Creatine may have played role in Jonah Lomu’s death, claims former All Black team-mate

It is alleged that the supplement could have exacerbated the kidney condition which killed the All Black hero.

A former team-mate of New Zealand legend Jonah Lomu has claimed that use of the supplement creatine could be responsible for the medical problems which resulted in Lomu's death and his own need for a kidney transplant. Joeli Vidiri, who played opposite Lomu on the wing for Auckland and won two caps for New Zealand, was also diagnosed with the rare condition known as nephrotic syndrome. Lomu died late last year aged just 40 from a heart attack that was almost certainly the result of his kidney problems, which necessitated a transplant in 2004. Vidiri underwent his own transplant nearly a year ago and insists that regular and sustained use of creatine, a widely used supplement which enhances muscle growth, is partly to blame for both players' illness. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Vidiri said Lomu continued to use creatine even after his initial diagnosis in 1995. "Lots of people have been telling me about creatine and it does make you wonder," Vidiri, now 42, said. “I would be happy if somebody came through with a study to help with that – and to help the young people who are taking it now. “We need to know what are the side effects of taking it. I would love to know that because we can advise the young people about the right way to go. “We used to be given a really big container of it [creatine] every few months. Instructions were written on the back and we would take the container away with us. “We used to mix it with water and it would puff you up. I can’t remember how much we would take anymore. We took it before we trained and after too. "Jonah would take it too, though maybe not as much, because he was already on the drugs for his kidney condition. We took it from 1997 onwards. We used to have a corner in the dressing room where we'd sit together. “For the Blues, you had to perform to be in the starting line-up the next week. The supplements were part of that because you wanted to get stronger. The game was getting tougher and faster. You wanted something to help you improve in your rugby career. “I stopped taking creatine when we started to get worried about what it was doing to us. As soon as there were rumours about it, I stopped.” The paper also spoke to medical experts who confirmed a possible link between creatine and the kidney disease. Prof Philip Kalra, of Salford Royal Hospital, said: “There is no evidence that creatine hampers kidney function in a healthy patient. "However, it could accelerate the loss of nephrons – the units that filter blood - in someone with a pre-existing condition. Excess creatine use can definitely exacerbate pre-existing kidney conditions.” However, former All Black doctor John Mayhew denied Lomu took creatine, claiming: “We knew he had a renal impairment for most of his career, so he definitely wasn’t taking it. It is not a banned substance, but as a rule of thumb I advise anyone with kidney problems not to take it.”