This is a working overview of guanidinoacetate, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
Reviewed 2025-09-30. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
The compound was identified in the nineteenth century after chemists isolated a nitrogenous substance from meat extracts. Later work established its role in muscle energy metabolism and its conversion to phosphocreatine. Chemical synthesis of creatine followed, and industrial production made the monohydrate widely available as a purified powder. Interest expanded in the late twentieth century when researchers began studying creatine supplementation and muscle physiology. Historical accounts sometimes differ on exact dates and attributions, but the broad sequence from tissue extracts to synthetic production is well documented.
In the body, creatine is obtained from dietary meat and fish and is also synthesized from arginine, glycine, and methionine. Muscle stores creatine and phosphocreatine, which participate in the rapid regeneration of adenosine triphosphate during short, intense activity. The monohydrate form is used in research because it is chemically defined, stable as a dry solid, and relatively inexpensive to produce. Questions remain about whether other creatine forms offer meaningful advantages in absorption or tissue retention, and findings vary across studies and populations.
Creatine monohydrate is a crystalline compound formed from creatine and one molecule of water. Its systematic name is N-(aminoiminomethyl)-N-methylglycine monohydrate, and it appears as a white, odorless powder with limited solubility in water. The monohydrate is the most common solid form used in research and commercial products because it is stable under dry conditions. The anhydrous form lacks the water of crystallization and differs slightly in molar mass. Both forms participate in the same biochemical reactions once dissolved.
In the body, creatine is synthesized from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine, primarily in the liver and kidneys. It is transported to muscle and other tissues, where it is phosphorylated to phosphocreatine by creatine kinase. This phosphagen system provides a rapid source of adenosine triphosphate during short, intense contractions. Dietary creatine comes mainly from meat and fish, and the body's total pool is influenced by both synthesis and intake.
As a supplement, creatine monohydrate is studied for its effects on muscle performance and recovery. The compound is often described as an ergogenic aid, meaning it may support physical work capacity. Research typically compares it with placebo or other forms, such as citrate or nitrate, under controlled conditions. Questions remain about the optimal dose and long-term effects in different populations, and findings are not uniform across all studies. The monohydrate form remains the most extensively tested.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical formula | C4H9N3O2·H2O | Monohydrate includes one water molecule per creatine molecule |
| Molar mass | 149.15 g/mol | Value for the monohydrate; anhydrous creatine is about 131.13 g/mol |
| Appearance | White crystalline powder | Odorless or nearly odorless in purified form |
| Solubility in water | About 13 g/L at 25 °C | Solubility increases with temperature and varies with pH |
| Common synonyms | Creatine hydrate; N-(aminoiminomethyl)-N-methylglycine | Monohydrate distinguishes it from anhydrous creatine |
In early April 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Ceftobiprole for the treatment of adults with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (bacteremia) and for adult patients with right-sided infective endocarditis. In addition, the FDA approved Ceftobiprole for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections in adult patients and in adult and pediatric patients aged three months to less than 18 years with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CAPB).
This reacts up to 400 fold faster than the original pair with a rate constant of 5.5 ± 0.6 × 105 M−1 s−1. This version is back reactive with the two previous generations of SpyTag/SpyCatcher reagents. SpyTag/SpyCatcher react with specificity even when in the presence of bacterial and mammalian cell environments.
=== Anti-aging === mTOR inhibitors may be useful for treating/preventing several age-associated conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. After a short-term treatment with the mTOR inhibitors dactolisib and everolimus, in elderly (65 and older), treated subjects had a reduced number of infections over the course of a year. Various natural compounds, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), caffeine, curcumin, berberine, quercetin, resveratrol and pterostilbene, have been reported to inhibit mTOR when applied to isolated cells in culture. As yet no high quality evidence exists that these substances inhibit mTOR signaling or extend lifespan when taken as dietary supplements by humans, despite encouraging results in animals such as fruit flies and mice. Various trials are ongoing.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
==== Total Stream Power ==== Total stream power often refers simply to stream power, but some authors use it as the rate of energy dissipation against the bed and banks of a river or stream per entire stream length. It is given by the equation:
== External links == Overview at colostate.edu Secretin at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) Nosek TM. "Section 6/6ch2/s6ch2_17". Essentials of Human Physiology. Archived from the original on 2016-03-24.
== Overdose == In the event of an overdose of oral ketoconazole, treatment should be supportive and based on symptoms. Activated charcoal may be administered within the first hour following overdose of oral ketoconazole.
=== Hart House === In August 2022, Hart debuted a vegan restaurant, Hart House, to compete with fast-food chains by "offering flavorful plant-based alternatives". The restaurant opened in Los Angeles, California, about a mile from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), with a simple menu of veggie burgers and Chick'n products. The restaurant's offerings are claimed to be "entirely free of cholesterol, antibiotics, hormones, artificial colors, preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, or trans fats", and inspired by Hart's own "health nut" lifestyle. Hart opened a second location in Monrovia, California, in November 2022, a third on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, in May 2023, and a fourth location near the University of Southern California campus in June 2023. All locations closed in September 2024.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a crystalline form of creatine that contains one water molecule per creatine molecule. The compound occurs naturally in muscle tissue and is also produced synthetically for research and consumer products. The monohydrate label describes the solid's hydration state.
Creatine monohydrate contains creatine, but the two terms are not strictly interchangeable. The monohydrate includes water in the crystal, while creatine refers to the base molecule. Other creatine forms pair the molecule with different acids or carriers.
Dietary creatine is found mainly in meat and fish. The human body also synthesizes creatine from amino acids in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. The monohydrate powder used in products is manufactured rather than extracted directly from food.
It is a compound made of creatine bound to one water molecule. It appears as a white crystalline powder and is the most common solid form of creatine used in research and supplements.