Q: I’m 16 and I’ve been reading up on taking supplements. My dad says he thinks I should wait, because it might affect my growth or do something to my normal hormones and development. I’m not talking about taking steroids, just supplements to help me in the gym and with football. My parents want me to ask an expert on the subject since our family doctor didn’t know the answer. What’s okay for a guy my age to take. I’ve been training for the past 6 months in preparation for my football season. Here’s what I want to take:

Whey protein

GNC Men Sport vitamins

Creatine Monohydrate

Are these okay?

A: We think that the first two are totally fine and really, if you are athletic at any age, taking additional protein, within reason, and vitamins is something you can definitely do and it will help support your activities. Creatine is something you can take, but we suggest CEE - Creatine Ethyl Ester. It has fewer side effects and you can use less because your body uses it more efficiently. You didn’t mention your size and how developed you are, but no matter, these are totally fine for you to take. Read up on creatine loading and maintenance phases, because it’s important. Google it and you’ll come up with some good options for yourself. The main thing is to get ample calories at your age, and good clean food that isn’t laden with lots of fat, oils, sugars, or too much sodium. We also suggest that you take some other supplements such as EFA’s (essential fatty acids) like flax oil or fish oil.

You can also take L-Glutamine for recovery from difficult training sessions or football practices. If high schools still do “daily doubles” in late summer/ early fall, it’s probably the best thing you could take: Creatine and whey pre-workout, and glutamine post workout.

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