Creatine, Caffeine and Pre-Workout for Youth Athletes: What Parents Need to Know

If you have a young athlete, you have probably had a supplement conversation at some point—or you’re going to.

Maybe your son comes home from football practice asking about creatine. Perhaps your daughter sees teammates drinking pre-workout before lifting. Maybe an older athlete tells your teenager that caffeine will help them compete better. Or perhaps you discover that your athlete has been buying energy drinks on the way to practice because they are tired.

For many parents, the immediate reaction is understandable:

Is this safe? Does my kid actually need it? And how am I supposed to know what they’re taking when I’m not around?

Those are good questions.

The supplement conversation has also become considerably more complicated. Young athletes have easier access to products than previous generations did, and social media has made performance and body-composition supplements part of the everyday sports conversation. The American Academy of Pediatrics identifies protein supplements, creatine and caffeine among the performance-enhancing substances most commonly used by adolescents.

That doesn’t mean every supplement is dangerous, and it doesn’t mean every young athlete who uses one is making a poor decision.

It does mean parents need to understand the difference between something that may have a legitimate use, something an athlete doesn’t really need, and something that creates unnecessary risk.

For most young athletes, the foundation remains remarkably simple: adequate food, carbohydrate, protein, hydration, training and recovery. The AAP notes that most adolescent athletes will not see significant performance improvements from performance-enhancing substances beyond what can be achieved through appropriate nutrition and training.

That is where the conversation should begin.

Do Youth Athletes Need Supplements?

Most don’t.

That answer may sound overly simple, but it is important because supplements are often introduced as though they are the missing piece between an athlete’s current performance and the next level.

A teenager who isn’t eating enough during a demanding training week does not need a better pre-workout. A soccer player who regularly skips breakfast does not need caffeine to get through morning training. A basketball player who isn’t recovering between practices probably needs more food and sleep before they need another powder.

The basics are not glamorous, but they are where the biggest opportunities usually exist.

Once those pieces are in place, the conversation can become more specific. That’s where creatine, caffeine and other performance supplements require a little more nuance.

Is Creatine Safe for Teen Athletes?

Creatine is one of the most extensively studied performance supplements available. Creatine monohydrate increases muscle creatine stores and can support activities that rely heavily on short bursts of high-intensity effort, including strength and power training.

That does not mean every adolescent athlete should take it.

The American Academy of Pediatrics remains cautious about creatine use in young athletes because the pediatric evidence base is much smaller than the adult literature. Its clinical report notes that creatine has not been specifically evaluated enough in the pediatric population to establish the same level of confidence we have in adults.

There is another perspective worth understanding.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition has concluded that creatine monohydrate can be considered for younger athletes in certain circumstances, particularly when they are participating in serious, supervised training, consuming an appropriate diet and using the supplement correctly.

In other words, “your athlete doesn’t need creatine” is not the same statement as “creatine is inherently dangerous for teenagers.”

That distinction matters.

For a young athlete, I would want to know why creatine is being considered in the first place. Is the athlete involved in serious strength or power training? Is their overall nutrition adequate? Are they working with someone who understands sports nutrition? Does the athlete understand what creatine does and what it does not do?

Creatine isn’t a shortcut around good training.

It isn’t a substitute for adequate food.

And it certainly isn’t a magic muscle-building powder.

For some athletes, it may be a useful tool. For many others, there are more important things to address first.

Does Creatine Make Teenagers Gain Weight?

This is another question parents frequently have.

Creatine can increase body mass, particularly when an athlete first begins supplementation, because increased creatine storage is accompanied by an increase in intracellular water. That is not the same thing as gaining body fat.

For sports where body weight matters, however, even normal changes in body mass deserve some context.

A young athlete shouldn’t be experimenting with creatine because they are trying to change their body as quickly as possible. That is especially true when body image, weight concerns or pressure to look more muscular are already part of the picture.

The supplement should never become more important than the athlete.

Is Caffeine Safe for Youth Athletes?

Caffeine is different from creatine because its effects are immediate.

