Use of oral creatine as an ergogenic aid for increased sports performance: perceptions of adolescent athletes.

BACKGROUND: Competitive athletes, including adolescents, seek ways to gain advantage over competitors. One ergogenic aid is creatine, a naturally occurring nitrogen compound found primarily in skeletal muscle. Increasing creatine levels may prolong skeletal muscle activity, enhancing work output. METHODS: A questionnaire assessing awareness and use of creatine supplementation was completed by 674 athletes from 11 high schools. Data were statistically analyzed to determine variation among groups. RESULTS: Of those surveyed, 75% had knowledge of creatine supplements, and 16% used creatine to enhance athletic performance. Percentage of use increased with age and grade level. Awareness and use were greater among boys than girls. Adverse effects were reported by 26%. Most athletes consumed creatine using a method inconsistent with scientific recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Use of creatine by adolescent athletes is significant and inconsistent with optimal dosing. Physicians, athletic trainers, and coaches should disseminate proper information and advise these adolescent athletes.

Phenytoin malabsorption after jejunostomy tube delivery.

The literature supports interactions between phenytoin and both enteral feeding products and nasogastric feeding tubes; however, no published reports exist regarding the interaction of phenytoin with jejunostomy feedings. A 29-year-old woman with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and a history of seizures was treated with intravenous phenytoin, which yielded detectable therapeutic serum concentrations. After switching to a comparable phenytoin suspension administered by jejunostomy tube, her serum phenytoin concentrations fell to below assay sensitivity concentrations. This drop, nearly 100%, was the greatest that we found reported in the literature. Distal placement of the jejunostomy tube within the small bowel may augment potential phenytoin-tube-enteral product interactions. In addition, the possible decrease in gastrointestinal transit time because of anatomic placement may not allow for adequate drug absorption. Decreased phenytoin bioavailability may become more common with increased use of supplemental feeding tubes.