Scientific Research
Long-Term Oral Creatine
Supplementation Does
Not Impair Renal Function in Healthy
Athletes
Jaques R. Poortmans and Marc
Francaux
Chime Physiologique, Institut Superieur d’ Education Physique et
de Kinesitherapie Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, BELGIUM; and Laboratoire de
Physiologie, Institut d’ Education Physique etde Readaptation, Universite
Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve,
BELGIUM
ABSTRACT
POORTMANS, J.R., and M. FRANCAUX. Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not impair renal function in healthy athletes. Med Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31. No. 8. pp. 1108-1110. 1999. Purpose: Oral Creatine supplementation is widely used in sportsmen and women. Side effects have been postulated, but no thorough investigations have been conducted to support these assertions. It is important to know whether long-term oral creatine supplementation has any detrimental effects on kidney function in healthy population. Methods: Creatinine, urea, and plasma albumin clearances have been determined in oral creatine consumers (10 months to 5 yr) and in a control group. Results: There were no statistical differences between the control group and the creatine consumer group for plasma contents and urine excretion rates for creatinine, urea, and albumin. Clearance of these compounds did not differ between the two groups. Thus, glomerular membrane permeability were normal in both groups. Conclusions: Neither short-term, medium-term, nor long-term oral creatine supplements include detrimental effects on the kidney of healthy individuals.
