Creapure (German Creatine Monohydrate)

Creapure is a highly purified creatine monohydrate (min. 99.99% purity) manufactured by AlzChem Trostberg GmbH in Germany. Each gram of Creapure contains approximately 879 mg of anhydrous creatine and 121 mg of bound water (monohydrate fraction). It is virtually free of macronutrients — containing negligible protein (0 g), fat (0 g), carbohydrates (0 g), and fiber (0 g) per serving. A standard serving is 3–5 g. The sole bioactive compound is creatine (methylguanidino-acetic acid, C₄H₉N₃O₂), which functions as a phosphocreatine precursor in skeletal muscle. Caloric contribution is essentially zero. Creapure contains no vitamins or minerals. Impurity levels are exceptionally low: dicyandiamide (DCD) <3 ppm, dihydrotriazine (DHT) undetectable, creatinine <67 ppm — significantly below thresholds found in lower-grade creatine products. Bioavailability: Oral creatine monohydrate has high bioavailability (~99% absorption from the gastrointestinal tract when consumed with adequate water). Peak plasma creatine levels are reached approximately 1–2 hours post-ingestion. Uptake into skeletal muscle is facilitated by the sodium- and chloride-dependent creatine transporter (SLC6A8) and is enhanced when co-ingested with carbohydrates or protein (~30–50 g) due to insulin-mediated transporter upregulation. Intramuscular creatine and phosphocreatine stores can increase by approximately 20–40% with a loading protocol (20 g/day for 5–7 days) or over 3–4 weeks with a maintenance dose (3–5 g/day). Approximately 1.7% of total body creatine is converted daily to creatinine and excreted renally. No significant micronutrient cofactors are present, though endogenous creatine synthesis (liver, kidneys, pancreas) requires glycine, arginine, and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) as precursors.