Guanidinoacetate Unit Converter

Guanidinoacetate (GAA) is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative and the direct precursor to creatine, the molecule your body uses to store and rapidly regenerate energy in high-demand tissues like the brain, heart, and skeletal muscle.

Your body makes GAA in a two-step process: the kidneys produce it from the amino acids arginine and glycine, then the liver converts it into creatine. Measuring GAA levels can reveal whether this pathway is working normally.

Because GAA sits at the midpoint of creatine synthesis, its level in blood or urine can point in different diagnostic directions depending on whether it is too high or too low.

GAA is synthesized primarily in the kidneys, where the enzyme AGAT combines arginine and glycine to form it. It then travels through the bloodstream to the liver, where the enzyme GAMT converts it into creatine. Small amounts also come from dietary sources, mainly meat.