The Use of Creatine in the World of Athletics
             What does it take to be the best in athletics? Some people say determination and heart will get you to the top. That is partly true, but those two qualities can only take you so far. In order be the best you need skill and raw athletic ability. Skill is something that can be obtained by constant practice and a relentless worth ethic, but athletic ability is different. Athletic ability is determined by speed, strength, power and explosiveness. These traits are ones that cannot always be obtained by hard work; sometimes it takes a little more. In this case, some athletes turn to performance enhancing drugs to give their bodies "that edge" to perform beyond their natural capabilities, and thus rise above the competition. To be the best in the world of sports, you must beat the best, but the price of winning is high. Serious athletes will do whatever it takes to defeat their opponent, even if it means putting their bodies at a health risk.
             It has been known for years that anabolic steroids are detrimental to the body; therefore, every major sports governing body in the world has outlawed the use of them. But today, with new technology, there are performance-enhancing drugs on the market that are perfectly legal. Creatine monohydrate exploded onto the world scene following the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. Linford Christie, a 32 year-old sprinter from Great Britain, used creatine monohydrate as a dietary supplement to give him the competitive edge over the younger competition and win the title of "World's Fastest Man." One might ask how a 32 year-old man, supposedly out of his physical prime, can beat the fastest, most explosive athletes in the world to the finish line. Mr. Christie had a secret weapon that the other competitors did not have, creatine monohydrate. However, a risk of unknown long term effects on the body comes with taking th...