What is creatinine?
Breakdown product of creatine
Creatinine is a metabolic product and the breakdown product of creatine. A small amount of creatine is constantly broken down into creatinine in the body. Creatinine travels from the cells into the bloodstream and is then excreted by the kidneys in the urine.
Is creatinine harmful?
If more creatine is ingested than the body needs, most of the excess is excreted in the urine. However, higher levels of creatine in the body also mean that more creatine is broken down into creatinine. This can cause the creatinine concentration in the blood and urine to rise slightly. For the same reason, people with greater muscle mass may have higher creatinine levels compared to those with less muscle mass. This is not a cause for concern, as the higher creatinine levels are within normal limits and creatinine has never been proven to be harmful.
Creatinine and kidney function
Since doctors routinely measure blood creatinine levels to detect kidney disease, anyone undergoing a kidney function test should inform their doctor about their creatine supplementation. Elevated creatinine levels caused simply by creatine supplementation are usually harmless.
creatinine level
You can read more about creatinine levels under creatinine level or normal creatinine value.
