Breiden Fehoko has sparked a fresh round of debate online after blasting creatine and pre-workout supplements, claiming they can leave athletes more vulnerable to soft-tissue injuries.
The former NFL defensive lineman first set off the conversation in a post on X, where he said creatine makes muscles look like “an inflated balloon” without giving them the kind of structural support needed for the grind of sports. He doubled down the next day, saying NFL players had already been in touch after his initial warning.
“All these creatine truthers are mad they’ve been supplementing it and still look like they did since their middle school dance,” Fehoko posted. “To all the NFL guys who reached out today, I’m glad I woke you guys up.
Stop believing these trainers who don’t know a lick about how YOUR BODY WORKS. Imagine a 5’9" 205lb Planet Fitness trainer telling YOU what you NEED in order to prepare your body for car wrecks every Sunday when they ain’t going through it.
“Eat, sleep, repeat. That’s all you need. That’s what our bodies were naturally built to do.”
That’s where Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Phillip Dorsett jumped in. Dorsett pushed back on Fehoko’s claim that NFL players had contacted him, firing off a blunt reply.
“Ain’t nobody reach out to you, lol,” Dorsett wrote.
Fehoko’s stance isn’t new. He has long argued that creatine gives players the look of bigger muscles without preparing them for the physical demands of the game.
The former nose tackle stepped away from professional football in 2025 after being released by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before that, he built a strong college résumé at LSU and was part of the national championship team.
The science cited in the reporting points the other way. A 2017 review from the International Society of Sports Nutrition found creatine monohydrate helps improve high-intensity exercise capacity by supporting the replenishment of ATP, the energy source cells use during hard exertion. A separate 2021 review also found benefits tied to creatine supplementation and training adaptations.
That research cuts against the idea that creatine just makes muscles look bigger while failing to help them function. While creatine does increase water content inside muscle cells, the review noted that this does not mean the tissue becomes structurally weaker. The International Society of Sports Nutrition review also found no evidence that creatine supplementation raises the risk of muscle injuries, dehydration or cramping.
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