It stimulates the central nervous system, increases alertness and can reduce the perception of effort. Research in adults has demonstrated performance benefits in several types of exercise, although responses vary considerably between individuals. The evidence in children and adolescents is much more limited.

For a young athlete, the biggest issue may not be whether caffeine can improve performance.

It may be what caffeine does to the rest of the athlete’s day.

Sleep is one example.

A teenager who is exhausted before practice may reach for caffeine because it helps them feel more alert. If that caffeine makes it harder to fall asleep later, the athlete may recover less effectively. The next day they are tired again, so they use more caffeine.

Over time, caffeine can become part of a cycle that masks fatigue instead of addressing it.

High doses can also cause jitteriness, anxiety, headaches, GI symptoms, increased heart rate and sleep disruption. Energy drinks create additional concern because athletes may consume large amounts quickly or combine them with other caffeinated products.

How Much Caffeine Is Too Much for a Teen Athlete?

There isn’t a simple performance-enhancing dose that parents should use as a target for their teenager.

Adult sports-nutrition research often examines caffeine doses in the range of 3–6 mg/kg, with some evidence of benefit at lower doses. Those studies should not simply be translated into a recommendation for adolescents. The AAP specifically notes that caffeine’s performance effects have not been adequately studied in children and adolescents.

For parents, a more useful starting point is to look at the total caffeine exposure rather than focusing on one product.

Coffee before school.

An energy drink in the afternoon.

Pre-workout before lifting.

A caffeinated gel during competition.

Individually, each product may seem reasonable. Together, they can create a very different caffeine load.

Is Caffeine Banned by the NCAA?

This is an important conversation for athletes who hope to compete in college.

The NCAA currently lists caffeine and sources of caffeine among its banned stimulants. A urinary concentration threshold applies to caffeine testing, so athletes need to understand that NCAA rules are not simply a matter of whether caffeine is legal to purchase or consume.

The NCAA also emphasizes that there are no NCAA-approved dietary supplements. Student-athletes are responsible for checking medications and supplements with the appropriate athletics staff before using them, and the organization warns that supplements may contain banned substances that are not listed on the label.

That distinction is important for high-school athletes who are beginning to think about college sports.

The lesson shouldn’t be, “You can’t have caffeine.”

It should be, “If you’re pursuing NCAA athletics, you need to understand the rules surrounding what you put into your body.”

Those are very different messages.

What About Pre-Workout for High School Athletes?

Pre-workout deserves a little more scrutiny because it isn’t a single ingredient.

One product might contain caffeine, creatine and beta-alanine. Another may include several stimulants, amino acids or herbal ingredients. Some products use proprietary blends, which can make it difficult for consumers to determine exactly how much of each ingredient they’re getting.

That becomes especially relevant when a young athlete is already consuming caffeine elsewhere.

A teenager may not think of coffee, an energy drink and pre-workout as three sources of the same stimulant. Their body does.

The concern with pre-workout isn’t that every product is inherently dangerous. The problem is that the athlete may not know exactly what they’re taking or how those ingredients interact with everything else they’re consuming.

There is another issue parents need to understand: dietary supplements are not regulated in the same way medications are. The FDA does not pre-approve supplements for safety and effectiveness before they reach the market, and the AAP has highlighted concerns about contamination and inaccurate labeling.

That matters even more for competitive athletes.

A product purchased legally online or at a supplement store can still create a problem if it contains a prohibited ingredient.

Are Pre-Workout Supplements Dangerous for Teenagers?

Not every pre-workout will cause harm, but that doesn’t make pre-workout a good choice for a young athlete.

The risk depends on the product, the ingredients, the dose, the athlete’s individual response and what else they are consuming.

For that reason, I am much more interested in the specific product and the reason for using it than I am in whether something is simply labeled “pre-workout.”

If an athlete wants to use a product because they are exhausted before training, I would want to understand why they are exhausted.

However, if they are using it because they believe they cannot train without it, that’s another conversation.

Are they are taking it because a teammate handed them a scoop and told them it works? I have even more questions.

