Man who overdosed on popular gym supplement gives urgent warning from hospital

With Dry January, January diets, and Veganuary already out of the window for many, 2026 is just another year of proving that some of us might need to work on our willpower.

Still, the start of a new year is the kick up the backside that some need. If not trying 100 pushups, others are pounding the pavement with a daily 5k run or getting in a spin with cycling since Jan 1.

While you might be blown away by your results or taking thing as a bit of a slower pace, there are plenty of supposed 'experts' out there telling you what you should and shouldn't be doing. Whether it's eating before or after, jumpstarting your workout with black coffee, or how to up your protein intake while staying healthy, one of the hardest parts is simply figuring out what works for your body.

The market is saturated with different supplements and protein powders, but as one gym fanatic has delivered a stark warning from his hospital bed, you might want to think again about what you're pumping into yourselves during your pump.

In November 2025, Chris Hogan posted a worrying PSA from his hospital bed on Australia's Gold Coast.

Hogan realized he'd accidentally been overdosing on creatine, which is a common and regularly available supplement that's typically available in powder form.

When not taken as a supplement, creatine is found naturally in the body as a source of energy that helps your muscles flex.

It's said that half of your body's daily creatine (one to two grams) comes from your diet, with protein-rich foods like red meat and seafood, as well as animal milk, being the best sources. The other half is produced in your liver, kidneys, and pancreas, delivering around 95% of your creatine to your skeletal muscles during a workout. The rest goes to the likes of your heart and brain.

Saying he's used his body as a 'human test tube', Hogan told us to always read the label when it comes to taking creatine supplements.

Admitting that 'bro science' is a thing, Hogan suggests he listened to the wrong advice when he upped his creatine dosage from the recommended 3g to 5g a day.

Telling others as a way to avoid his mistake, Hogan explained: "It's been said that you can quadruple that dose if you want to increase your gains or increase your performance in the gym. However, the fine print says for a maximum of seven days."

Hogan confirmed he continued with this upped dosage of a mammoth 20g a day for seven weeks. In terms of what side effects he experienced, Hogan suffered from extreme dehydration, and his skin was dry, despite drinking two liters of water a day.

He ends by reminding us that even if you regularly take creatine at a lower dose, you should be coming off it completely for one week every month. While it looks like he's since recovered, he's adamant that the creatine caused a massive 17-millimeter kidney stone, which required hospitalisation and surgery.

Others in the comments couldn't believe his mistake, with someone else warning: "So glad my GP called me out on this - I had been taking it regularly for about a month and ended up with nausea and diarrhea."

Another added: "Humans: if a little is good for me, a lot must be great! Thank you for this PSA. Hopefully you’re feeling better soon. Godspeed."

A third said: "Can fitspo bros please stop touting their own supplement intake as science, backing up their claims with another fitspo bro? Unless you know how to read the research, and the nuance of nutrition research, stop giving advice online!! The audacity."

Hogan ends by saying that while it's the most-studied supplement on the planet and has a ton of supposed benefits, you still need to be careful and make sure you follow the instructions.