Ingredients

L-Carnitine – What Is It, When To Take It, How To Take it and More

Updated on June 6, 2020 by Brad Murphy

Supplement companies have become L-Carnitine pushers.

It’s gotten to the point where I’m rolling my eyes reading something like, “our product contains a full clinical dose to melt fat and send your energy levels through the roof”.

When that starts to happen, I feel the need to write an article on the subject to help you wade through the industry’s swamp of exaggerated claims and twisted scientific interpretation.

So, here it is: everything you need to know about L-Carnitine (and its variations). What it can and cannot do for you, how much you should take, what products to look out for, and what to avoid.

There are several forms of L-Carnitine supplement (or supplements containing L-carnitine) , depending on how the compound is paired with another, to maximize different biological effects.

They include:

L-Carnitine
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (LCLT)
Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine (GPLC)

You may also see it written as:

Acetylcarnitine
Levocarnitine
L-3-hydroxy trimethyl aminobutanoate (I mean, obviously, right)

L-Carnitine, in its various forms is promoted by supplement companies for the following benefits:

Fat burning
Physical/exercise performance
Muscle growth
Energy
Cognitive function
Anti-depressant
Insulin sensitivity
Cardio vascular health

It can be found in liquid and powder form, in fat-burners, diet pills and pre-workout powders.

I’ll cover all of that, but for now, let’s start with the basics.

What Is L-Carnitine?

L-Carnitine is most like a B vitamin, but it also acts a lot like an amino acid.

In fact, it’s formed from two amino acids: Lysine and Methionine within the liver and kidneys.

So, it looks, sounds and behaves like an amino acid, and for the sake of simplicity most people will refer to it as such.

Others label it a “vitamin-like” or even “amino-acid-like” compound.

Having been studied for nearly seven decades now, we know quite a lot about l-carnitine, but some of its effects still remain to be fully explained.

Being able to synthesize it endogenously, and obtain it from animal tissue, the omnivores amongst us are rarely deficient in L-Carnitine. However, because it is mostly found in meats (with a little absorbed from milk) vegans and vegetarians have less.

Vitamin C dependent enzymes, Vitamin B6, niacin and iron play a role in the synthesis of l-carnitine. Therefore, deficiencies in any of those can also be problematic for endogenous l-carnitine levels.

Biosynthesis of l-carnitine only accounts for about 25% of your daily requirement. The rest must come from food and milk.

NOTE: Vegetarians and vegans should probably supplement l-carnitine, but there is a distinct lack of research involving human subjects, leaving many people unaware of the likely benefits.

There is also some debate as to how vegetarians who do not supplement l-carnitine seem to avoid a deficient state. Modern research suggests it could be a regulatory feedback mechanism that enhances bioavailability, increases biosynthesis and reduces urinary waste to mitigate the otherwise low intake.

One study showed that supplementation increased muscle and plasma l-carnitine concentration but did not improve/affect muscle performance/function or energy metabolism.

Our bodies can store about 20 grams of l-carnitine on average. Ninety-five percent of that is in our muscle tissue and heart, while the remainder is in circulation through our blood and post-production in the liver and kidneys.

Its absorption ratio is much higher from food (~70%) than it is from supplements (~16%), which might be because the lower doses in food are more readily absorbed than supplemental doses, which can be upwards of 1500mg per day.

Due to the massive difference in total dosage, however, you’ll still absorb a lot more from supplements than you will from food. This also means vegans, vegetarians, meat and dairy eaters are pretty much on a level playing field after supplementation.

It’s one of those ingredients that truly cannot be ingested from your diet in the quantities you can get in supplement form.

What Does L-Carnitine Do?

In layman’s terms: L-Carnitine transports fat through the otherwise impermeable inner mitochondrial membrane, where it can be burned (oxidized) for use as energy [source].

During Low-Intensity exercise, l-carnitine acts as the platform for an enzyme called CPT1 to transport long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells. The mitochondria – essentially our cellular power stations – can use these fatty acids as fuel for metabolic processes.

This movement through the membrane to the mitochondrial compartment of the cell is known as mitochondrial flux.

During High-Intensity exercise l-carnitine forms acetylcarnitine which maintains a pool of Coenzyme-A, essential for mitochondrial flux to continue.

Given the depletion of the free carnitine pool for the formation of acetylcarnitine, an increase in muscle carnitine content (from supplementation) would provide additional substrate for the fatty acid translocation to continue even longer.

This process allows for mitochondrial ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production and delays glycolysis/hydrolysis (carbs) driven ATP production.

In basic terms, l-carnitine provides a buffer which prolongs the use of fat as fuel rather than switching to carbohydrates.

Additionally, this would delay the production of lactic acid and thus reduce muscle acidosis and the fatiguing effect to performance.

The result is a lowered perception of effort/fatigue combined with additional fat-burning activity.

Increasing the provision of l-carnitine through muscle carnitine storage is therefore one of the main reasons for supplementation.

To sum up: L-Carnitine supplementation is primarily used for:

increased fat burning during exercise
reduced body fat mass accrual
reduced fatigue during intense exercise
enhanced fitness and physique parameters (due to increased exercise ability)

How Important Is L-Carnitine?

It’s essential.

