Top NBA draft prospect Darryn Peterson has opened up about a frightening medical incident that he believes was linked to a commonly used sports supplement.
The 19-year-old guard said the episode unfolded during an offseason training session last fall, when he suddenly experienced severe and escalating muscle cramps that forced him to stop working out.
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What began as discomfort quickly turned into intense, full-body pain that left him unable to move normally and terrified for his safety.
“I made it to the training room and just started begging them to call 911,” he told ESPN.
“I thought I was going to die on the training table that day.”
Medical staff initially suspected dehydration, a common issue among high-performance athletes undergoing intense conditioning. However, further testing revealed an unexpected complication: extremely elevated creatine levels in his blood.
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound produced by the body and found in foods like meat and fish. It is also widely consumed in supplement form to support strength, power output, and muscle recovery.
Many athletes use it during training cycles, especially in explosive sports like basketball, where short bursts of energy are essential.
Peterson said he had recently started using the supplement for the first time after a short break from training and was following a “loading” approach intended to rapidly increase muscle saturation.
“I’d never taken it before,” Peterson stated. “But after the season, I took two weeks off, and they did tests which showed my baseline level was already high.
“It must’ve made the levels unsafe.”
How creatine use and loading strategies may affect athletes
The loading phase Peterson described involves taking higher-than-normal doses over a short period to quickly maximize muscle stores.
While this method is commonly used in fitness communities, experts note it is not always necessary and may increase the likelihood of side effects in some individuals, particularly those who are new to supplementation.
After the incident, Peterson stopped taking creatine entirely while preparing for NBA Combine evaluations and reported that his training has since stabilized.
Health professionals emphasize that creatine is generally considered safe when used correctly by healthy individuals, and adverse reactions remain uncommon.
Registered dietitian Noelle Diamond explained that millions of users take creatine without experiencing severe complications, and current research continues to support its safety profile when dosed appropriately.
However, she stressed the importance of paying attention to warning signs such as intense cramping, dizziness, nausea, unusually dark urine, or sudden weakness.
Another dietitian, Ashley Kitchens, noted that Peterson’s situation may highlight improper usage rather than a problem with creatine itself, pointing out that beginners often respond better to gradual dosing instead of loading protocols.
Peterson has since recovered and resumed training, saying the experience gave him a new perspective on how carefully athletes must manage even widely accepted supplements.