Creatine for Teens: Hype, Science, and What I Tell My Son

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A Mighty Start

When your child is born, one of the first things people tend to comment on is size: “He’s a big baby!” or “Look at that tiny little tike!” My firstborn was on the smaller side, and early on, I started calling him “Mighty.” The nickname stuck—and it felt fitting. He’s always tracked around the 5th percentile for growth.

In those early years, those comments didn’t seem to matter much. But once a child is old enough to understand, any remark about their body size— even if it’s so-called “positive”—is never really helpful.

As he got older—especially once he hit middle school—the differences in size and stature became more apparent, particularly in contact sports like lacrosse. After his 13-year checkup, he turned to me and asked, “What does it really mean to be in the 5th percentile?” After I answered, I asked him, “Does your size feel like it limits you in any way?

While reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid with my 9-year-old last night—a book we both love—I came across a page that felt especially fitting for today’s post. :)

His answer was honest: it’s frustrating, mostly in sports. I get that. It’s hard watching boys twice his size barrel into him with sticks on the lacrosse field.

That same year, his school offered all seventh graders a free gym membership. He started going with some friends and really took to it. A few months in, he noticed me mixing creatine into my water bottle and asked, “Could I use that too?”

It was a fair question. I’d done quite a bit of research on creatine—especially for women (Creatine Isn’t Just For the Guys)—but I hadn’t yet looked into what the science says for teens. So after reviewing the research and safety recommendations, I thought I would share what I found!