Creatine And The Kidneys

Creatinine is a chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. Creatinine is produced from creatine, a molecule of major importance for energy production in muscles. It is usually produced at a fairly constant rate by the body. Creatinine is transported through the bloodstream to the kidneys. The kidneys filter out most of the creatinine and dispose of it in the urine.

There is hardly any tubular reabsorption of creatinine. If the filtering of the kidney is deficient, Creatinine levels in the blood rise. As a result, creatinine levels in blood and urine may be used to calculate the creatinine clearance (CrCl), which reflects the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Creatinine clearance is estimated by calculating how much creatinine is cleared from the body by the kidneys. The GFR is clinically significant because it is a measurement of renal function.

In the United States, creatinine is typically reported in mg/dL.The typical human reference ranges are 0.5 to 1.0 mg/dL for women and 0.7 to 1.2 mg/dL for men.

Muscular young or middle-aged adults may have more creatinine in their blood than the norm for the general population. Elderly persons, on the other hand, may have less creatinine in their blood than the norm. Infants have normal levels of about 0.2 or more, depending on their muscle development. Hence, while a baseline serum creatinine of 2.0 mg/dL may indicate normal kidney function in a male body builder, a serum creatinine of 1.2 mg/dL can indicate significant renal disease in a frail old woman.

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Creatine And The Kidneys