Within populations that don’t get enough, people can enter a deficient state. Symptomatic of that deficiency, are few potential health risks:

Early onset dementia
Muscle atrophy/weakness
Hepatic (liver) dysfunction
Cardiomyopathy (diseased heart/cardiac tissue stiffening, scar tissue etc.)
Skeletal muscle myopathy

The vast majority of people will never need to consider such health issue because so little is required and it is prevalent in a rounded diet. There is also that potential for a safety switch that alters absorption ratios to fix low intake.

As for the importance of l-carnitine supplementation – it depends on your dietary intake. If you live in a developed country and eat a diet that incorporates meat, you shouldn’t have a deficiency.

Like I said, first world vegetarians and vegans should think about supplementing, despite modern research showing that other mysterious regulators are at work to raise endogenous levels.

Some congenital defects or acquired damage to organic cation transporter mechanisms can lead to carnitine deficiencies and the aforementioned cardiomyopathy and skeletal muscle myopathy.

Regardless of the problems a deficiency can cause, it is still not classified as a vitamin or mineral because it can be biosynthesized to some degree from methionine and lysine.

It’s best described as “conditionally essential”, where under certain conditions it can cause a state of deficiency and disease and.

Aside from all of that, commercial supplements are, generally speaking, intended for the benefits I listed in the introduction, rather than for avoidance of a diseased state. This is because it has been found in some research to provide benefits at dosages far above those possible from dietary intake.

L-Carnitine for Muscle Growth and Fat Loss

I’d say that the heavily marketed claims of enhanced muscle growth and/or fat loss are the reasons most people have landed upon this article. If you’re one of them, then thanks for reading this far.

There are a lot more reported benefits of l-carnitine supplementation, and some of them feed into the muscle gain and weight loss effects. In which case, they will also be discussed here.

I’ll get to the other unrelated benefits later, but if you’re itching to know whether the money you put down on your pre-workout or fat-burner was well spent, then this section is for you.

The following studies highlight some very important information with respect to how l-carnitine works when you supplement it, what dosages are effective and under what conditions it is effective.

1989 Study on Elite Athletes

One of the larger studies on L-Carnitine was conducted back in 1989.

The scientists took 110 elite level athletes, including those that competed in rowing, kayak, canoe, swimming, weightlifting and long-distance running.

Subjects were given 1000 mg (1 gram) of l-carnitine per day for 3 weeks. They observed differences in athletic performances after a single dose and following the 3 week course.

Single doss increased the following parameters:

Physical output
Lipid metabolism
Muscular function (as contraction force)
Lactate accumulation (i.e. a reduction)

The full three week course improved the following parameters:

Lipid metabolism
Muscular potential
VO2 max
Behaviour
Biological output

The scientists attributed the improvements to the increased transportation of fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells to be used as a fuel.

Basically, l-carnitine assists the process of fatty acid transport into the mitochondria (your cellular power engines) to be burned as fuel.

This has two major effects:

It increases the energy in muscle cells, thus allowing for greater power. Greater power output leads to enhanced overcompensation and muscular potential grows over time.
Fatty acids being taken from adipose tissue to be burned as fuel in mitochondrial cells reduces the fat which is stored and so reduces total body fat over time.

Drawback: The 1989 study was only 3 weeks in length. This is short by any supplement study’s standards if only because some of them only begin to have an effect after a few weeks of consistent use.

This didn’t appear to be a problem here as the scientists recorded some extremely positive results. As you will see, however, later studies were up to 24 weeks in total and involved more accurate measurement techniques.

Comparing Pre and Post Millennium L-Carnitine Studies

Those are some good results, but not all l-carnitine studies tell the same story. Some show little to know improvement in performance, while others still appear to find different benefits.

The latter could be due to the design of the study and of course what the scientists are measuring, but how can we explain the differences in studies that are essentially measuring the same thing?

In fact, the results from studies involving trained athletes, including resistance trained men, are pretty unreliable.

This might be in part due to unreliable testing and old methodologies. Perhaps comparing a 30 year old study to one conducted in the last few years is not fair because the quality of the two are probably not equal.

Continuing with that logic, studies conducted after the year 2000 do show, on the whole, that l-carnitine supplementation does have a positive impact on physical performance, fat metabolism, muscle recovery, fatigue and cognitive function.

One important, and likely correct, theory is to do with how l-carnitine is consumed. The studies you are going to learn about below are true game-changers in this respect.

In the case of the 2011 and 2013 studies below, the L-Carnitine was ingested along with a carbohydrate drink. This was thought, and thus proven to be, a reliable means of increasing muscle carnitine content via an insulin-mediated pathway.

Previous studies had not applied this methodology consistently, hence why the results had been inconsistent to that point. If l-carnitine was supplemented, it may not have gotten into the muscle tissue sufficiently to exert its benefits.

Groundbreaking Study with Humans – 2011

Chronic oral ingestion of l‐carnitine and carbohydrate increases muscle carnitine content and alters muscle fuel metabolism during exercise in humans. Benjamin T. Wall et al. 2011. The Journal of Physiology.

Up until the 2011 study, everyone was still confused about l-carnitine. Results of previous studies had been inconsistent, and the study designs themselves weren’t always up to par.

The 2011 study aimed to enhance the study design and build upon findings from the past, which highlighted the effects l-carnitine supplementation can have on muscle and exercise performance.

From the work that came before their study, the scientists felt it was reasonable/logical to conclude that by increasing the muscle carnitine reservoir (storage) via supplementation, a person could positively affect their muscle fuel metabolism in a couple of ways.

