268: Should I Let My Teen Take Supplements?

About this episode

Dr. Lisa Damour discusses the complexities of teen athletes taking supplements and how parents can navigate this issue.

Creatine for teens, supplements for teen athletes, and navigating gym culture pressure on social media… Dr. Lisa Damour answers the question parents of teen athletes are searching for. Your teen's teammate is taking creatine. Now your kid wants it too. Maybe they're a serious athlete with real goals. Maybe you even take supplements yourself. But something still feels… off. This is genuinely a hard call, and you deserve expert guidance on how to start this conversation with your kid. In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and journalist Reena Ninan dig into one of the fastest-growing pressure points for teen athletes: supplements. From creatine to protein powder to "pre-workout," teens (especially boys) are being flooded with messages about muscle, performance, and products — all through social media, influencers, and even their own teammates. And most of them aren't asking their parents before they start taking them. Dr. Lisa walks you through exactly how to think about this, how to talk about it with your teen, and where to draw the line. 💡 YOU'LL LEARN: - What should always come before a "yes" or "no" to any supplement - How to find out what's really driving…

People in this episode

Hosts: Dr. Lisa Damour, Reena Ninan

Topics covered

• teen supplements
• athlete nutrition
• parenting advice
• social media pressure
• body image
• peer pressure

Keywords

• teen athletes
• supplements
• creatine
• parenting
• gym culture
• social media
• body image

Mentioned in this episode

Products: creatine, protein powder, pre-workout

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