Another supplement that people who workout regularly like to take is L-carnitine. So, what is this growingly popular supplement, then? Well, first of all, because L-carnitine is a non-essential amino acid-like chemical, the body makes it on its own. Some L-carnitine can be found in food, like red meat; the redder the meat, the better. Small amounts are also found in plant foods like avocado and soybean. A good diet is still important, but people who have trouble getting enough of certain nutrients in their food are often told to take carnitine supplements.
What is L-carnitine used for?
It is L-carnitine’s job to bring long-chain fatty acids to the mitochondria of your cells, where they are burned off and used as fuel to make energy. A lot of L-carnitine is stored in skeletal muscle, which is a muscle that is attached to your bones. There are also small amounts in the liver and blood. Long-chain fatty acids are moved into the mitochondria of muscle cells by L-Carnitine, which helps your body make energy.
Benefits of L-carnitine:
1. It may help you lose weight
Some people think that carnitine supplements could help your body make energy by using fat stores. This would let you work out longer and, in the end, help you lose fat. There is evidence that it may help people lose weight by making them burn more calories.6
Taking an L-carnitine vitamin every day has been shown to raise the levels of this amino acid-like substance in the blood and muscles. This could help the body burn fat faster because it raises the levels of carnitine in the muscles.
2. L-carnitine may improve exercise performance and recovery
Because it might burn fat, L-carnitine is thought to improve how your body uses fat as fuel, which lets you work out longer. Some study has also shown that taking an L-carnitine substance for three weeks can help protect muscles from damage caused by high-intensity workouts.
Taking L-carnitine supplements could also help you heal from hard exercise; for best results, you should take 2 to 4 grammes of L-carnitine every day.6 There is early proof that this may reduce different signs of metabolic stress and muscle pain, and this has been shown in many studies. However there is still a limited amount of research, and more needs to be done.
3. L-carnitine may support heart health
Researchers have found that L-carnitine can help treat heart problems when used under medical supervision. It is usually given by IV by a doctor. It might give you more energy because it makes more of the fuel your heart needs to work. There is also an American research that discovered that carnitine was linked to a 27% drop in death from all causes. Another thing that L-carnitine might do is help keep cholesterol levels in a safe range.
Two types of L-carnitine
L-carnitine tartrate and acetyl L-carnitine are the two main types of L-carnitine that are added to food.
1. L-carnitine Tartrate
Because it is quickly absorbed, tartrate L-carnitine is one of the most popular types of L-carnitine found in sports nutrition supplements. The amino acids lysine and methionine are used to make it in the body. It is mostly made in the liver and kidneys before being sent to other parts of the body for use.
Tissues that use fatty acids as their main fuel source, like the heart and skeletal muscles, have the most L-carnitine tartrate. As part of a healthy, well-balanced food and workout plan, it should be taken.3
In short, L-carnitine tartrate is quickly absorbed and helps the body use fatty acids.
2. Acetyl L-carnitine (ALCAR)
The amino acids lysine and methionine are used by the body to make acetyl L-carnitine. The carnitine molecule in ALCAR is linked to an acetyl group. This makes it the most bioavailable form, which means it can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier and be used.
People who regularly work out and play sports will love ALCAR. It’s also great for anyone else who wants an easy-to-swallow source of L-carnitine that they can take throughout the day.4
Acetyl L-carnitine is easier for the body to take because it has an acetyl group linked to the carnitine.
Dosage Recommendations
For best results, studies show that different doses of each form of L-carnitine are needed. The following doses are thought to be best for each form of carnitine:
600 to 2,500 mg of acetyl-L-Carnitine every day.
1,000 to 4,000 mg of L-Carnitine L-Tartrate every day.
Propionyl-L-Carnitine: Every day, take 1,000 to 4,000 mg.
If you want to use this supplement to get more energy during your workout, you should take it before you do it. Most scientific studies show that L-carnitine should be taken about an hour before working out. But if you want the other benefits, like helping you heal and lose weight, you can also take it after you work out.
Side Effects
There aren’t many bad effects from this vitamin because it comes from food. As long as the recommended dose was followed, there were no major side effects when taking the drug for less than 12 months. However, some people had stomach problems, bad breath and pee smell, and seizures. If you want to take L-carnitine or any other supplement, you should always talk to your doctor first.
Aussie Daily Lifestyle 
Leave a comment