A Review Of Creatine And Its Role In Muscle Strength And Balance

Creatine (Cr), a nitrogen-based amino acid-derivative, is most well-known in its supplemental powder form, creatine monohydrate, although it is ubiquitous throughout our food supply and within our skeletal muscles and organs. Creatine has recently been tested as a potential therapeutic treatment for disease states such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart failure, and kidney ischemia. The purpose of this research paper is to provide an overview of recent literature and to expand current understanding of the many roles of this important nutritional compound related to health, disease, and physical activity. Peer-reviewed research papers from the past decade (2007 – 2017) were obtained through an extensive search of the following search engines: MedlinePlus, PubMed, Science Direct, and SPORTDiscus.