I am very big into bodybuilding and I am trying to find out what supplements are safe to take (creatine, testosterone increasing products, or other steroid alternatives, etc.) and which ones I should never take.

We asked athlete Rick Philbin to answer this question. Here is his reply:
As a person with Type 1 diabetes and having a background in sports medicine/sports nutrition I think supplements are fine as long as you are deficient in a particular nutrient. The problem is that products like creatine may cause stress to vital organs, like your kidneys when they are filtered through. Creatine has shown a benefit in anaerobic events like weightlifting (one study showed ~8%) but at what cost? As you probably know a complication of diabetes is kidney failure and you increase your risk when you add supplements that can cause added stress to the organ.

As far as any steroids or steroid enhancing products the cost/benefit ratio is not good when people with diabetes use them. I would advise you to check out some medical websites such as Anabolic Steroids: Let’s Get the Facts Right.

Pay particular attention to liver problems with steroid use and heart problems too. Approximately 80% of people with diabetes die of heart related issues. No reason to speed up the process.

Rick Philbin, M.Ed., A.T.C., C.S.C.S.
[email protected]

JSH