Does L-Carnitine ring a bell🔔 to you?
Most of you might have not heard about L-carnitine. So, what exactly is this interesting supplement?🤔 L-carnitine (also known as levocarnitine) is made up of amino acid lysine and methionine. Amino acids are building blocks of protein that build up the muscles in our body. Generally, there are two types of amino acids, either essential (those which could not be synthesized by our body) or non-essential (those which can be naturally produced by our body). L-carnitine falls under the non-essential amino-acid category.
Food Sources containing L-Carnitine
Typically, L-carnitine can be found in red meats🥩. The redder the meat, the higher the L-Carnitine content (beef 🐮> pork🐷 > fish🐟 > chicken🐔). Certain plant sources like avocado🥑 and soybean contain small amounts too. For this reason, L-carnitine levels are usually lower in vegans🥬🍅🍆🌽, and hence, they may need to obtain it from oral supplements.
Recommended Dosage💊
A dose of 500mg-2000mg per day in divided doses seems to be both safe and effective.
Benefits of L-Carnitine
Energy Production🔋
L-carnitine is found in almost all body cells and is particularly concentrated in skeletal muscle and heart tissues. L-carnitine is known to play a crucial role in energy production by converting fatty acids into energy💪 (Fat for Fuel).
Exercise Performance🏋
L-carnitine Tartrate is one of the most common forms of L-carnitine found in sports nutrition supplements due to its rapid absorption rate. Given its possible fat-burning capabilities, it is thought that L-carnitine optimizes the body to use fats for fuel, allowing one to exercise for a longer period of time. So theoretically, supplementing L-carnitine during workouts may support exercise performance but there is still a lack of consistent evidence to support this.
Some potential benefits in terms of exercise performance include improve muscle recovery, reduce muscle soreness post-exercise and increase stamina💪. However, research is still limited and further studies are needed to support these proposed advantages.
Weight Loss⚖️
Evidence suggests that L-carnitine may promote weight loss by increasing the calories burned, aiding in fat metabolism. Yet, this does not mean that L-carnitine can replace healthy lifestyle measures such as a proper diet and regular exercise. More research is also needed on this.
Heart Health💗
The heart contains muscle which relies heavily on fatty acids for fuel and L-carnitine levels would be low when one has heart problems. According to one of the studies in 2013, it was found that L-carnitine reduced the development of angina (chest pain) by 40% and ventricular arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats) by 65%. It was also proposed that L-carnitine may also help with some cardiac biomarkers but research is still ongoing.
A TEAM👯is better than Solo!
Some nutrients work very well together as a team. A great example would be the combination of L-carnitine with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). They work via different biochemical pathways towards the same ultimate result which is breaking down food molecules to generate energy.
Researchers found this combination helpful in improving energy levels in people suffering from myopathies (muscle weakness). Many scientists now believe that the aging process begins with a deterioration of mitochondrial activity. Thus, studies suggest that these supplements could possibly slow the aging process.
How do CoQ10 and ALA work?
CoQ10: This vitamin-like nutrient helps shuttle around energy-carrying electrons to maximize ATP production. It could boost energy levels and enhance stamina. According to a study done in Japan, the subjects were able to bicycle faster🚴 and had quicker recovery times after just a week of taking 300mg CoQ10 daily.
ALA: This antioxidant plays multiple roles as a cofactor in the energy-generating Krebs cycle. Research showed that ATP production increased substantially with the consumption of ALA after several months.
Suggested Combination Dose💊💊
Take approximately 100mg CoQ10, 1,000mg L-carnitine, and 200mg ALA per day to boost energy. For more serious health problems, consider taking 200mg CoQ10, 2,000mg L-carnitine, and 400mg ALA daily.
Prepared by: Chew Ee Wei, a HTM Pharmacist.
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