Joeli Vidiri, the former New Zealand wing, has claimed that Jonah Lomu’s use of creatine could have contributed to his health problems and his death in November at the age of 40.
Lomu and Vidiri, who were team-mates for the Blues in Auckland and, briefly, for the All Blacks, both suffered from nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney condition. Vidiri has suggested that the use of creatine, a legal supplement that aids muscle growth, could have been responsible for the deterioration in their health.
Lomu had a transplant in 2004, but his new kidney failed seven years later and his condition is thought to have contributed to the heart attack that caused his death. Vidiri, who played for Fiji before winning two caps for the All Blacks in 1998, had nephrotic syndrome diagnosed in 2001 and was given a transplant last year.
Vidiri made the claims in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, saying: “Lots of people have been telling me about creatine and it does make you wonder. We need to know the side- effects. Jonah would take it too, though maybe not as much, because he was on the drugs for his kidney condition.”
John Mayhew, the former New Zealand doctor, denied that Lomu took creatine, saying he advised anyone with kidney problems against using it. “Jonah never took creatine,” he said. “We knew he had a renal impairment, so he definitely wasn’t taking it.”