Excitable mammalian cells contain high activities of creatine kinase (CK, EC 2.7.3.2), which catalyses the reversible exchange of a phosphoryl group between phosphocreatine (PCr) and ATP. The tissue-specific CK enzymes are subcellularly compartmentalized and consist of three cytosolic dimers: BB-CK (brain-and smooth muscle-specific), MM-CK (muscle-specific) and MB-CK heterodimers. Furthermore, there is mitochondrial CK (Mi-CK) which is located in the intermembrane space of the mitochondrion and consists mainly of octamers in vivo [1]. Mi-CK and M-CK have been hypothesized to jointly form an energy transport network in which creatine (Cr) and PCr function as diffusible intermediates between sites of ATP synthesis and utilization, thereby buffering fluctuations in the ATP free energy potential, i.e. the ATP ⁄ ADP concentration ratio [2,3]. The roles of Mi-CK and M-CK in this CK ⁄ PCr shuttle model are to maintain a high local ADP ⁄ ATP concentration ratio near the adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) by transphosphorylation of mitochondrially generated ATP to PCr and a high local ATP ⁄ ADP ratio near extramitochondrial ATPases, respectively [4]. of mitochondria isolated from the MiM-CK -⁄ -phenotype was different (i.e. twofold higher) than that of WT. The implications of these adaptations for striated muscle function were explored by constructing force-flow relations of skeletal muscle respiration. It was found that the identified shift in affinity towards higher ADP concentrations in MiM-CK -⁄ -muscle genotypes may contribute to linear mitochondrial control of the reduced cytosolic ATP free energy potentials in these phenotypes.Abbreviations ACR, acceptor control ratio; AT, atractyloside; CK, creatine kinase; Cr, creatine; CS, citrate synthase; EDL, extensor digitorum longus; FCCP, carbonyl cyanide p-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; PCr, phosphocreatine; RCR, respiratory control ratio; VDAC, voltage-dependent anion channel.