title: Guanidinoacetic acid as a performance-enhancing agent.
abstract: Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA; also known as glycocyamine or guanidinoacetate) is the natural precursor of creatine, and under investigation as a novel dietary agent. It was first identified as a natural compound in humans ~80 years ago. In the 1950s, GAA's use as a therapeutic agent was explored, showing that supplemental GAA improved patient-reported outcomes and work capacity in clinical populations. Recently, a few studies have examined the safety and efficacy of GAA and suggest potential ergogenic benefits for physically active men and women. The purpose of this review is to examine possible applications of GAA supplementation for exercise performance enhancement, safety, and legislation issues.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sciences Department, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Lovcenska 16, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia. sergej.ostojic@chess.edu.rs.|University of Belgrade School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia. sergej.ostojic@chess.edu.rs.
authors.forename: Sergej M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ostojic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005998:Glycine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances; C004946:glycocyamine; D005998:Glycine
keywords: Creatine; Dietary supplement; Ergogenic; Exercise performance; Guanidinoacetic acid; Side effects