Everything below concerns creatinine. We keep the language plain, cite what the science says, and separate well-supported claims from open questions.
Updated 2026-01-24. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Commercial creatine products appear in several forms, including monohydrate, hydrochloride, citrate, nitrate, and ethyl ester. Creatine monohydrate is the most studied form and serves as a reference material in comparative research. Different forms vary in solubility, pH, and water content, but they share creatine as the active moiety after dissolution. Claims that one form is uniformly superior remain debated, and study designs often differ in population, exercise protocol, and outcome measures. Purity and hydration state are central to interpreting product labels.
Creatine monohydrate is the hydrated form of creatine, a nitrogen-containing organic acid involved in cellular energy transfer. Its molecular formula is C4H11N3O3, and it consists of creatine plus one water molecule in the crystal lattice. The anhydrous base, creatine, has the formula C4H9N3O2. The compound appears as a white, odorless, crystalline powder and is classified as a guanidine derivative. It is distinct from creatinine, a breakdown product measured in clinical chemistry.
In animals, creatine is synthesized mainly in liver, kidney, and pancreas from arginine, glycine, and methionine. The first committed step transfers a guanidino group from arginine to glycine, forming guanidinoacetate. Subsequent methylation by S-adenosylmethionine yields creatine. Dietary sources include meat and fish; endogenous synthesis supplies part of the body pool. Most creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, where it is converted to phosphocreatine and participates in rapid regeneration of adenosine triphosphate during short, intense activity.
Creatine monohydrate is sold as a dietary ingredient in some countries and as a food supplement in others. Regulatory frameworks vary, so purity limits, labeling rules, and permitted claims are not globally uniform. In the United States, it falls under dietary supplement rules, whereas the European Union treats it as a food supplement ingredient. Pharmacopeial monographs, where they exist, can provide public quality standards, but not every product is required to meet them. Questions about long-term effects and patterns of use remain areas of active study rather than settled regulatory findings.
Solid creatine monohydrate is generally stable when kept cool and dry, but it can hydrolyze to creatinine over time. Moisture, heat, and acidic conditions accelerate this conversion, which reduces assay values and changes the material's properties. Creatinine is a cyclic dehydration product that is also a normal human metabolite, so its presence in a sample is not necessarily a health concern by itself. In quality testing, creatinine is monitored as a marker of degradation and purity.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical formula (monohydrate) | C4H11N3O3 | Includes one water molecule per creatine unit. |
| Molecular weight | 149.15 g/mol | Calculated for the monohydrate; anhydrous creatine is 131.13 g/mol. |
| Appearance | White crystalline powder | Odorless; particle size can vary by manufacturing. |
| CAS Registry Number | 6020-87-7 | Identifies creatine monohydrate; creatine base is 57-00-1. |
| Common synonyms | Creatine hydrate; methylguanidoacetic acid monohydrate | Naming varies by registry and supplier. |
Creatine is synthesized endogenously in humans, mainly in the liver, kidney, and pancreas, from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. Skeletal muscle stores much of the body's creatine, where it participates in the phosphocreatine system that buffers adenosine triphosphate during short, intense contractions. Dietary sources include meat and fish, so omnivorous diets provide additional creatine beyond endogenous production. Supplemental creatine monohydrate supplies the same molecule found in food and tissues, not a distinct drug or hormone. Research interest centers on its role in cellular energy transfer and its effects on muscle and other tissues.
Several creatine forms are sold, including monohydrate, anhydrous, hydrochloride, nitrate, citrate, and blends. Once dissolved, these forms deliver creatine, but they differ in molar mass, solubility, counterions, and water content. Creatine monohydrate has the largest body of published human data among these forms. Questions remain about whether any alternative form offers meaningful advantages in absorption, tolerability, or tissue uptake under practical conditions. The hydrate form's lower creatine content by mass is a compositional fact, not a statement about effectiveness.
Creatine monohydrate is a crystalline compound formed when one molecule of creatine associates with one molecule of water in the solid lattice. Its molecular formula is C4H11N3O3, and its molar mass is about 149.15 grams per mole. The material appears as a white, odorless powder that dissolves sparingly in water at room temperature. The monohydrate designation distinguishes it from anhydrous creatine, which lacks the bound water and has a lower molar mass. This hydrate is the most common commercial form of creatine used in nutritional and research settings.
