Creatine Supplementation in Children and Adolescents.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic search or meta-analysis
PubMed 33670822 · doi:10.3390/nu13020664
What was done
The authors conducted a narrative review synthesizing literature on the rationale, prevalence of use, athletic performance benefits, clinical applications (such as neuromuscular and metabolic disorders), and safety profile of creatine supplementation in children and adolescents.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data or effect sizes. It notes that creatine is commonly used by adolescents and that limited studies in adolescent athletes generally report improvements in ergogenic outcomes without ergolytic effects. Available reports also consistently indicate an absence of adverse events in pediatric populations.
Why it matters
This review highlights that while creatine is well-studied in adults, preliminary evidence supports its therapeutic and performance applications in younger populations, defining safety boundaries and identifying research gaps.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks systematic search methodology and quantitative meta-analysis. The abstract provides no specific statistics, sample sizes, or dosage details. Pediatric evidence remains limited in scope compared to adult data.
Cited by
- partial Scientific reviews indicate that creatine supplementation is safe in adolescent children and teenagers and improves balance, agility, and body composition.
- context Literature shows that creatine supplementation in young children participating in sports like soccer improves agility and is safe.