All concepts, explanations, trials, and studies have been
re-written in plain English and may contain errors. I am
not a doctor
-----------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: You can make the print bigger with the font button
on your browser! (It's usually a big "A")

----------------------------------------------------------

Creatine and Kidney Function in Healthy Athletes

Doctors often claim kidney function can be reduced by oral
creatine supplements. We studied kidney function in healthy
people taking creatine supplements.
	Creatinine and urea (kidney function tests), and
blood albumin (liver function test) were measured in people
taking oral creatine, who had taken it for 10 months to 5
years. We also measured the same levels in a control group
not taking creatine.
	There was no significant difference between groups
in any test. Kidney function was not affected by the oral
creatine supplement.

Source:  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999 Aug;31(8):1108-10.
Title:   Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not
         impair renal function in healthy athletes.
Authors: Poortmans JR, Francaux M.
PMID:    10449011.

Creatine and Kidney Function in Football Players

We studied long-term creatine supplement use in football
players. Blood tests for liver and kidney function measured
what effect the supplement had.
	Twenty-three members of an NCAA Division II American
football team (ages 19 to 24 years) with at least 2 years of
strength training experience were divided into a creatine
monohydrate group (10 men) and a control group (13 men).
	Creatine players took 5 to 20 grams creatine daily
(average 10 grams daily) for from 3 months to 5.6 years
(average 2.35 years). Blood tests included albumin, alkaline
phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate
aminotransferase, bilirubin, urea, and creatinine.
	The creatine and non-creatine groups had similar test
results. It appears that oral creatine use has no long-term
harmful effects on kidney or liver function in highly trained
college athletes.

Title:   Effects of long-term creatine supplementation on liver
         and kidney functions in American college football
         players.
Authors: Mayhew DL, Mayhew JL, Ware JS.
Source:  Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2002 Dec;12(4):453-60.