Creatine, or creatine monohydrate [NH2-C(NH)-NCH2(COOH)-CH3], is a naturally occurring amino acid that helps to supply energy to muscle cells. The word derives from the Greek kreas (meat).
Typically, half of the creatine (Cr) in our body comes from the food we eat (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, the rest in the brain, heart and testes.
In the muscles, a fraction of the total creatine binds to 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.
Search more about Creatine
