Bryton Reim, a junior at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, is determined to win.

Throughout elementary and middle school, beating competitors in sports had come easily. Back then, Reim had been among his schools' top student athletes, receiving trophies for cross-country, soccer and wrestling.

But high school's different. Competition is no longer just between the neighborhood kids. Opponents show increased strength as they race to compete in state championships.

To keep up with the competition, Reim has turned to creatine supplements.

"I started using creatine to get a competitive edge on the next guy," says Reim, who started using the supplements in January.

And it seemed to work. Within a month, he could bench press 25 additional pounds. Now, he's pressing 200 pounds.

"Making a 5-pound jump is normally a big deal," says Reim, who turns 17 on Saturday.

Creatine supplements, according to WebMD.com, "are believed to enhance muscle mass and help athletes achieve bursts of strength."

However, they haven't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, partially because their long-term effects remain unknown. And so far, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, or WIAA, has no policies on creatine or other over-the-counter supplements.

"We leave that to the local school districts," says Mike Colbrese, executive director of the WIAA. "If a problem arises, we will make a change," he says. But, "We're not hearing anything about creatine."

There are several types of creatine supplements, including creatine monohydrate and creatine ethyl ester. Creatine monohydrate became popular after the 1992 Olympics when The London Times reported Olympic gold medal winner Linford Christie used the supplement. Creatine ethyl ester, a newer product, is said to work even faster than its counterparts.

Reim says he used creatine monohydrate for a month before switching to creatine ethyl ester, and he's still using the supplements.

"I had a really good season," he says about winter and spring sports. "Like in wrestling, I lost one match. And, in soccer, I started as a sophomore -- which is a big deal."

Reim says he knows about 20 other student athletes at his school who are also using creatine to boost their physical performance. And he says he plans to keep using the supplements.

He also says he's happy with the results. When he started using creatine, he weighed 138 pounds; now he weighs 149.

His goals for next school year: Make it to state in cross-country and finish in the top eight in the state for wrestling.

"If I didn't feel right I wouldn't have taken it," he says. "It's not that big a deal to me."

But some coaches aren't so sure.

"I don't like supplements," says Reim's wrestling coach, Dan Hanika. "They're a waste of time, and we don't know the long-term effects of them."

Hanika, a wrestling coach for 28 years, encourages teen athletes to "stick with the proven methods, like working out and eating right."

Creatine supplements might affect blood sugar levels and cause dehydration, according to WebMD.com. Other potential problems, according to Healthline.com, include heat-related illness, muscle cramps, reduced blood volume and electrolyte imbalances.

Those are some of the reasons why 16-year-old Brandon Upton, another Kamiak junior, doesn't use creatine supplements -- and doesn't plan to.

"My mom thinks it will mess me up, and my coach doesn't approve of it," he says. "(My coach) tells the team that it's an unfair disadvantage to others."

Chris Pynch, a 19-year-old 2008 graduate of Yakima's Riverside Christian High School, played basketball and soccer in high school. He says he considered taking creatine but ultimately decided against it because, he says, "Creatine is hard on your body."

"I heard it's bad for your liver and in the long run it's better just to keep working out and take protein," he says.

Kamiak's baseball coach, Steve Merkly, says he doesn't see many -- if any -- of his players using creatine. The supplement seems to be more popular among football players and wrestlers, he says.

In Yakima, Sunnyside and Ellensburg, creatine supplements can be purchased at GNC stores. But if student athletes decide to use them, Merkly says, "Make sure you read the label."

* Beth Zainwel is a 16-year-old junior at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Wash. She's the sports editor of her school newspaper, The Gauntlet.