Creatine vs Creatinine: what is the difference?
Creatinine is the waste product of creatine: creatine is a muscle energy reserve, and creatinine is what it breaks down into, cleared by the kidneys.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Each molecule's own drawing, as its page shows it. The common core, 1 of 9 atoms, is too small to align on.
Side by side
| Creatine | Creatinine | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 131.13 g/molC4H9N3O2 | 113.12 g/molC4H7N3O |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 3 | 2 |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists |
| Not on our lists |
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Amino acids | Other |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Body | Body |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Carboxylic Acids, Amines | Amines, Phenols |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA via PubChem | Warning | Not recorded |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 586 (Creatine) and 26009888 (Creatinine).
In more detail
These two are constantly mixed up. Creatine is stored in muscle as phosphocreatine, a rapid phosphate reserve that regenerates ATP in the first seconds of hard effort, which is what makes it useful as a sports supplement. Creatinine is what creatine becomes when that molecule spontaneously cyclises and loses water, at a fairly constant rate proportional to muscle mass. The kidneys clear creatinine, so its level in blood is a standard measure of kidney function, and that is why a creatine supplement can raise a measured creatinine reading without anything being wrong with the kidneys. The weights differ by exactly the lost water, 131.13 against 113.12.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Creatine and Creatinine?
- Creatinine is the waste product of creatine: creatine is a muscle energy reserve, and creatinine is what it breaks down into, cleared by the kidneys.
- Is Creatine bigger than Creatinine?
- Creatine is the heavier molecule, 131.13 g/mol against 113.12 g/mol for Creatinine. Creatine is C4H9N3O2 and Creatinine is C4H7N3O.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.