The largest dynamic would be largely determined by the intensity level of exercise.

Together, there was a study objective, followed by three hypotheses:

Objective: Determine whether chronic L-Carnitine plus carbohydrate feeding (in healthy men) increased muscle carnitine content to the same degree as their previous lab studies.

Hypothesis 1: Increased muscle carnitine content would decrease glycogen usage and increase/sustain fatty acid usage as fuel during low intensity exercise.

Hypothesis 2: When carnitine switches to acetylcarnitine during high intensity exercise, increased muscle carnitine content would increase mitochondrial flux, and therefore ATP production, thus reducing anaerobic ATP production and the concomitant lactic acid/lactic acidosis.

Hypothesis 3: Those positive effects of increased muscle carnitine content would improve high intensity exercise performance.

The study lasted 24 weeks, and involved 14 healthy, male recreational athletes in their mid-twenties who engaged in triathlon training (run, bike, swim) 3 to 5 times per week.

Volunteers were tested before commencing the study’s experimental visits to determine their VO2max (maximum amount of oxygen an individual can use during a maximal output exercise session).

Their VO2max was tested again after the study to ensure no significant improvement in aerobic capacity had been made (meaning the supplemental protocol would be the cause of any significant change in performance).

The Experiment

Subjects visited the lab 3 times over the 24 weeks with 12 weeks between each. They exercised on a cycle ergometer for:

30 minutes at 50% max output, followed by
30 minutes at 80% max output, followed by
30 minutes of a work output performance test

The third 30 minute spell there is an “all out” performance test but where the cycling cadence is under the subject’s own control rather than a pre-determined percentage of VO2max to exhaustion.

The scientists had determined from previous studies that “volitional cycling cadence” for a fixed time was a better measure of endurance exercise performance.

The Study Supplementation Protocol

The fourteen men were split into two groups.

Important: Insulin stimulates the transport and uptake of carnitine into muscle, which is why a carbohydrate drink was used as the delivery method in this study.

Group 1: Consumed 80 grams of an orange flavoured carbohydrate drink (~600 calorie) twice per day for 168 days.*
Group 2: Consumed the same drink PLUS 2 grams (2000mg) of l-carnitine twice per day for 168 days.

*the first drink was taken at breakfast time and the second 4 hours later. Again, this was based on previous research which showed this to be a viable way to increase carnitine retention.

Samples and Analysis

At each of the three visits, several samples were taken from the subjects for analysis.

Blood samples for blood glucose, insulin and of course carnitine levels.
Muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis (largest quad) at rest and within 5 seconds of finishing exercise, both at 50% and 80% VO2max (while they were still sat on ergometer) for free carnitine, acetylcarnitine, and long-chain acylcarnitine as well as ATP, phosphocreatine, creatine, lactate and glycogen

Let’s just talk about those muscle biopsies for a second.

Study write-ups discuss muscle biopsies with the usual detached/objective scientific voice, but they are an intense procedure for the subject.

A biopsy is the surgical removal of muscle tissue. In this instance, the researchers used the Bergstrom percutaneous needle method. Despite sounding rather mild, it still removes a chunk of muscle a few millimetres in cross section, and has to be taken deep enough to ensure 100% muscle tissue extraction.

With that in mind, remember that these med were subjected to 3 of these biopsies per visit, and two of them within 5 seconds of peddling on an ergometer. What’s more the second and third bioposies were done on the bike immediately before cycling for 30 minutes at 80% VO2max and 30 minutes at volitional max respectively.

It’s safe to say that these dudes are pretty incredible, and to do this for the advancement of sports science is honourable.

What I’m saying here is: if you ever meet anyone who’s been subjected to a muscle biopsy, or 9, then buy them a drink. We all benefit from the data that comes out of these studies, but not all of us get sliced up while doing an intense workout in the process.

Study Results

The results of the 2011 l-carnitine study can be summarized as follows:

The Carnitine group has no change in body mass over the 24 weeks, where the control group gained over 5 lbs.
Blood total carnitine concentrations were greater in Carnitine group after 12 and 24 weeks of supplementation.
Perceived exertion after the 24 week visit was lower in the Carnitine group compared to the control group
Muscle total carnitine content was 30% greater in the Carnitine group after 24 weeks compared to control.
Resting Free Carnitine trended to 30% greater in Carnitine group over control

The next sub-section is a continuation of the results, but merits some additional focus…

Significant Differences in Metabolic Response to Exercise Intensity

Following the low intensity exercise (50% VO2max) muscle glycogen content was 35% greater in the Carnitine group compared to control. This equated to 55% less glycogen being used during the exercise.

Also, free carnitine was 78% greater in the Carnitine group compared to control.

After high intensity exercise (80% VO2max) muscle glycogen was 71% greater in the Carnitine group over control. This was due to the reduction in glycogen usage during the low intensity exercise and so there was no difference in glycogen usage between groups after high intensity exercise.

However, muscle lactate content was 44% lower in the Carnitine group over control following the 80% VO2max cycling. This means of course that less lactic acid was produced during exercise, which in-turn means less anaerobic ATP production was required.

There was also a trend towards greater acetylcarnitine and free carnitine in the Carnitine group.

Work output performance exercise – the 3rd/last 30 minute exercise spell of “all out” volitional cycling – was found to be no different between groups until the 24 week visit.

