Creatine

Creatine, chemical name methyl guanidine-acetic acid , is a nitrogenous organic acid naturally occuring in vertebrates that helps to supply energy to muscle cells. Creatine derives from the Greek word kreas (meaning meat) and is a combination of three amino acids - arginine, glycine, and methionine.

Related Topics:
Organic acid - Vertebrate - Muscle - Greek - Meat - Amino acid - Arginine - Glycine - Methionine

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In the muscles, a fraction of the total creatine binds to phosphate - forming creatine phosphate. The reaction is catalysed by creatine kinase, and the result is phosphocreatine (PCr). Phosphocreatine binds with adenosine diphosphate to convert it back to ATP (adenosine triphosphate), an important cellular energy source.

Related Topics:
Creatine kinase - Phosphocreatine - Adenosine diphosphate - Adenosine triphosphate

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In the human body typically half of the creatine comes from food (mainly from meat and fish), while the other half is synthesized from certain amino acids (glycine and arginine) in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. 95% is stored in the skeletal muscles, with the rest in the brain, heart, and testes.

Related Topics:
Meat - Fish - Glycine - Arginine - Liver - Pancreas - Kidneys - Brain - Heart - Testes

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