With athletic scholarships tougher to obtain than ever and demands for success increasing each year, a new breed of high school athletes has emerged.

These ambitious student-athletes are willing to try anything that could give them an edge in performance over their peers. This win at-any-cost mind set has led to the rise in popularity of Creatine and other sports supplements.

However, these athletes often do not realize the risks associated with taking such substances.

Miche Hoffer used Creatine many times in his career as a decathlete in Sweden.

Though he now works as a personal trainer in Palo Alto, Hoffer wants to dispel the myths about the supplement that is so often misunderstood by younger athletes.

“Creatine is not a miracle substance,” Hoffer said. “It is not for the recreational weightlifter or the average Joe. It is a dietary supplement made for the most dedicated of athletes.”

A chemical compound found naturally in the body, Creatine helps the body supply energy to muscle cells.

Creatine works directly with the body’s Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) to create energy vital to muscle functions.

Creatine is also found in certain foods, including meat and fish.

Although scientists have known about Creatine’s function in the body since 1832, it was not until 1993 that it became popular as a supplement.

Since its popularity spike in the 1990s, Creatine has become a controversial substance, with much debate surrounding its effectiveness and safety.

Palo Alto High School Varsity football Head Coach Earl Hansen is aware that many high school athletes do choose to use muscle supplements.

“Since the NCAA [National Collegate Athletic Association] banned Creatine use in locker rooms, the number of people using the supplement has gone down,” Hansen said. “But there are still those overambitious athletes who think it makes a big difference. I think that Creatine can only hurt a kid’s body, so I do not like my athletes using it.”

Hansen is not alone in his opinion. Charles Burke, a team doctor for the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins, believes that nonmedical dietary supplements are never a good thing for young athletes to use as an enhancement.

“It is very unfortunate that there is so much media coverage of steroids,” Burke said.

“Student-athletes see so much about doping scandals in professional athletics that it piques their interest and leads them into making irrational conclusions about the effectiveness of supplements.”

There is no question among trainers that steroids and certain human growth hormones can be incredibly effective in promoting muscle gain.

However, since Congress passed the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990, anabolic steroids and growth hormones have been declared illegal, so athletes have been turning to dietary supplements such as Creatine, hoping to reap similar benefits.

“It is my opinion that young athletes use Creatine because so much is at stake,” Burke said. “College scholarships and admissions alike hang on athletic performance, which pressures kids into taking something potentially harmful to their bodies.”

The dangers of Creatine lie not in what is known, but in what is unknown. Creatine and other dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so their effects are rife with uncertainty.

This means that there are no tests measuring the strength, purity or safety of the supplements.

In fact, a study by the International Olympic Committee found that 15 percent of sports supplements that are tested around the world had some unlisted ingredient in them.

Hoffer himself once had a bad experience with Creatine. After an unusually strong reaction to the supplement, he called the manufacturer and learned the pill contained Ephedra, an illegal growth horomone which has been linked numerous times with heart failure.

Besides the potential for impurities, Creatine can have other side effects including dehydration, abdominal pain, diarrhea and muscle cramps.

However, enhancing benefits are also associated with Creatine.

“I am hesitant to call them positive or beneficial effects, but studies have proven that Creatine can improve performance in high intensity workouts,” Burke said.

Although Creatine and other supplements do improve athletes’ funtionability in intense workouts, the benefits are minor at best.

Creatine promotes weight gain, but this is due to increased absorption of water by the muscles.

So if an athlete’s weight increases while using Creatine, it is due to water weight, not necessarily increased strength, according to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Though Burke and Hoffer disagree on whether or not it is safe to use Creatine, both agree that the best student-athletes do not need supplements in order to succeed.

“The best way to improve your performance is to eat healthy, get lots of sleep, and work hard,” Hoffer said. “A determined athlete will find success, not those who rely on substances to improve their athletic performance.”