At 24 weeks, the Carnitine group acheived 35% greater output compared to the control group. This was an 11% increase compared to the carnitine group’s baseline measured at the start of the study before the visits.

Takeaways from the 2011 Study

This was the first study that demonstrated a reliable method to increase muscle carnitine content, with the co-ingestion of a carbohydrate drink.

The increase of 21% is not small either.

Neither is the 55% less glycogen usage during low intensity exercise. To any endurance sport athletes out there, that result should get you pretty excited because it leaves more glycogen for the more intense efforts.

Also, for anyone who exercises in the low intensity range for fat loss, it should be even more exciting. The energy required to exercise must come from somewhere, and if more than half the glycogen is being used then it is coming from fat stores.

Another blinding result is the large difference in lactate production at high intensity exercise that l-carnitine supplementation appeared to facilitate compared to control.

While the control groups’ lactate production increased at both 12 and 24 weeks compared to baseline, the Carnitine groups increased initially at 12 weeks but then returned to baseline levels at 24 weeks.

Matching baseline might not sound amazing but bear in mind that the men’s glycogen stores were increasing. That increase caused the control group to use more glycogen and thus anaerobic respiration, which produced more lactate.

The Carnitine group at 24 weeks even reduced their lactate production from 12 weeks and saw a zero increase compared to week 0, despite a concomitant rise in glycogen storage.

This again means that more ATP is produced via mitochondrial membrane flux rather than through anaerobic respiration.

All of these advantages set the athletes up for a 35% greater output during the “all out” work output exercise.

What remained to be studied after this was the finding that body mass remained the same in the Carnitine group compared to a >5 lb increase in the control group, despite both groups taking on a calorie surplus from the drink.

There is a hint in the discussion of the 2011 study that it could again be down to the Carnitine supplementation and the upregulated fat metabolism it clearly causes, but they quite rightly don’t stray from the study’s findings.

L-Carnitine Prevents Body Fat Accumulation in Humans – 2013 Study

The follow up study that came in 2013 dealt with that body mass observation during the 2011 study, where the Control group added over 5 lbs on average, and the Carnitine group added no body mass despite all subjects consuming a calorie surplus.

Skeletal muscle carnitine loading increases energy expenditure, modulates fuel metabolism gene networks and prevents body fat accumulation in humans. Francis B. Stevens; Benjamin T. Wall et al. 2013. The Journal of Physiology.

So, while the 2011 study was exciting with respect to muscle carnitine content; physical performance and energy metabolism, the 2013 study took a closer look at the energy metabolism aspect.

Perhaps most importantly for a lot of people, the emphasis on body fat mass could tell them with more certainty as to whether l-carnitine was a viable weight loss supplement.

Let’s recap that 2011 body mass observation:

– L-Carnitine (at 2.7g/day) plus carbohydrates (at 160g/day) supplementation by the carnitine group prevented them gaining a 5 lb increase in body mass, that the control group (carbs only) experienced, after the first 12 weeks of study.

That observation is almost worthy of the following assumptions:

The 5 lbs body mass was fat mass in the control group
The L-Carnitine supplementation prevented the accumulation of that fat mass in the carnitine group

In the 2013 study, the scientists wanted to follow a carnitine + carbohydrate feeding program again, similar to the 2011 study.

Additionally, they decided to measure the expression of nearly 200 genes associated with carnitine and energy (fuel) metabolism in the subjects.

Gene expression would bolster the insight gained from the invasive scientific analysis alongside, plus that of the 2011 study.

Hypothesis: that any change of energy metabolism as a result of increased muscle carnitine content would occur alongside adaptations in expression of genes related to fuel use, mitochondrial function and insulin signalling.

Given the similarity of the study procedure, we should skip on ahead to the results.

Study (2013) Results

Again, just like the 2011 study, the control group put on weight after 12 weeks. The carnitine group did not.

The weight increase was entirely due to an accrual of body fat mass.

Control group gained 4.2 lbs +/- 1.5 lbs of fat
Carnitine group gained ZERO

Energy expenditure also increased over the 12 weeks in the Carnitine group, but not in the control group.

Control group did not increase energy expenditure
Carnitine group increased energy expenditure by 6% compared

Perhaps as important as this finding is that:

Control group – the control group experienced a negative change in energy metabolism compared to their baseline readings at the start of the study
Carnitine group – every member of the carnitine group experienced a positive change in energy expenditure compared to their baseline

This result is almost certainly down to the carnitine group’s increased metabolism of fat which trended to 10% compared to their baseline.

Control group – no significant change in fat oxidation compared with baseline
Carnitine group – trending to 10% increased in fat oxidation compared to baseline

Remember the enzyme CPT1 that I mentioned in the What Does L-Carnitine Do section?

Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) is the enzyme derived from its substrate l-carnitine, and is responsible for the transfer of long-chain fatty acids through the mitochondrial membrane for oxidation.

These long-chain fatty acids arrive at the mitochondrial membrane attached to Coenzyme A (CoA), where CPT1 transfers the acyl group (including the fatty acid) to l-carnitine. This combination can then travel through the membrane to be oxidized.

The 2013 study showed the following:

No change in maximal muscle CPT1 activity after 12 weeks in either group;
however: Muscle total long chain acyl-CoA content at rest increased fourfold in the carnitine group compared to baseline AND the control group (who’s remained at baseline)

This 4 x carnitine content in the muscles is similar to when fuel metabolism switches to fat oxidation during rest periods from exercise where muscle carnitine stores are high.

