th grade reported taking creatine for teens in 2016, according to the Monitoring the Future Survey.

Adolescent athletes often see ads for flavored creatine, which claims to enhance performance in weight training and athletics and promote muscular growth by increasing water intake.

Is Creatine Safe for Teenagers?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there has been little research examining the long-term safety of flavored creatine usage by teenagers, despite evidence suggesting that adults may safely take it for shorter periods. According to doctors and most medical groups, athletes above the age of 18 should only take creatine monohydrate gummies and related.

Creatine is not subject to federal laws that aim to assure product safety or efficacy since it is offered as a dietary supplement. Therefore, it is impossible to know for sure that creatine sold in health food shops, online, or at a gym is indeed pure creatine and not a mixture of other compounds with potentially harmful effects on the body.

Creatine is a popular supplement among young athletes, but the question of whether they should use it is debatable. Researchers have given little attention to the long-term safety of creatine use in adolescent athletes.

The bulk of the research on adolescent athletes has focused on male athletes, namely soccer players, and swimmers, and has examined the effectiveness of creatine monohydrate gummies for brief durations. The studies did not set out to assess the supplement's safety or health risks, but they did find that creatine improved performance and power output with no negative side effects.

Best Way to Explain Creatine to An Adolescent

Prescription of performance-enhancing drugs, such as creatine for teens, is strongly discouraged by both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Sports Medicine.

Get your adolescent athlete to open up about it. They are probably feeling a lot of pressure from their classmates to look good and do well in sports, so it's important to listen to them and understand how they're feeling. Winning isn't more essential than being healthy, and parents must make their children understand this harsh reality. 

Why Kids Take Creatine?

For its performance-enhancing properties, creatine is used by athletes of all ages, including a growing number of athletes in high school and younger.  Supplemental flavored creatine has been well-documented in the literature for its positive effects on exercise and athletic performance in adult athletes. Creatine monohydrate gummies deplete muscle reserves of amino acid, making it readily accessible for cellular fuel during exercise.

Results demonstrate that it speeds up muscle development and strength by increasing the work capacity of muscles and improving performance during high-intensity exercises. Creatine for teens enhances training tolerance and post-workout recovery in adult athletes. An athlete's body weight is used to determine flavored creatine dosages. For the best results, it's best to speak with a sports nutritionist or performance enhancement specialist on an individual basis to determine the ideal dose.

Some teenagers, especially those who aren't actively participating in high-level sports, may take creatine with the express goal of "getting bigger" or "gaining muscle" because of how quickly it promotes muscular development. Because many young men aspire to what the health and diet industries call the "ideal body shape and size" for males, this may be one explanation for creatine's disproportionate popularity among this demographic. Using creatine or any substance for the express intention of altering one's physical appearance may, unfortunately, be a sign of deeper mental health issues like disordered eating or body dysmorphic disorder. 

Creatine abuse may occur when teens use the supplement for the sole purpose of gaining weight and muscle. If a kid is using creatine but isn't competing at a high level, they may not be under the care of a certified sports nutritionist. Therefore, parents must know about this potential side effect.

Should You Give Creatine to Your Kid?

As stated before, before starting creatine for teens, it is important to get their doctor's approval and then find a certified pediatric sports nutritionist. You need an individualized evaluation to find out whether this supplement is right for your kid and if it will help them.

Remember that there are a lot of young people who might wish to use creatine for improper purposes. Someone with an underlying body image problem due to the demands of diet culture might want to modify their shape or size for appearance-based aims. Consulting a child psychologist and a pediatric registered dietitian might be beneficial if you are concerned that your adolescent is experiencing issues related to body dysmorphia or any other mental health issues.

When your doctor approves, don’t forget to check out Bear Balanced first-ever creatine monohydrate gummies! They’re the easiest and safest way to get started with creatine. 

 

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