The International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday again said it would not be adding the controversial drug creatine to its list of banned substances.

The use of creatine, a legal musclebuilding aid taken by many top level athletes, has been the centre of heated debate across the world in recent weeks.

Alexandre de Merode, president of the IOC medical commission, said in Lausanne: "We do not consider creatine as a doping product but more of a nutritional aid."

Use of creatine has been discussed before by the IOC, but they have always come to the same conclusion.