However, the fact that CPT1 activity did not change counters the other findings of this study. The scientists themselves could not explain this, and determine that further research is required.

A possible explanation would be that CPT1 maximal activity is not solely determined by quantity of CPT1 protein but rather its capacity when dealing with a greater concentration of Acyl-CoA (which Carnitine content causes in the muscle).

Gene Expression

The most “enriched” functional pathways from the genetic testing were:

Fatty Acid metabolism
Insulin signalling
PPAR signalling

All three of which are heavily involved in the processes of fat oxidation/metabolism, carbohydrate transport and triglyceride (more fat) metabolism respectively.

It certainly appears as though increased carnitine content can mitigate the negative effects of carbohydrate caloric surplus on insulin signalling.
Takeaways from the 2013 Study

Once again the advantages of increasing muscle carnitine content were shown with this study.

1. Over 4 lbs of body fat accrual experienced by the control group (just carbs) was completely avoided by the carnitine group after 12 weeks of supplementation and 20% increase in muscle carnitine content, all during carbohydrate caloric surplus.

2. Low intensity exercise energy expenditure increased by 6% in the carnitine group compared to zero in control, most likely due to additional fat oxidatiom.

3. Low intensity exercise fat oxidation increased in every subject of carnitine group, trending to 10% compared to baseline and markedly more than control.

4. Resting muscle long-chain acyl-CoA increased by 200% in carnitine group compared to baseline AND control. This is indicative of a switch to fat metabolism during rest periods. Additional carnitine content in muscles extends process.

5. Seventy three out of 187 genes measured increased expression in carnitine group.

The three genes that changed the most are critical for (a) insulin signalling; (b) PPAR signalling; and (c) fatty acid metabolism – all supported the hypothesis that chronic (long-term and consistent) muscle carnitine loading can improve energy metabolism.

In basic terms, increased muscle carnitine content can increase fat metabolism during low intensity exercise and prevent fat mass storage during carbohydrate caloric surplus.

The potential for increased/improved insulin sensitivity can also be inferred.

What Are the Additional Benefits of L-Carnitine Supplementation?

The above studies focused on physical performance at both high and low intensity, energy metabolism (inc. a genetic context), fat loss and insulin health.

Perhaps the 3 most exciting benefits from those studies are that L-Carnitine supplementation:

1. Triggers significantly increased fat burning as fuel over muscle glycogen

2. Prevents fat mass accrual even in carbohydrate calorie surplus

3. Reduces perception of fatigue significantly during intense exercise

…but that’s not where the reported benefits of l-carnitine supplementation end.

Other benefits you’ll be interested in are as follows:

4. Increased Blood Flow and Muscle Pumps via Nitric Oxide production and protection (Atalay Guzel N et al)[https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/25289711]

5. Increased Testosterone by increasing androgen receptor density – and upregulating them in muscle – tissue (Kraemer, William J. et al)
6. Decreased Muscle Soreness/Damage
7. Improved Recovery
8. Improved Sexual Health
9. Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) improves Cognitive Function

How To Take L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine, irrespective of the specific form, should be consumed with carbohydrates. It’s advantageous to consume protein alongside your l-carnitine and carbs as well.

Without a relatively high insulin spike your l-carnitine supplement is much less effective.

You shouldn’t worry about this though because, as the researchers have shown, it improves your insulin function anyway, favours fat burning and prevents carbohydrate driven weight gain.

Furthermore, it’s wise to split your total daily amount of l-carnitine into two separate servings.

1st serving at breakfast
2nd serving with post-workout meal/shake OR with lunch on non-workout days

Next, I’ll talk specific numbers on dosage and carbohydrate/protein feeding.

Recommended Dosages of Various L-Carnitine Supplements

The following are the average recommended doses of the different forms of l-carnitine supplements:

L-Carnitine

Take 3 grams (3000mg) of straight L-Carnitine a day, following the feeding guidelines

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)

Acetyl-l-Carnitine has a higher absorption ratio from the intestines compared to the other forms and thus can be found in capsule supplements and taken at lower doses.

Up to 1500mg of ALCAR split into a couple of doses over the course of the day should be enough.

L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (LCLT)

This form of l-carnitine is typically used as a performance enhancer and for improving overall power output during a workout. You’ll find it in pre-workout supplements, but it’s still best taken with a source of carbohydrates.

Daily doses of 1-4 grams (1000 to 4000mg) are common but I’d aim for the upper end of that as with straight l-carnitine and take 3000mg of LCLT.

Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine (GPLC)

Similar to l-carnitine and LCLT you should take about 3000mg in total over the course of the day. This form is best for enhancing blood flow and getting a decent muscle pump.

For muscle pumps, it works in combination with other ingredients that boost NO like L-Citrulline.

Protein and Carbohydrate Requirements with L-Carnitine

As previously discussed, l-carnitine enters the muscle tissue via insulin-mediated transport and so consuming carbohydrates with your l-carnitine supplement is recommended.

The research subjects discussed in previous sections of this article took 80 grams of carbohydrates twice a day with the l-carnitine.

I defintiely recommend splitting your daily total of l-carnitine into two separate servings.