Identity and purity are commonly assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography, often with ultraviolet detection, and by spectroscopic techniques such as infrared or nuclear magnetic resonance. These methods can distinguish creatine from creatinine and detect related impurities. Moisture content may be measured by Karl Fischer titration or loss on drying. Particle size, bulk density, and heavy metal limits are additional quality parameters. Not every product is tested by every method, so specifications depend on the intended use and regulatory framework.
Solid creatine monohydrate is generally stable when kept dry and protected from extremes of heat and humidity. In the presence of moisture, it can gradually convert to creatinine, a cyclic dehydration product that has little value for phosphocreatine synthesis. Elevated temperatures and acidic conditions accelerate this conversion in solution. Because the reaction is slow in cool, dry storage, typical shelf lives are measured in years rather than weeks. Packaging that limits moisture and oxygen exposure helps maintain purity.
=== Pediatric drug testing === Prior to the 1990s, only 20% of all drugs prescribed for children in the United States were tested for safety or efficacy in a pediatric population. This became a major concern of pediatricians as evidence accumulated that the physiological response of children to many drugs differed significantly from those drugs' effects on adults. Children react differently to the drugs because of many reasons, including size, weight, etc. There were several reasons that few medical trials were done with children. For many drugs, children represented such a small proportion of the potential market, that drug manufacturers did not see such testing as cost-effective. Also, the belief that children are ethically restricted in their ability to give informed consent brought increased governmental and institutional hurdles to approval of these clinical trials, and greater concerns about legal liability. Thus, for decades, most medicines prescribed to children in the U.S. were done so in a non-FDA-approved, "off-label" manner, with dosages "extrapolated" from adult data through body weight and body-surface-area calculations. In an initial FDA attempt to address this issue they produced the 1994 FDA Final Rule on Pediatric Labeling and Extrapolation, which allowed manufacturers to add pediatric labeling information, but required drugs that had not been tested for pediatric safety and efficacy to bear a disclaimer to that effect. However, this rule failed to motivate many drug companies to conduct additional pediatric drug trials.
Site-specific recombination makes use of phage integrases instead of restriction enzymes, eliminating the need for having restriction sites in the DNA fragments. Instead, integrases make use of unique attachment (att) sites, and catalyse DNA rearrangement between the target fragment and the destination vector. The Invitrogen Gateway cloning system was invented in the late 1990s and uses two proprietary enzyme mixtures, BP clonase and LR clonase. The BP clonase mix catalyses the recombination between attB and attP sites, generating hybrid attL and attR sites, while the LR clonase mix catalyse the recombination of attL and attR sites to give attB and attP sites. As each enzyme mix recognises only specific att sites, recombination is highly specific and the fragments can be assembled in the desired sequence. Vector design and assembly Because Gateway cloning is a proprietary technology, all Gateway reactions must be carried out with the Gateway kit that is provided by the manufacturer. The reaction can be summarised into two steps. The first step involves assembling the entry clones containing the DNA fragment of interest, while the second step involves inserting this fragment of interest into the destination clone.
Enzymes with this activity include flavanone 7-O-beta-glucosyltransferase, which uses UDP-glucose to transfer the sugar component. Flavanones like naringenin can undergo a rearrangement reaction which converts them first to the unstable hydroxlated isoflavanone, which loses water to give an isoflavone. The enzymes involved are isoflavonoid synthase and 2-hydroxyisoflavanone dehydratase.