The product itself is only part of the story.

Should Parents Be Checking Their Athlete’s Supplements?

Yes.

But there is a difference between being informed and being controlling.

Parents don’t need to conduct a supplement search every time their teenager eats a protein bar. What they should know is what products their athlete is using, why they are using them, where the products came from and what ingredients they contain.

A few simple questions can open the conversation:

What does this product do?

Why do you think you need it?

Who recommended it?

How much are you taking?

How much caffeine does it contain?

What else have you had today that contains caffeine?

Is the product third-party tested?

Would this be permitted if you were competing in college?

Those questions are much more useful than simply saying, “Supplements are bad.”

They also give parents an opportunity to teach an important skill: how to evaluate information.

Because the source matters.

A recommendation from a sports dietitian, physician or qualified athletic trainer deserves a different level of consideration than a recommendation from a teammate, influencer or random fitness account.

What Should Athletes Know About Third-Party Testing?

Third-party testing doesn’t make a supplement necessary or guarantee that it will improve performance.

It does provide another layer of quality assurance.

Programs such as NSF Certified for Sport test products for substances prohibited by major sporting organizations and evaluate products against their certification standards.

For an athlete who is competing under drug-testing rules, choosing a third-party tested product can reduce—but cannot completely eliminate—the risk associated with contaminated supplements.

The NCAA makes this point clearly: even third-party tested products cannot eliminate all risk, and student-athletes ultimately assume responsibility for what they consume.

That is why an athlete headed toward collegiate competition should develop the habit of checking supplements with their athletics department or qualified sports nutrition professional before taking them.

What Happens When Parents Aren’t Around?

This may actually be the most important part of the conversation.

A parent can control what comes into the kitchen.

But you cannot always control what a teammate brings into the locker room.

You can’t monitor every stop at a gas station.

Or see everything their athlete orders online.

And eventually, they won’t be there at all.

That is not a reason to become more controlling. It’s a reason to start teaching better decision-making while you still have the opportunity.

I want young athletes to understand that a product being legal does not automatically make it appropriate. “Natural” doesn’t automatically mean safe. A product being popular doesn’t mean it works. And a supplement label doesn’t tell the whole story if the athlete doesn’t understand the ingredients or the possibility of contamination.

Most importantly, an athlete should know that they can say no when someone offers them something they don’t understand.

They don’t need to take a scoop just because everyone else is.

They don’t need to prove they’re serious about their sport by using supplements.

And they don’t need to be embarrassed about asking questions.

The Bottom Line for Parents

The goal isn’t to raise athletes who are afraid of supplements.

It’s also not to raise athletes who believe every supplement marketed to them is necessary for performance.

The goal is somewhere in between.

Young athletes need to understand what they’re taking, why they’re taking it and what the potential consequences are. Parents can help by staying involved in the conversation without turning every supplement discussion into a battle.

For most young athletes, nutrition, training, hydration, sleep and recovery will continue to provide the biggest performance return.

Creatine may have a place for some athletes.

Caffeine has legitimate performance applications, but deserves particular caution in adolescents and attention to NCAA rules.

Pre-workout products require the most scrutiny because of their variable ingredients, stimulant combinations and potential contamination.

And as athletes become more independent, the most valuable thing we can give them may not be a list of approved or prohibited products.

It may be the ability to stop and ask:

What is this? Why am I taking it? How much am I getting? And do I actually need it?

Because eventually, your athlete will be standing in a locker room without you.

When that happens, I’d rather have them know how to think than simply know what Mom or Dad said not to take.

Sources & Further Reading

• American Academy of Pediatrics. Use of Performance-Enhancing Substances. Reaffirmed with reference and data updates, August 2025.
• American Academy of Pediatrics. Performance-Enhancing Supplements: Care of the Young Athlete.
• NCAA. Banned Substances and Nutritional/Dietary Supplement Warning.
• American Academy of Pediatrics. Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents.

If you want to discuss a customized performance nutrition program and supplement recommendations for your athlete, Click HERE for a Free Strategy Call.