Carbs: I would suggest around 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrates would be enough to spike insulin sufficiently for the process to take effect. Do this for both the morning dose and early afternoon/post-workout dose of l-carnitine

Protein: At the same time, a portion of protein should be eaten. Lean protein at about 30 grams should be sufficient (20-40g range is fine). Post workout protein scoops sizes are usually about this much

Your carbs and proteins can be in the form of food at breakfast and lunch or as a well-formulated carbohydrate supplement designed for post-workout use.

Personally I eat a breakfast that includes both of those macros at those rough quantities for my first serving of l-carnitine. For my second serving I either take a combined protein/carb post-workout shake with it, or eat lunch on my non-workout days.

Acetylcarnitine may be taken in between meals as it has a better absorption ratio in the absence of carbohydrate.

Does L-Carnitine Cause Side Effects?

The recommended doses above should cause no side effects. I suggest splitting the daily total into two servings because large single servings can cause a bit of an upset stomach.

With larger than recommended doses, a person might experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain…similar abdominal and intestinal issues that can occur with high doses of BCAAs, Creatine or Beta Alanine etc.

Some people are Carnitine non-responders according to evidence but this isn’t a side effect as much as it is a lack of benefit.

In rare cases of people with seizure disorders using l-carnitine, supplementation can trigger a seizure. Also people suffering with uremia (urea in blood from abnormal protein metabolism) might experience muscle weakness. Obviously, those people should avoid l-carnitine supplements.

Closing Remarks on L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine is a trending ingredient in the supplement industry, and it appears from reviewing some key research that the excitement is valid.

One thing to remember is that L-Carnitine does not appear to have acute effects. In fact, regardless of the 1989 study observations that single doses improved performance across the board, later studies have reliably shown that it requires chronic supplementation to work.

What do they mean by chronic supplementation? – I believe indefinite would be the appropriate term.

The 2011 study that I believe blazed the trail for the present day hype over l-carnitine followed a 24 week daily dosing protocol.

Given that’s as good as six months, it’s safe to say you won’t benefit from cycling l-carnitine on and off.

Some bodybuilders tend to only use it on a cut cycle, which makes sense considering the prevention of carbohydrate driven mass gain is not conducive to adding bulk.

If you work within basic linear progression cycles and enjoy the bulk/strength/cut routine then by all means, stop using l-carnitine when you are aiming for maximum hypertrophy.

Many of you however are probably looking for a supplement that can consistently help you lose weight in the form of fat mass, boost your energy levels, increase your power output and improve your physique.

If that describes you fairly well then l-carnitine looks like a winner. The prevention of fat storage during carb-caloric surplus should be enough for a lot of people to jump on this supplement. The improvements in energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity almost feel like bonuses in comparison.

On the rare occasion that a supplement appears to work for healthy, exercising humans, in terms of fat burning and performance enhancement, it’s a good idea to grab some and see how it works for you.

L-Carnitine is one of those supplements.

BCAA Supplements – Branch Chain Amino Acids and What they do

Updated on April 23, 2020 by Brad Murphy

So what are branch chain amino acids and what do they do. This is article will go some way to explaining what BCAA’s are why you need them.

BCAA Supplements

So, what are BCAAs and why should you care? “BCAA” stands for branched-chain amino acids. There are just three of them and, if you are serious about buildings some serious muscle, it’s a powerful trio that can help you do it.

As with other nutrients, your primary source of BCAAs is probably going to be your food. However, you can also use supplements to top-up your BCAAs.

Lots of bodybuilders use supplements that contain BCAAs. Other athletes use them too because apart from helping you to get bigger and stronger they can help you to train harder as well.

Other benefits attributed to BCAAs include:

Reduced post-workout muscle soreness
Faster healing
Lees fatigue while training
Prevent muscle wasting

Additionally, research also suggests oral treatment with BCAAs may help people with cirrhosis avoid the risk of liver cancer. [SOURCE]

However, first things first. Before we go into all the reasons BCAAs are so important, let’s take a closer look at what they are and how they fit into the bigger picture.

A Brief Introduction to Amino Acids

Food is complicated stuff. You may not realize it but it is. Food provides us with energy. It also contains vitamins, minerals, and the all-important macronutrients.

The three macronutrients are carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Although most food contains a combination of the three, one type of nutrient often comes to the fore. For instance, steak is primarily a source of protein, but it may contain quite a lot of fat as well.

The thing is, before your body can absorb nutrients and put them to work, the digestive organs have to split them down into smaller parts. The smaller parts that make up protein are called amino acids and they are the raw material your body uses to support muscle regeneration and growth.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They enter the body as part of your food, the digestive organs release them from protein and then the body re-stacks the blocks to form those slabs of protein we call muscle.

Of course, nature isn’t really that simple. The human body uses 20 amino acids, but they are split into two main groups.

Essential Vs Non-Essential Amino Acids

Essential amino acids are so named because it’s essential that you obtain them from outside sources. Obviously, food is the primary and most natural source of essential amino acids but you can also get them from supplements.

Non-essential amino acids are another matter entirely. Although they are as essential for muscle growth as any other amino acid, it’s not essential that you get them from food. If your diet fails to provide any of the non-essential amino acids it will go ahead and make them itself.

Of the 20 amino acids your body needs, 11 are non-essential.

