Crazy for Creatine

Everyone from Mark McGwire to kiddie jocks is using this muscle builder. But is it safe?

Muscles are back in style. Just pass by any magazine stand, and you'll notice the explosion of fitness magazines. Shiny, muscle-bound men and women smile at you while gigantic veins course under their tanned, oiled skin. If you're old enough to remember the 1980s television character the Incredible Hulk, played by Lou Ferrigno, you'll be as amazed as I am that these days almost any guy seems able to develop a body as brawny as his. Welcome to the world of unregulated muscle-building supplements, where creatine is king.

Creatine--more accurately, creatine monohydrate--is one of the country's most popular nutritional supplements. Almost...

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