The impact of creatine supplementation on renal function: A case report and literature review

Creatine supplementation is one of the most widely used dietary supplements worldwide, yet its potential adverse effects on kidney function remain a concern. We report a case of a 25-year-old man who presented with symptoms of left renal colic and exhibited a temporary elevation in serum creatinine...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Antonio Villa, Lucia Trotta, Giovanni Faraci
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: International Network for the Advancement of Medicine, Psychology, and Public Health (INAMPPH) 2025-04-01
Series:Advances in Medicine, Psychology, and Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ampphealthjournal-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AMPPH_2025_131_135.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846113970759401472
author Antonio Villa
Lucia Trotta
Giovanni Faraci
author_facet Antonio Villa
Lucia Trotta
Giovanni Faraci
author_sort Antonio Villa
collection DOAJ
description Creatine supplementation is one of the most widely used dietary supplements worldwide, yet its potential adverse effects on kidney function remain a concern. We report a case of a 25-year-old man who presented with symptoms of left renal colic and exhibited a temporary elevation in serum creatinine levels following oral intake of 10 grams of creatine. Laboratory tests showed elevated serum creatinine (2.12 mg/dL) and urea (45 mg/dL), with an estimated creatinine clearance of 60.3 ml/min. After analgesic and antispastic treatment, the patient's symptoms resolved, and subsequent follow-up indicated normalization of renal function parameters. While several longitudinal, controlled studies on the adverse effects of exogenous creatine supplementation have been published, no evidence of kidney function deterioration has been observed in healthy subjects. Creatine supplementation can alter serum creatinine levels, potentially serving as a false indicator of kidney injury. In this case, we believe the observed increase in creatinine levels was a transient effect of exogenous creatine intake without any actual impairment of renal function.
format Article
id doaj-art-eba06ec4250944028be2a8946a2b0917
institution Kabale University
issn 3034-8803
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher International Network for the Advancement of Medicine, Psychology, and Public Health (INAMPPH)
record_format Article
series Advances in Medicine, Psychology, and Public Health
spelling doaj-art-eba06ec4250944028be2a8946a2b09172024-12-20T23:14:40ZengInternational Network for the Advancement of Medicine, Psychology, and Public Health (INAMPPH)Advances in Medicine, Psychology, and Public Health3034-88032025-04-012213113510.5281/zenodo.13239893The impact of creatine supplementation on renal function: A case report and literature reviewAntonio Villa0https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1634-6978Lucia Trotta1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4130-5519Giovanni Faraci2https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3725-4580Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Milan; Internal Medicine Department, ItalyFatebenefratelli Hospital, Milan; Internal Medicine Department, ItalyFatebenefratelli Hospital, Milan; Internal Medicine Department, ItalyCreatine supplementation is one of the most widely used dietary supplements worldwide, yet its potential adverse effects on kidney function remain a concern. We report a case of a 25-year-old man who presented with symptoms of left renal colic and exhibited a temporary elevation in serum creatinine levels following oral intake of 10 grams of creatine. Laboratory tests showed elevated serum creatinine (2.12 mg/dL) and urea (45 mg/dL), with an estimated creatinine clearance of 60.3 ml/min. After analgesic and antispastic treatment, the patient's symptoms resolved, and subsequent follow-up indicated normalization of renal function parameters. While several longitudinal, controlled studies on the adverse effects of exogenous creatine supplementation have been published, no evidence of kidney function deterioration has been observed in healthy subjects. Creatine supplementation can alter serum creatinine levels, potentially serving as a false indicator of kidney injury. In this case, we believe the observed increase in creatinine levels was a transient effect of exogenous creatine intake without any actual impairment of renal function. https://ampphealthjournal-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AMPPH_2025_131_135.pdfadverse effectscreatinedietary supplementskidney diseaserenal function
spellingShingle Antonio Villa
Lucia Trotta
Giovanni Faraci
The impact of creatine supplementation on renal function: A case report and literature review
Advances in Medicine, Psychology, and Public Health
adverse effects
creatine
dietary supplements
kidney disease
renal function
title The impact of creatine supplementation on renal function: A case report and literature review
title_full The impact of creatine supplementation on renal function: A case report and literature review
title_fullStr The impact of creatine supplementation on renal function: A case report and literature review
title_full_unstemmed The impact of creatine supplementation on renal function: A case report and literature review
title_short The impact of creatine supplementation on renal function: A case report and literature review
title_sort impact of creatine supplementation on renal function a case report and literature review
topic adverse effects
creatine
dietary supplements
kidney disease
renal function
url https://ampphealthjournal-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AMPPH_2025_131_135.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT antoniovilla theimpactofcreatinesupplementationonrenalfunctionacasereportandliteraturereview
AT luciatrotta theimpactofcreatinesupplementationonrenalfunctionacasereportandliteraturereview
AT giovannifaraci theimpactofcreatinesupplementationonrenalfunctionacasereportandliteraturereview
AT antoniovilla impactofcreatinesupplementationonrenalfunctionacasereportandliteraturereview
AT luciatrotta impactofcreatinesupplementationonrenalfunctionacasereportandliteraturereview
AT giovannifaraci impactofcreatinesupplementationonrenalfunctionacasereportandliteraturereview