Is Creatine Banned by the NCAA? What the Rules Actually Say

Creatine and the NCAA at a glance

Two rules people mix up

• Banned means a substance can cause a positive drug test and cost you your eligibility (your right to compete). Creatine is not banned.
• Impermissible to provide means your school may not supply it. Creatine is impermissible to provide in Division I.

Can NCAA athletes take creatine?

Yes, in general. You may buy and use creatine on your own.

The risk is the product, not the ingredient. The NCAA warns that supplements are poorly regulated. A product can be contaminated with a banned substance that is not on the label, and you take it at your own risk. Athletes have tested positive and lost eligibility this way.

So the NCAA tells every athlete to check with their athletics staff before using any supplement. A product labelled "creatine monohydrate" can still contain something that is not on the label.

Is there NCAA approved creatine?

No. The NCAA does not approve any nutritional or dietary supplement. A brand that calls its creatine "NCAA approved" or "NCAA compliant" is making a claim the NCAA does not support.

What the NCAA does say is that third party tested products may be an option, but no product removes the risk completely. If you are drug tested, a creatine certified by a banned substance testing program is the lower risk choice.

Informed Sport, for example, tests every batch of a certified product before it is sold. It asks you to search the batch number printed on the product you hold. Our guides to NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport and BSCG Certified Drug Free explain what each program checks.

Is creatine legal in sports?

Under NCAA rules, yes: creatine is not on the NCAA banned list. For high school sport, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Sports Medicine Advisory Committee calls creatine legal and not banned for competition.

Why can't NCAA schools provide creatine?

A Division I rule, Bylaw 16.5.2.7, lets a school give athletes supplements only to add calories and electrolytes. The products cannot contain anything banned, and each must be one of six types:

• Carbohydrate and electrolyte drinks
• Energy bars
• Carbohydrate boosters
• Protein supplements
• Omega 3 fatty acids
• Vitamins and minerals

Creatine is not on that list, so a Division I school cannot buy it and hand it out. The same goes for any other product outside the six types. The rule was last revised in January 2019.

What counts is the ingredient list, not the name on the front. That is why staff read the whole label.

What about Division II, Division III and high school?

Division II and Division III each have their own manual, with their own rules on what a school may provide. The Division I rule does not automatically apply to them, so ask your compliance office.

High school sport is not run by the NCAA. The NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee groups creatine with caffeine and protein powders: legal, not banned for competition, and possibly helpful for performance.

It also says you should talk about using it with a health care provider who knows the subject, and think about product purity and contamination. Your state association and school may set their own policies, so ask your athletic trainer.

What to check before you take creatine

1. Scan it in Varsity Stack first. Check the barcode or label against our certification database before you buy.
2. Ask your athletics staff. The NCAA makes this your responsibility.
3. Choose a product certified by a banned substance testing program. Check it on the certifier's own website, not only the logo on the product.
4. Match the lot or batch number. A lot (or batch) is one production run. Certification can depend on the exact one, so look up the number printed on your product.
5. Keep a record. Add the product to your stack in Varsity Stack, so you and your staff know what you take. Keep a photo of the lot number too.

The problem for athletic departments

A school can control every product in its fueling station and still know little about what athletes buy for themselves. Creatine is the clearest example: the department cannot supply it, yet many athletes take it.

Without one place to record it, staff may not know which supplements each athlete takes. They may not know whether a product was reviewed, what is in it, or whether the exact lot is certified.

Check a creatine product with Varsity Stack

The easiest way to check a creatine product is the free Varsity Stack app. Scan it before you buy to see if it is certified, then add it to your stack so you and your staff know what you take.

Download the App

For coaches, sports dietitians and athletic trainers: the team dashboard shows every athlete's stack and whether each product is certified, so staff can review what athletes take.

Request access for your program

Varsity Stack does not laboratory test supplements, and certification lowers risk without removing it.