The 9 Essential Amino Acids

The 11 Non-Essential Amino Acids

1. Leucine

2. Isoleucine

3. Valine

4. Histidine

5. Lysine

6. Methionine

7. Threonine

8. Tryptophan

9. Phenylalanine

1.     Alanine
2.     Arginine
3.     Aspartic acid
4.     Asparagine
5.     Cysteine
6.     Glutamine
7.     Glutamic acid
8.     Glycine
9.     Proline
10. Serine
11. Tyrosine

Although it’s not strictly relevant to this article, it’s worth touching on the difference between complete and incomplete proteins.

Meat and fish and certain other foods are known as complete proteins.

They are complete because they provide all 20 of the amino acids your body requires. When you eat a sufficient quantity of complete proteins, your body probably won’t have to pick up and slack by making any amino acids itself.

Rice, almonds, and haricot beans, on the other hand, are incomplete proteins.

They do not contain all 20 amino acids. Having said that, eating a carefully planned combination is a good way to rectify this situation. For instance, a portion of beans on toast is a good vegetarian alternative to steak.

BCAAs: The 3 “Very” Essential Amino Acids

BCAAs are essential amino acids that have particular importance and the three share a common bond. “Branched-chain” relates to their unique chemical structure. On a molecular level, BCAAs have an aliphatic side-chain with a branch. Other amino acids do not, but let’s forget the science and move on.

The three BCAAs are:

Leucine
Isoleucine
Valine

Collectively, this important trio is likely to account for up to 33 percent of your muscle mass. Bearing in mind the fact that the muscles also contain a further 17 amino acids, 33 percent is a lot. However, muscle dominance is not the only reason BCAAs are important.

The Role of BCAAs In Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is the process your body uses to build muscle and Leucine is a “key” player.

Exercise breaks down muscle tissue, thereby instigating the need for repair. This breaking down of muscle cells to release energy is called catabolism.

Protein synthesis is an anabolic process and it requires energy instead of releasing it. [SOURCE]

This stacking together of amino acids to build muscle fuels the desired gains in muscle strength and size, but it could not happen without leucine. It’s the most important of the three BCAAs and not without good reason.

Why Leucine Is # 1

Leucine enters the muscle cells and, acting like a key, it activates protein synthesis by triggering the kinase enzyme mTOR. Then and only then can the other amino acids go to work. [SOURCE]

The Role of Isoleucine

Isoleucine is the second most important BCAA. Apart from being necessary for efficient protein synthesis, isoleucine is responsible for regulating energy and blood sugar levels.

Isoleucine also increases endurance and prevents muscle wastage. [SOURCE]

Last But Not Least: Valine

Although it’s not as important as leucine and isoleucine, valine is still more important than any of the other essential and non-essential amino acids. Apart from having a prominent role in protein synthesis it further supports muscle growth by improving nitrogen retention. [SOURCE]

The Value of BCAA Supplements

BCAAs are the three most important amino acids. Consuming them in supplement form gets them into the system faster than food is able to do.

Before the body can put food-provided nutrients to work, it has to break them down into their component parts. The BCAAs in supplements are already in a usable form. All the body has to do is absorb them.

Of course, the process of absorbing them is still going to take a little time, but it will be infinitely faster than extracting them from food.

Along with fat, protein is one of the slowest nutrients for the body to digest. In the case of a pill-type supplement, once the capsule/tablet has dissolved in the stomach the active ingredients should be more or less good to go.

It’s also important to remember pill-type supplements are taken with water. They mix with it in the stomach and adopt a liquid state. Protein powders and other similar supplements are mixed with water before consumption.

Liquids travel through the stomach more quickly than food. That means they reach the intestines faster and pass through the intestinal walls into the blood at an accelerated rate.

When it comes to speed, amino acid-providing supplements have an edge that even the best protein-rich food cannot match.

The fact that supplements can get BCAAs to the muscles faster gives them obvious value. However, supplements of any kind should be used alongside a balanced diet. They should never be seen as a replacement for one.

Want the bottom line? There is a lot to be said for taking BCAAs in supplement form.

Some BCAA Supplement Benefits

The thing to remember is the benefits provided by BCAA supplements are the same as the ones you get from food. Supplements are just faster-acting, that’s all. I know this has already been covered but it’s an important point so it’s worth repeating.

When it comes to hard-trained muscles and about to be hard-trained muscles speed can make a big difference. That’s why so many people experience such good results while using supplements.

Let’s take a look at some of the things BCAAs can do when taken before and after a workout or sports session.

BCAAs Reduce Fatigue and Muscle Soreness During Exercise

A number of studies show consuming BCAAs prior to a workout supports increased physical intensity. This partly due to their ability to delay the onset of fatigue. However, a pre-workout dose of BCAAs can also prevent muscle damage during training.

If you want to get the maximum benefits from a workout you need to put in the maximum amount of effort. BCAAs can help you to do this.

During exercise, the muscles are busy using BCAAs and the amount circulating in the blood drops. When this happens, tryptophan (essential amino acid) levels increase in the brain.

Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin and the resulting elevations in serotonin cause fatigue. This is a well-known fact and is also the reason why so many pre-workout supplements provide extra BCAAs.

The researchers conducting one study on the energizing abilities of BCAAs actually referred to serotonin as “a central fatigue substance”.

As well as establishing the value of BCAAs in the role of fatigue prevention during exercise, the same research also shows BCAAs prevent muscle damage and boost energy. [SOURCE]

BCAAs Decrease Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

A good workout is hard on the muscles. It has to be. If it wasn’t you wouldn’t see a lot of benefit. The same can be said for most sporting activities so post-exercise muscle soreness is only to be expected.

