Report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) on the risk associated with the consumption of food supplements that contain creatine as an ingredient

Abstract

Abstract Creatine is an endogenous substance synthesised in the pancreas, kidneys and liver, which can also be provided through the diet, mainly through the intake of meat and fish, or in the form of a food supplement ingredient, with creatine monohydrate and creatine hydrochloride being the most common marketed forms of creatine. Creatine is effective in improving the training and performance of short duration and high intensity physical exercise. In fact, Regulation (EU) No. 432/2012 includes the health claims attributable to foods that provide a daily intake of 3 g of creatine and related to the effect of creatine on physical exercise. Based on the information currently available on creatine and considering that creatine monohydrate and hydrochloride are the forms of creatine commonly used in the manufacture of food supplements with creatine, the Scientific Committee considers that the maximum daily amounts of 3.41 g of creatine monohydrate and 3.84 g of creatine hydrochloride provide a maximum daily amount of 3 g/day of creatine and are acceptable from the standpoint of their safety in use as food supplements for a healthy adult population.