Top NBA hopeful Darryn Peterson said a popular supplement left him with debilitating symptoms that sidelined his game and made him fear for his life.
Peterson, 19, recalled being rushed to the hospital with extremely painful cramps during a workout last fall.
“I made it to the training room and just started begging them to call 911,” he told ESPN this week.
The pain was so acute that Peterson thought he might never recover.
“I thought I was going to die on the training table that day,” he said.
Doctors initially believed Peterson was suffering from severe dehydration; however, bloodwork revealed that the source of his mysterious cramping was dangerously high levels of creatine.
Creatine, a naturally occurring compound derived from amino acids, is believed to support muscular energy production, performance and recovery.
Our bodies produce creatine, but synthetic supplementation has also become popular in the health and wellness space.
“I’d never taken it before,” Peterson told ESPN. “But after the season, I took two weeks off, and they did tests which showed my baseline level was already high.”
Peterson underwent a “loading” protocol with creatine, using a high initial dose to saturate muscles and maximize benefit.
“It must’ve made the levels unsafe,” he speculated.
Peterson told the outlet he’s stopped taking “a creatine supplement” in his training for the NBA Combine and is feeling more like himself now that he knows why he had such a bumpy year.
How risky is creatine?
While Peterson’s experience was disturbing, experts maintain that adverse creatine reactions are rare.
“Millions of people take creatine without experiencing anything remotely like this. Current research generally supports creatine’s safety profile in healthy individuals when used correctly,” Noelle Diamond, a registered dietitian and co-founder of NDA Medical Spa, told The Post.
“Darryn’s experience should not necessarily scare the average person away from creatine, but it should remind people that symptoms like severe cramping, dizziness, dark urine, vomiting or weakness should never be ignored,” she added
Her opinion is echoed by Ashley Kitchens, a vegan registered dietitian with Plant Centered Nutrition.
“The average person taking creatine is highly unlikely to experience anything like this,” she told The Post, noting that Peterson’s approach to supplementation, rather than the supplement itself, could be to blame for his adverse reaction.
“He had never taken creatine before and jumped straight into a loading dose, which made his situation dangerous.”
Who should be taking creatine?
Diamond and Kitchens believe creatine is generally suitable for healthy adults.
“Creatine can be beneficial for athletes involved in high-intensity training, strength sports, sprint-based activity and even adults looking to preserve muscle mass and cognitive function as they age,” said Diamond.
She highlighted perimenopausal and menopausal women as an ideal creatine demographic since maintaining lean muscle becomes increasingly critical for metabolic and hormonal health as women age.
“I also emphasize its place when treating patients on GLP-1 medications, where the preservation of lean body mass is paramount,” she added.
Men and women respond to the compound differently, as women tend to have lower natural creatine stores and therefore, may respond better to supplementation.
Those with lower baseline levels, such as older adults, may also experience greater improvements in memory, mood, processing speed and muscle mass.
But Diamond notes that not everyone needs or should take creatine.
“I would be cautious with creatine in individuals with underlying kidney disease, a history of rhabdomyolysis, severe dehydration issues, unexplained muscle cramping or certain metabolic disorders,” she said.
In addition, pregnant or breastfeeding women, those with liver disease, children and those with uncontrolled high blood pressure are discouraged from taking creatine.
How much creatine should you be taking?
Both experts recommend a daily dose of creatine between 3 and 5 grams.
Research indicates that consuming creatine immediately after a workout is more effective than taking it pre-workout.
“For athletes, 5g of creatine daily is the standard recommendation. Loading phases, where you take higher amounts of creatine to saturate your muscles faster, are what got Darryn into trouble. Taking creatine consistently at 3-5g per day is going to get you to the same place without the risk,” said Kitchens.
Diamond, who takes 5 grams of creatine, cautions that most people do not need a “loading” phase like Peterson’s when starting the supplement.
“The traditional ‘loading protocol’ of 20 grams daily for several days can increase the likelihood of bloating, GI distress or dehydration,” she explained. “For competitive athletes, dosing may vary based on body size and training demands, but more is not always better. “
Kitchens strongly discourages loading and recommends that creatine-curious individuals have their baseline levels measured via a blood test before beginning supplementation.
“Darryn’s doctors determined his natural baseline creatinine level was already elevated before starting creatine. When Darryn took loading doses of creatine, it likely put his levels into an elevated and unsafe range,” she said.
Diamond believes Peterson’s story illuminates an important truth: supplements are not one-size-fits-all — and dosing needs to be properly managed.
Kitchens agrees.
“This is not a story about creatine being dangerous,” she said, noting that when used appropriately, creatine is a safe supplement.
“The main takeaway is get your baseline labs tested, skip the loading phase, take 3-5g daily and make sure you drink plenty of water.”
