Sir, - Your report (The Irish Times, September 9th) on violence at discos says it is suspected that the athletic supplement creatine may contribute to "["]steroid rage". There is no basis for this. Creatine is not a drug but a food, found abundantly in meat and fish. It is legal, widely used, and extremely well studied.
In July this year the EU Scientific Committee on Food reported on creatine, confirming it as effective and raising no special safety concerns. A recent review in the Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association covered 69 scientific studies and references on creatine, not one describing mood changes in conjunction with creatine use.
Young people who want to do well in sport and training may often be pressured into trying illegal steroids (which certainly can lead to rage). We should be grateful that a non-harmful and effective resource such as creatine is available to them instead. - Yours, etc.,
Martin Forde, President, Irish Health Culture Association, Eccles Street,Dublin 7.