Johan Lomu latest: Former New Zealand team-mate believes creatine use may be behind kidney disease that led to death
Lomu died last November from a heart attack caused by a rare kidney disease that his former New Zealand and Auckland team-mate, Joeli Vidiri, believes may have been caused by the use of creatine
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
A former team-mate of Jonah Lomu believes the late All Black’s death may have been caused by the supplement creatine that was introduced during the 1990s, years before the New Zealand rugby player was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease.
Lomu, who died at the age of 40 in November last year, was diagnosed with a rare kidney condition that affects just three out of 100,000 of the population. The wing required a kidney transplant in 2004, only for his body to reject the new organ seven years later and his fatal heart attack last year is believed to have been linked to the kidney disease.
His former Auckland Blues and New Zealand team-mate, Joeli Vidiri, has now claimed that the use of the legal supplement creatine could be behind the rare kidney disease that he was also diagnosed with.
42-year-old Vidiri, like Lomu, played on the wing and won two caps for the All Blacks, before being diagnosed with the condition in 2001. He underwent a kidney transplant in May last year.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Vidiri said: “We were in our prime and enjoying ourselves, and you ask, ‘why us?’
“It’s a question we can’t answer for sure. Lots of people have been telling me about creatine and it does make you wonder.
“I would be happy if somebody came through with a study to help with that – and to help the young people who are taking it now.
“We need to know what are the side effects of taking it. I would love to know that because we can advise the young people about the right way to go.”
Creatine is widely available on the supplement market today and used commonly by sportsman and gym users, given it’s a natural substance found in the body that helps grow muscle.
Vidiri admitted that the Auckland side took creatine before and after training and that Lomu continued to use it after being diagnosed with the condition, although he did take less of it due to the other drugs he was required to take on medical advice.
However, Lomu’s personal GP and All Blacks’ team doctor, Dr John Mayhew, denies that Lomu ever took creatine given his kidney problems.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments