Teens Turning To Creatine, Not Steroids, For 'Looksmaxxing'

WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — U.S. teens trying to build up their muscles are turning from steroids to creatine supplements, a new study says.

Creatine use rose by 90% among boys and a whopping 168% among girls between 2019-2020 and 2023-2024, researchers report in the August issue of the journal Annals of Epidemiology.

This happened even as steroid use fell by more than half, researchers found.

“What is yet to be determined is whether this will eventually translate into steroid use as they age into young adulthood," said lead author Philip Veliz, a research associate professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Creatine use is likely rising due to “looksmaxxing” and other social media trends that focus on maximizing physical attractiveness, researchers said.

"I did this study given the rise in social media trends that glorify toxic gym culture, along with the rise in 'looksmaxxers,' " Veliz said in a news release.

Creatine is a supplement formed from three other true amino acids – arginine, glycine and methionine, according to Harvard Medical School.

It contributes to rapid energy production and might hasten muscle recovery after strenuous exercise, Harvard says. However, it does not build muscle directly.

For the new study, researchers analyzed data for nearly 875,000 teenagers participating in a regular survey of U.S. eighth-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students.

Overall, past-year creatine use increased from just under 9% to nearly 17% among boys between 2019-2020 and 2023-2024, the study found. Likewise, creatine use rose from roughly 1% to more than 3% among girls during the same period.

At the same time, the study found that past year steroid use declined from around 2% to less than 1% among all survey respondents.

"What surprised me was that steroid use did not increase over the past five years among adolescents," Veliz said. "This is a positive finding, but additional research is needed."

Teen creatine use isn’t necessarily a cause for alarm, he said, but it could mean that some are using supplements to enhance their muscles or performance.

That could potentially lead to riskier behaviors – overconsumption of energy drinks, use of other supplements or trying out steroids.

Looksmaxxing content typically is aimed at boys and men, but such body image pressures affect both boys and girls, Veliz said.

"There is a big emphasis on body image regardless of sex, particularly for girls," he said. 

More information

Harvard Medical School has more on creatine.

SOURCES: University of Michigan, news release, May 14, 2026; Annals of Epidemiology, online, May 4, 2026