It's not really stress it's pressure to perform in a sport from coaches or in general wanting to be better. Its habit forming when you see your self lifting more weight gaining mass etc it's hard to stop and continue working out naturally. I take a multi vitamin plus other natural supplements and work my ass off training I get discount vitamins online since its cheaper then going to a local store and train hard.

you shouldnt incourage people to use steriods, i dont either. steriods is just another drug. and it shouldnt be used.

There is a lot of things that needs to be done. but i done know where to start. i want to do what ever i can. but i dont know how.

Caffeine for example was not allowed for a long time (tour de france stuff etc.) as well.
Creatine is a body's own substance. Instead of using creatine as a supplement, you could also eat two pounds red meat instead. It is NO steroid. Some pro athletes (tennis player...) are using creatine treatments.
As already stated there is no proof of negative creatine side effects. You can have gas - if you don't drink enough water. So drink enough water. But there is no proof that kidneys/liver will get damaged etc.

ah, the infamous Mitchell report ..

it's so discouraging, especially with the recent mass list of baseball players with past/current steroids use. talk about failing to be role models.

Most people who use steriods have either insecure personalities, or are under a lot of presurre and use roids as a way out of all the stress. Winning things w/o cheating is the best way to go because you have a clear concience, self achievment, and pure happiness. No steroids can contribute to All of that.!

i think the whole idea of mind altering drugs just turns me off. i run cross country and that's a tough sport. kids on my team have been told by trainers that they have to take steriods in order to be good, but i have no idea what my coach would do if any of us did. i think that athletic competitions should be honest. anyone who takes steriods is cheating. i think it is actually against state regulations to take creatine, or at least for me.

there's a kid at my high school that everyone thinks is on roids and i hope he gets caught. i don't want him to get in trouble, but steriods ruin your life and i want him to stop before it gets too bad.

I am not against such supplements as long as people don't overreact in using them. Any organism has a certain absorption capacity for medicines or any other natural supplement. Once this capacity is exceeded the effect can be harmful for the body. People need to be aware of that.
Discount Vitamins

I don't consider people who use steroids to be athletes. They are not the ones performing, its the drugs.

I think they are just doing their jobs... why be a lot more when you're earning the same money the way you are now. [admin: deleted ad site]

the people at GNC know nothing except what they're trained to know. It's funny how one told me to buy one product because it had more calories, but I mentioned its high sugar content resulting in more calories and that shut him up

Go to a real book store in your area and get Arnold Shwatrz book, its big and black - I never bought it - Wish I did. I quit working out, thank God, b'cuz I had no clue either at one time. If I were you I wouldn't mess with steroids, it's like crack - But if you do - Get Arnolds book, buy it or spend a few minutes reading it...

2nd, Take that knowledge and go to a real nutrition center in your area like a GNC and talk to someone behind the counter, test with what you know vs. them and ask for their work-out background, do they all know their stuff? I hope the guy or gal behind the counter is buff, thats always a good sign...

Lastly - Learn your body, every part, nook and cranny. Than, when you know how exactly your body works, apply it in the gym, your strength will be amazing especially if you start young and do it right...

Well, I could go on, but do try to get a look at that book. Good luck man.

About the NCAA proposal --> During its July 26 telephone conference, the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Legislative Review/Interpretations determined that it is

not permissible for an institution

to provide nutritional supplements to its student-athletes, unless the supplement is a non-muscle-building supplement and is included in one of the four classes identified in Bylaw 16.5.2.2.

Basically they don't want the coaches giving kids creatine. Other than that, it is not banned.

sorry about the line break. my knowledge of html is limited

According to Proposal No. 99-72 --> Teams are not allowed to distribute or promote the use of creatine in the NCAA. This is also inline with my own experience w/ the NCAA.

Glad you mentioned supervision & research, because it implies that it requires some legitimate level of understanding to take a supplement that is being advertised as a protein drink to teens. On whom the long term effects haven't been tested properly by the FDA.

The progression of this drug seems to be paralleling the entry of steroids into the athletic arena. The medical effects of new compounds always seem to take a back seat for the companies that roll them out.

Not to play the role of devil's advocate, but creatine isn't banned by the NCAA either.

http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/ed_outreach/health-safety/drug_testing/banned_drug_classes.pdf

And I've read that you don't need to do a loading phase where you take 20 grams a day. to me that seems stupid because you are essentially wiping out your kidneys. I believe that if you do a lot of research and understand what creatine is and drink a lot of water, you can take it.

I guess it is pretty obvious that I am not a fan of creatine, but that doesn't change the following points:
- It is banned from the NCAA (& formerly from the NFL)

- There is potential for serious side effects such as damage to the kidneys (due to taxing demand on body's water)

- It inhibits the body's natural formation of creatine

- Overuse: one survey conducted with college students found that teen athletes frequently exceed the recommended loading and maintenance doses of creatine.

- Most importantly, neither safety nor effectiveness in those under 19 has ever been tested. Yet, the marketing of creatine containing supplements is directly aimed at teens, claiming to change body shape while requiring little effort

(from the source of 'steady's information link at The University of Maryland Medical Center )

Me personally? i dont mess around with any substances but creatine is one of those nobody really knows about. i got this off the internet....Negative Creatine Side Effects
No serious side effects from creatine have ever been recorded in research. A common misconception is that creatine is an abusive steroid-like substance that can kill you. With a little education, most people can realize the falsity of their claims.

The most common ‘negative’ side effect is an increase in water weight. An increase in water weight can make you appear to be bloated. It will look like you just got done eating Christmas dinner. And because your muscle will retain more water, they might feel softer to the touch. Your muscles will still be hard and impressive to a normal person, but after you rest for a few hours and try to flex, your muscles might not be as rock hard. There are possibly other unknown negative side effects associated with creatine, but due to a lack of research there isn’t much available.

Another negative side effect of creatine is when you get off the cycle. If you take creatine for 4 months and then stop taking it, you will notice a sharp decrease in your energy level and appearance. Your body might ‘deflate’ slightly as you lose the excess water weight.

Positive Creatine Side Effects
Now onto the good stuff. Do you ever feel fatigued or tired? Do you wake up and decide you don’t want to work out because you’re too tired to lift weights or go run? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions then creatine is for you. Creatine is an energy booster. It’s not like drinking coffee or an energy drink, by taking daily creatine supplements your body will get used to having more energy throughout the day, leaving you enough energy to wake up, hit the gym, and provide that boost you need to lift an additional rep.

for more information go to http://www.creatinejournal.com/creatine-supplement-creatine-side-effects/

Yeah, that was changed since the article I was referencing was written (1998). But I can still point to the NCAA as a league that has listed creatine as a banned substance. The point of my comment is that it is popping up on banned substance lists for a reason and without more tests on its long term effects it really shouldn't be socially excepted in HS.
The risk of overuse is also a lot more prevalent in younger users.

Actually gweiner, no professional athletic league has banned creatine, even the NFL

http://www.nflpa.org/pdfs/RulesAndRegs/ProhibitedSubstances.pdf

I think there is a huge difference between a fully grown adult taking creatine and a high schooler.
The long-term effects are still unknown, and now more and more people are taking it because it is helping baseball players set all kinds of records. I think there is a reason why the NFL has listed it as a banned substance...

My dad takes creatine everytime he works out which is about 4 times a week. hes been taking since he startded weight lifting in like the 80's or something but i dont see any thing wrong with it. and it helps him alot from what hes told me!

No I wasn't saying anything was wrong with it, I was just wondering what people think of it, overall.

dude what's wrong with creatine? steroids and creatine are two totally separate things