American golfer Ben Griffin got the shakes at the BMW Championship – though it wasn’t necessarily because of nerves, but rather due to swallowing a “large rock” of creatine.
World No. 17 Griffin said that he “started getting super shaky” and “felt like I had tremors” on Sunday after accidentally swallowing a large amount of the supplement.
Creatine “contributes to rapid energy production and may enhance power or speed bursts requiring short periods of anaerobic activity,” according to Harvard Health, and usage of the supplement is common among gym enthusiasts as there is evidence it “can hasten muscle recovery after strenuous exercise.”
“The problem was, I have a tub and I was basically down to the very end, and I just had this rock of creatine that was all built up together,” Griffin told CNN Sports.
“And I’m literally in the locker room chopping it up and putting it in the water, and it’s not really dissolving … because the creatine was all blocked up, I wasn’t really drinking it.
“And then I took a swig and it was basically just a couple of blobs, and I just swallowed it. Then … I feel my body start to act a little weird and, honestly, it felt like I had tremors.”
Griffin said that he usually takes 15mg of the supplement daily, but on this occasion, he estimates he accidentally ingested that amount at one time.
“I hadn’t felt like that on a golf course, never, ever,” Griffin added. “And I just remember putting – then obviously anxiety – like, what’s going on?”
The golfer said that his caddie intervened by making him drink water and calming him down.
Griffin was six over par for the first three holes – carding a triple-bogey, double-bogey and bogey – and the golfer thought about withdrawing from the tournament, but after that, he said the physical effects started to wear off. He then made seven birdies and signed for a one-under 69, finishing tied for 12th in an impressive comeback.
He said he is now “doing great.”
“I was doing great 10 minutes after I just had a little period there, where I didn’t really know what was going on,” Griffin said.
“I wasn’t feeling good in the moment, and didn’t execute very well. Then I felt great and went about my day and played really good, and, you know, never gave up.”
The golfer said he will be limiting his intake of the supplement in future, calling the events of the day a “pretty crazy story.”
“I don’t think I’ll be taking too much creatine in the future,” Griffin said. “I will take it, but not in the amount that I probably did on the golf course, which wasn’t probably a healthy amount.”
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
