The case in summary Sales of the nutritional supplement creatine have increased sharply in recent years, also among children under 18 years of age. Creatine is a substance found naturally in the body, and can also be consumed through the diet. It is popular in connection with strength training as it stores energy in the muscles and can make them bigger. One of the largest online stores in Norway, Tights.no, has seen a 550% increase in sales of creatine from 2021 to today. Associate professor in sports at the University of Stavanger, Thomas Bjørnsen, believes that the effect of creatine is very small and that you get better results by focusing on sleep, diet and a regular training schedule. Creatine is a legal product and is not on Antidoping Norway’s doping list, but head of research at Antidoping Norway, Fredrik Lauritzen, warns that no nutritional supplement is without risk and possible side effects. Professor of sports nutrition at the University of Agder, Monica Klungland Torstveit, does not recommend young people to start with nutritional supplements and believes that there has been an over-focus on the body and appearance in today’s society. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – All my friends, and all those who are a little younger than me, talk about creatine all the time. That it is what you should take to train strength, says Sondre Skuland Haugen (21). He is one of many who both know well what creatine is, and who uses it regularly. What is creatine, you might ask who doesn’t do pullups as easily as the 21-year-old we meet at the gym. Creatine is a substance found naturally in the body, but we also get creatine through, for example, fish and red meat in our diet. What is creatine? Creatine is a chemical compound that has a number of functions in the body. Creatine is an important energy reserve in muscles. Creatine in the form of creatine phosphate is particularly important as an energy reserve for muscle cells. Creatine can be made in the body or supplied via the diet. Fish and meat are good sources of creatine. Creatine is also a popular dietary supplement, particularly in connection with strength training. Here, creatine is often referred to as a “muscle powder”. Creatine as a dietary supplement is available in several different types, with creatine monohydrate being the most commonly used. In creatine monohydrate, creatine is bound together with a water molecule. The dietary supplement is available, among other things, as tablets, capsules and powder. Source: Store Norske lexikon Creatine, which is also called a “muscle powder”, has long been known and used in sports environments. But now the dietary supplement has also gained a permanent place on the kitchen counter in more and more homes. Researchers news has spoken to explain that one of the reasons why it is so popular is because the energy from the creatine is stored in the muscles together with water. Therefore, the muscles can look a little bigger when you walk on it. Especially among boys, the powder has become popular. – I train and use creatine to look good and be strong, says Baver Deghan (24). He has used creatine off and on since he was 18, and believes the effect has been good. – There is a lot of talk about creatine in social media. It must be one of the aids that has been researched the most, is his answer to why it has become so popular among young people. Next to Baver, another person trains with creatine on board. Adam Hassan (23) takes creatine every day. – Why? Yes, to feel stronger, he says. Explosive increase Almost all sports chains and manufacturers news has spoken to confirm that there has been a clear increase in the sale of creatine since the pandemic. What do you mean? Feel free to discuss in the comment field at the bottom of the matter. Tights.no is one of the largest online stores in Norway within its segment. Here they sell, among other things, their self-produced creatine. – We have sold 75 tonnes of this product since 2020 until today. From 2021 to today, we have a 550% increase in the sale of creatine, says marketing and press officer Anders Christian Pettersen. Bags of creatine can be found in many boys’ rooms around the country. Photo: Peder Mjåland Skaar Shifting focus – It is unlikely that there are enough athletes in Norway to cover this increase, laughs Thomas Bjørnsen when he hears about the figures. He is an associate professor in exercise physiology at the University of Stavanger, and believes that the high creatine sales are connected to the fact that strength training is in vogue. He says that creatine is one of the most researched supplements. And the research shows that creatinine intake actually has a documented effect. – But it doesn’t work on everyone, and the effect is actually very small, he says. Do you think it is okay to take nutritional supplements in connection with training? Yes, it has helped me perform better! No, I feel that is cheating! Exercise, what is it? Eating healthy and well lasts for a long time. Show result He believes that one would have had a far better effect and results if one had rather focused on three other factors; Sleep Diet That you train regularly over time – The effect of creatine is vanishingly small in competition with these three factors. But it’s probably that you want to buy the small effect that makes it so tempting, says Bjørnsen. Thomas Bjørnsen says that creatine is one of the substances they have researched extensively, but there is little research into creatine use among children under the age of 18. Photo: University of Stavanger The researcher nevertheless points out that going on creatine can also have a positive effect for some. – It’s just as if they turn on an extra focus on training and a healthy lifestyle, at the same time they decide to take creatine supplements, he says. Growing culture Creatine is a legal product, and is neither on the sport’s nor the criminal law’s doping list. But there is always a risk that a dietary supplement may contain substances on the doping list and cause unwanted side effects. That’s what head of research at Antidoping Norway, Fredrik Lauritzen, says. The head of research at Antidoping Norway believes that dietary supplements among young people are now normalised. Photo: Antidoping Norway – A pure creatine supplement has a low to moderate risk of containing banned substances. We are most concerned about mixed products such as pre-workout and nutritional supplements that claim to increase muscle mass or increase burning. He says that such supplements have been shown to have a high doping risk. They can also have negative health consequences. While in the past only a few used nutritional supplements in connection with exercise, Lauritzen believes that use among young people is now normalised. – Training is good, but if the focus on muscle growth and nutritional supplements becomes too great, it is worrying. Then it is easier to get other unhealthy attitudes, he says. Social media abounds with videos about – and tips about creatine use. Ever younger Center manager at Spicheren training center in Kristiansand confirms that they are getting younger and younger members. Kristian Jøranson is afraid that the focus of many who train has shifted from performing to looking good. Center manager Kristian Jøranson has nothing against creatine as a dietary supplement for adults. – In fact, I do it myself to perform better and optimize training. Photo: Espen Bierud / news – We cannot hide the fact that many people go to the gym for appearance. It is more important than ever. I think the focus might be wrong. – What should the focus be? – Better health and performance. If you take creatine to increase your performance, I think it’s OK. But if it’s really about looks, then maybe the focus is a little wrong. Would not recommend creatine – I would not recommend young people to start with supplements. My advice is always food first. That’s what Monica Klungland Torstveit, professor of sports science at the University of Agder, says. Monica Torstveit believes that we can get just as much creatine through food as through supplements. Photo: Ina Marie Sigurdsen / news She believes there has been an over-focus on the body and appearance in today’s society, and the increase in creatine use can be seen in connection with this. – Many boys in puberty are concerned with getting stronger and looking so-called defined. Some of these may have developed later than their peers, and possibly hope that nutritional supplements will contribute to extra muscle growth. But she believes that young people can get sufficient nutrients for muscle growth through the food we eat. Can’t always afford red meat Odne Hansen (21) believes he has had a good effect from creatine. – I’ve heard that you can get enough creatine through diet, but you can’t always afford to buy red meat or fish as a student. Hansen is thinking of starting again on creatine in the autumn. – It has helped a lot, and has been good for me, he says. Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue Published 24.06.2024, at 12.33
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