I would like to discuss a supplement called creatine. The supplement known as creatine actually assists in the building of something called creatine phosphate in our muscle tissue. And what creatine does is fuel our cells and our muscle tissues for energy production. Then our cells are able to generate a very large amount of energy through something known as ATP. ATP is basically the energy currency used in our bodies and of course our cells use a great deal of it to fuel our metabolic processes necessary for a healthy life. Creatine is a byproduct or side chain reaction of the process known as methylation. Methylation is known to be problematic in many individuals with Autism. When you have a problem with methylation, you may not be getting the proper production of creatine as a result. And as I mentioned prior, creatine is critical for getting energy to the cells.

Another area that require creatine is the brain where it is also useful for energy production. Creatine is useful in the brain to aid with expressive language production. Language delays are frequently seen in children with Autism, and especially expressive language delays. Using creatine in those cases can be very helpful. The supplement creatine has been used for years by athletes, and many athletes use creatine as a way to increase muscle tissue to create more muscle power or muscle energy through their workouts.

Using creatine can be especially helpful for children we have low muscle tone and poor coordination. Fine and gross motor skills tend to be aided by using creatine. Creatine is found as a powder and the dosing range can vary fairly widely. In general you can dose between 300 mg and 1000 mg / kg per day so that can be a lot of creatine to give. Creatine is an easy supplement to administer and I do not have any negative side effects to report. It is critical to stay well hydrated while using creatine as it does cycle through the kidneys and your body needs the extra fluids to flush the excess creatine out of the body.

If your child suffers from low energy, low muscle tone, lethargy, low metabolic energy and expressive language delay, creatine could be a helpful supplement to use. When I am treating young children for example, 3, 4, 5, or 6 years of age I start conservatively. I will typically recommend we start at 500 mg twice a day and then increase that to 1000 mg twice a day. I have gone as high as 5000 mg to 10000 mg in some children. But, average doses for my patients are usually in the 1500 mg to 3000 mg per day range. So again, creatine can be a very good supplement option to help support the metabolic process in the body as well as brain chemistry and brain energy.