are not two constants but some random variables (a pair for each individual). This procedure has several names : "heterogeneous model", "structuration" (see also below for age structured models) or "Bayesian" view. Surprising results emerge, for instance it was proved in that the number of infected at the peak of a heterogeneous epidemic is smaller than the deterministic epidemic having same average
19 September — Commuters are stranded for three hours on a Metlink Waikanae train after an overhead power cable was detached at 7:40 am. 20 September – Thousands gather in various centres across New Zealand including Christchurch to oppose the Government's pay equity changes. 22 September – A partial solar eclipse occurs above mainland New Zealand, starting at sunrise and reaching maximum around 7 am. Views from most of the North Island are blocked by clouds. 23 September – Hakyung Lee is convicted by the Auckland High Court of murdering her two children in 2022. 24 September – Anna Breman is designated as the first female Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. 25 September — The New Zealand Government reopens applications for oil and gas exploration throughout the country. 26 September The Sealord Group proposes reducing its Nelson wetfish and by-products factories and fresh fish trawler operations from full-time to seasonal operations; potentially affecting 59 roles. Esarona David Lologa is convicted by a jury of the High Court in Wellington of carrying out the Loafers Lodge fire in 2023. Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirms during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly that New Zealand will not recognise Palestinian statehood. 27 September – The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand issues its first apology to survivors of historical abuse in care in Dunedin. 28 September — Four measles cases (three historical and one linked to international travel) are reported in the Northland Region.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== 2021: Olympic gold, second ATP Finals title === Zverev began his season in February with the ATP Cup, where he represented Germany with Jan-Lennard Struff, Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies to reach the semi-finals. In his first Grand Slam tournament appearance at the 2021 Australian Open, he defeated Marcos Giron, Maxime Cressy, Adrian Mannarino and Dušan Lajović. His run ended in the quarterfinals, where he lost to the eventual champion and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. In March his first tournament was in Rotterdam, where he lost in the first round to Kazakh Alexander Bublik. He continued his performances in Acapulco, where he won his 14th ATP title by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. At the tournament in Miami, he lost in the second round to Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori. At his first tournament in 2021 on clay in Monte Carlo, Zverev finished in the third round, losing to David Goffin. In Munich, he reached the quarterfinals, losing to the 107th ranked tennis player in the world, Ilya Ivashka. At the Madrid Open, Zverev defeated Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, and Matteo Berrettini en route to his fourth Masters 1000 title and 15th career title. At the same tournament, he also reached his first semifinal in doubles at a Masters 1000, partnering with compatriot Tim Pütz, but withdrew from the match. He reached the quarterfinals of the Masters 1000 in Rome, losing to eventual tournament winner Rafael Nadal. In his second Grand Slam tournament of the year – in Paris, where he was seeded No.
On 8 March, Pakistani officials stated that since the start of hostilities, 583 Afghan Taliban operatives had been killed and more than 795 injured. They added that Pakistani forces had destroyed 242 check-posts, captured 38 others, destroyed 213 tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery guns, and targeted 64 locations across Afghanistan in air strikes. Pakistani officials also said that they foiled an infiltration attempt along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border near the Chaman sector, killing one Taliban soldier while others fled the area. Elsewhere, Pakistani security forces carried out intelligence-based operation in five districts of the country, killing 13 Pakistani Taliban militants. In Pakistan's North Waziristan, two civilians were killed and three others were injured when a mortar shell fired by Taliban forces landed in a village. A child was killed and his 11 family members were wounded in a quadcopter strike in South Waziristan. Meanwhile, Taliban officials said that they shot a reconnaissance drone belonging to Pakistani forces in Nangarhar province. Two militants were killed in a Pakistani precision airstrike in Bannu District. In Kunar province, residents stated that the Taliban had forced them to participate in a protest march against Pakistan in Asadabad on 7 March. According to them, Taliban authorities instructed each tribal elder to bring at least five people to the protest.
=== United Kingdom === GDK's first store in the United Kingdom, was opened on 6 July 2015, on Bull Street in Birmingham, England. In May 2019, it was estimated that the chain served £1 million worth of kebabs in its restaurants in the UK every week. GDK also announced their plan to open a new restaurant every two weeks for the remainder of 2019 as part of a "relentless UK growth" plan. In September 2019, GDK's Fulham Broadway site was classed as London's number one place to eat on Tripadvisor. In October 2020, it had 47 restaurants, with hopes by the company to open a further 12 by the end of 2020. In December 2020, its Peterborough new restaurant marked its 50th UK restaurant. In February 2021, the chain announced its plan to open 47 restaurants by the end of 2021 in the UK. It opened 39 new restaurants in the UK in 2021, adding to their pre-existing 52 restaurants at the start of 2021. In February 2022, the company announced its plan to open 78 more restaurants in the UK in 2022, bringing their total to 170 restaurants in the UK. Adding 2,900 workers to their 3,500 workforce at the time in the UK. The chain opened their 100th UK restaurant at their Covent Garden, London site on 10 May 2022. In June 2022, Atul Pathak, former owner of the largest McDonald's franchise in the UK of 43 restaurants, announced a partnership with GDK, with 30 planned sites to be set up in the UK as part of the deal. In January 2025, German Doner Kebab (GDK) opened its first London train station location at Victoria Station, marking its 144th UK outlet and 55th in the capital.
