Q: My son takes Creatine and I was told from some other parents that this could show up in a blood test as steroids. Is this possible?

A: Creatine will not cause a “false positive” for steroids. It is actually a constituent of muscle and taken as a nutritional supplement without proof of benefit or harm. Urinary creatinine is used to detect water loading to beat some drug tests. If the urine is too dilute a measure of creatinine will signal that.

Q: Do you have statistics related to the number of deaths and injuries from using steroids?

A: There are no reliable figures relating to the number of deaths and injuries related to the use of anabolic steroids or other performance-enhancing supplements. Prevalence of use data among adolescents found in the Monitoring the Future study has been between 1.5% and 3% historically, with a recent downward trend. In addition, neither the National Survey on Drug Use and Health nor the Drug Abuse Warning Network - both conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - provide information on steroids.

Q: Would steroids show up on a random urine test for other, more common, illegal drugs?

A: Steroid use would come up on a drug test only if the test looked specifically for steroids. For more information about the “mechanics” of drug testing, please click here.

Q: How can we get high schools to ban all use of steroids – natural and artificial? In my hometown, certain athletic coaches are encouraging high school students to use “natural” body builders (e.g. Creatine).

A: Here is what the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter has to say about Creatine.

“Creatine is an amino acid, but unlike most amino acids it is not incorporated into protein. The best sources are meat, poultry, and fish. In the body it’s found mostly in the muscles (in the form of Creatine phosphate), where it plays a unique role in energy production—it helps restore a compound called adeno-sine triphosphate (ATP), which supplies quick energy. On average, people get 1 to 2 grams of Creatine a day from food.

Taking Creatine supplements may depress the body's own synthesis of the substance, which may not return to normal once you stop taking the supplement. Your muscles can store only so much Creatine. Most people have adequate levels, so taking the supplements would have little or no effect.”

SB 1630, authored by state Senator Jackie Speier, would prohibit any California school from promoting “performance-enhancing dietary supplements” to students and accepting sponsorships from companies that manufacture those substances. The California Interscholastic Federation would work in conjunction with the State Department of Health Services to develop a list of prohibited “performance-enhancing supplements.” Creatine was likely to be included on a potential list. The bill was vetoed by the Governor.

In short, Creatine is a waste of money—contributing little (if anything at all) to athletic performance, and having uncertain health implications. Parents should be mindful of their children’s intake of such substances. It is also important to remember that adolescents should also be presented with reliable health information along with recommended courses of action, as this is far more effective that issuing categorical demands.