Narrative reviewindependent cross-checkabstract only checked I-SUP-11 standard review
Creatine safety position stand
International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.
Overview
Kreider RB et al.. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017 · PMID 28615996 · DOI 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
Creatine reported safe up to 30 g/day for 5 years in healthy people.
Does the study support the specific claim? No · Methodological quality: low
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Creatine safety.
- How was the study done?
Position stand.
- What was actually found?
Safe.
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Creatine not a liver toxin per this review.
- What are the study's limitations?
COI; narrative.
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Contradicts C-SUP-08 for creatine.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Applicable.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Independent confirmation.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Kreider RB et al.
- Journal
- J Int Soc Sports Nutr
- Year
- 2017
- Identifier
- PMID 28615996 DOI 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
- Verification
- verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-25
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
not stated in abstract
2. Research question
Safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Narrative review – Position stand (ISSN), narrative review
- Population
Athletes and patient groups
- Country
International
- Period
2017
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Creatine
- Endpoints
Performance, safety
- Statistical methods
Narrative
5. Actual results
- Results
Short- and long-term supplementation (up to 30 g/day for 5 years) reported safe and well tolerated in healthy individuals and several patient populations.
- Absolute risks
not applicable
- Authors' conclusion
Creatine is effective and safe.
6. Strengths
- Large literature
7. Weaknesses
- Narrative
- Authors with industry links (sports nutrition)
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- none applicable
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- not assessable
- Rationale
Position stand; COI.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
10. Relevance to the specific claim
11. Independent contrary findings
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
High.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Suggests creatine is not hepatotoxic; COI lowers weight.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | low |
| Risk of bias | not assessable |
| Precision of results | not applicable |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | unknown |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | high |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
15. Linked fact checks
- All oral supplements (including whey protein, collagen, creatine and omega-3) are unnecessary and harm the liver; liver enzymes will be raised after any supplement. – Studies contradicting or limiting the claim