Diabetic nephropathy See: Nephropathy Diabetic neuropathy See: Neuropathy Diabetic osteopathy Bone disease secondary to chronic diabetes, such as loss of foot bone tissue as viewed by x-ray; often temporary. Also called "disappearing bone disease", although that name can refer to other forms of bone resorption too. Diabetic retinopathy damage to the retina caused by growth of very small blood vessels. The proliferative variety is dangerous and often leads to blindness. It has been the leading non0traumatic cause of blindness in adults in the developed world for much of the 20th century. Diabetogenic Causing diabetes; some drugs cause blood glucose (sugar) to rise temporarily. Other cause it to rise permanently; if so they have caused diabetes. A chemical used as rat poison is an example. Diabetologist A doctor who sees and treats people with diabetes mellitus. Diabulimia (Portmanteau of diabetes and bulimia) An eating disorder where Type 1 diabetics intentionally take less insulin than needed in order to lose weight. Without insulin, glucose becomes unusable and accumulates in the bloodstream (eventually being lost in urine), and the body is forced to use fat for energy. A dangerous practice, not only due to complications of diabetes, but the increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. Diagnosis A decision as to the cause of some symptoms or problem. A goal of most physicians is to eliminate as many possible causes as possible (the 'diagnostic differential tree') and so work toward making an affirmative diagnosis. Reaching this point suggests a course of treatment.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Antimalarial === During WWII a British team led by Frank Rose discovered (see details there) that some biguanides are useful as antimalarial drugs. Much later it was demonstrated that they are prodrugs metabolised into active dihydrotriazine derivatives which, until recently, were believed to work by inhibiting dihydrofolate reductase. Examples include:
== Nutrition and health == Koya-dofu is high in nutritional value. The way it is produced lets soy protein mature naturally, which helps in the development of new textures, preserving maximum nutritious value. Phytonutrients become more concentrated in it. Freeze-dried tofu serves as a source of protein, iron, and calcium. Consumption of this type of tofu lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
The majority of tulip cultivars are classified in the taxon Tulipa gesneriana. They have usually several species in their direct background, but most have been derived from Tulipa suaveolens. Tulipa gesneriana is in itself an early hybrid of complex origin and is probably not the same taxon as was described by Conrad Gessner in the 16th century. The UK's National Collection of English florists' tulips and Dutch historic tulips, dating from the early 17th century to c. 1960, is held by Polly Nicholson at Blackland House, near Calne in Wiltshire.
=== Effects in the brain === Luteinizing hormone receptors are located in areas of the brain associated with cognitive function. The role of LH role in the central nervous system (CNS) may be of relevance to understanding and treating post-menopausal cognitive decline. Some research has observed an inverse relationship between circulating LH and CNS LH levels. After ovariectomy (a procedure used to mimic menopause) in female mice, circulating LH levels surge while CNS levels of LH fall. Treatments that lower circulating LH restore LH levels in the CNS.
Large subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (LSU rRNA) is the largest of the two major RNA components of the ribosome. Associated with a number of ribosomal proteins, the LSU rRNA forms the large subunit of the ribosome. The LSU rRNA acts as a ribozyme, catalyzing peptide bond formation.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Creatine is the base compound, while creatine monohydrate includes one water molecule per creatine molecule in its crystal structure. The monohydrate form is common in supplements and analytical standards. The body uses creatine itself after the water is removed or dissociated.
Yes. Meat, fish, and other animal tissues contain creatine. Cooking can convert some creatine to creatinine, which has no role in phosphocreatine energy buffering. Plant foods contain little or no creatine.
Creatinine is a cyclic breakdown product formed from creatine and phosphocreatine. It is filtered by the kidneys and commonly measured in blood and urine as a marker of renal function. Creatine monohydrate is a supplement ingredient and research chemical, not the same molecule.
A sealed container kept at room temperature and away from moisture is typical. Heat and humidity promote conversion to creatinine and can reduce assay values. Long-term storage under dry conditions helps maintain the original crystalline form.