Basic Knowlege and Significance of Creatinine

• Creatinine is a waste product of the major energy metabolite creatine.

• Normal creatinine serum blood levels are:

- 0.6 to 1.2 mg/dl in males

- 0.5 to 1.1 mg/dl in females

• Creatinine is usually found in higher quantities in young adults, and lesser quantities in the elderly.

• Those with one kidney will have higher than “normal” levels of creatinine circulating in their blood.

• Creatinine can be tested for via a blood sample or via a urine sample. On its own a blood sample is more accurate than a urine sample, though combining them together to form what is called a creatinine clearance test is the most accurate test.

• High creatinine levels occur due to any number of diseases that cause the kidneys to shut down, including dehydration, shock, congestive heart failure, and bladder outlet obstruction.

• There are no definitive symptoms that are caused by high creatinine levels, though the following could be possibly linked: fatigued, shortness of breath, feeling dehydrated, and confusion.

If you are a gym junkie, or know someone that is, you probably have come across creatine before. Creatine is touted by many body builders as the best natural substance for increasing energy reserves – especially for the explosive sports.

Creatine is naturally produced by the body and the majority of it is stored within the muscles . The body does this through the synthesis of the amino acids L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine via the liver, and because the body can make its own, creatine itself is not essential in the diet. The dietary source of creatine however is any animal meat, such as beef, chicken, and fish. Providing up to 1 gram a day of creatine for the typical “meat-eater”.

As previously mentioned, creatine has a key role to play in the production of ATP. This occurs in the most important energy pathway of the body, known as the Kreb’s Cycle, or the Citric Acid Cycle. The average human body uses over 2000mg of creatinine a day to fuel this important biochemical pathway, for the purposes of producing the most vital energy source of the body.

OK, so now that we understand a little more about creatine, and that creatine is a necessary molecule, we can now delve a little deeper into creatinine levels and how to lower them.

The Importance of Creatinine Levels

After many years study, and lengthy clinical trials, creatinine was found to be the best indicator of kidney function. Why? Well, there are a few reasons for this, and they are as follows:

1. Creatinine is produced in a relatively constant rate

2. Creatinine is mainly eliminated from the body via the kidneys

3. Creatinine has virtually no reabsorption within the kidneys – meaning there no recycling of creatinine back into the blood stream. Reabsorption would cause a skew in the results, making this molecule a poorer choice for assessing kidney function.