However, some people experience post-workout muscle soreness for a number of days. It can be especially bad for those who are new to intense exercise. People who have taken a short break from exercise can have a similar problem.

Maybe they stopped during their vacation or due to injury or illness. Either way, the break can increase post-workout muscle pain.

Changing your routine often does this too. It’s great for providing muscle confusion and encouraging continued growth. There’s no denying that, but too much muscle soreness is never a good sign. It shows the muscles are still in the process of healing.

Consuming a fast-acting dose of BCAAs post-workout is a good way to accelerate the healing process and improve muscle growth. Research proves this [SOURCE]
However, there is also plenty of research that shows consuming BCAAs prior to a workout also offers good post-workout benefits. [SOURCE]

BCAAs Prevent Muscle Wastage

Research shows BCAAs also prevent muscle wastage. The thing to know is, muscle tissue is being lost and replaced all the time. The catabolic and resulting anabolic processes are normal—a part of life.

The only difference is bodybuilding and sports hit the muscle harder. Muscle wastage happens when muscle tissue breaks down faster than the body can repair it.

A combination of overtraining and bad diet is one possible cause. Certain diseases cause muscle wastage as well. Cancer is one of them.

However, the aging process can do it too. This age-related problem is called sarcopenia and it generally starts to kick in around the time you turn 30.

People who are physically inactive are hit worst. They can lose up to five percent of their muscle mass every decade after they turn 30. Worse still, the process can speed up when you reach 65-75 years of age. [SOURCE]

Obviously, the fact that you are training offers a certain amount of protection. However, we are all only human and it can be hard to make muscle gains when sarcopenia is working against us.

Fortunately, research shows supplementing with BCAAs offers protection from sarcopenia. [SOURCE]

The Bottom Line

So, what are BCAAs and why should you care? If you didn’t know the answer to the first part of that question you do now. As for the second part, that’s pretty much up to you. Do you care?

Whether you care or not, BCAAs are extremely important amino acids and although you should be able to get them from your diet, there is still a lot to be said for throwing a supplement into the mix.

Having said that, if your normal workout is pretty low-intensity you may find eating a balanced diet is enough.

However, if you are more focused on muscle growth or want to seriously improve your strength it could be a different matter. When you train your muscles especially hard you may need an especially efficient way of getting nutrients to them on time.

How serious are you and what do you want? The only person who can answer that is you.

Citrulline Malate – Reduces Fatigue and Helps Provide a Better Workout

Updated on February 12, 2020 by Brad Murphy

So what is Citrulline Malate and can it really improve my workout? Your questions answered.

Citrulline malate is an amino acid compound that’s become a big noise in the gym because of its ability to enhance performance and delay the onset of fatigue.

When you work harder in the gym you can get superior growth and strength increases. You know it and I know it. This is nothing new. Citrulline malate just offers a fresh way of doing it.

What is Citrulline Malate?

Citrulline malate is a compound in two parts. As the name suggests, it consists of citrulline and malate (malic acid).

Citrulline

Citrulline is an amino acid that’s created in the body when the amino acid ornithine combines with carbamoyl phosphate. This meeting of compounds occurs naturally within the body during the urea cycle. If you’ve never heard of it, the urea cycle is the body’s way of disposing of waste nitrogen. ]

The body also produces citrulline during the conversion process that turns the amino acid arginine into nitric oxide (NO). [1]

Malate

Malate is a salt compound that is sometimes used for preserving food. It occurs naturally in nature and, if you’ve ever bite into a sour apple, malate is the substance that causes it to bite back.

The compound is often bound with other ingredients, including citrulline, because it helps provides them with extra stability within the body.

Additionally, some studies suggest malate may have the ability to fight fatigue on its own [3]

Although it’s possible to create citrulline malate via chemical engineering, the compound is also naturally occurring in watermelons.

How Does Citrulline Malate Work?

Using supplements to boost the amount of citrulline present in the body appears to enhance the urea cycle. By doing so, it helps purge extra ammonia from the muscles. This delays the onset of fatigue.

In addition to this, the results of some studies show using supplements to increase citrulline results in greater levels of circulating arginine. This boosts NO. That’s why citrulline malate can provide a better pump.

It’s also one of the reasons why the compound is so good for enhancing performance and encouraging muscle growth.

Citrulline appears to be the key player in this winning combination. However, some researchers have speculated malate may help the body recycle the lactic acid that builds up during exercise and use it for energy.

The Value of Citrulline Malate as a NO Booster

One of the main reasons citrulline malate can be so good for fighting fatigue and empowering your workouts is its ability to boost NO. Let’s take a look at why this is important.

The Problem

Every time you work your muscles you are using energy. On a cellular level, this energy is supplied by ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), which is converted from the glucose shuttled to the muscles via the blood. It’s part of a process called cellular respiration and it can occur with or without oxygen.

When sufficient oxygen is present it’s known aerobic energy production. When there is not enough oxygen it’s anaerobic energy production. Let’s take a look at how the two differ.

During light to moderate exercise, your blood should be supplying the muscles with all the oxygen they need. When you pick up the pace and work your muscles harder your heart and lungs find it harder to keep up with your muscle’s demand for oxygen. That’s why you get out of breath.

Harder breathing supplies extra oxygen and helps things continue as normal. However, when you push too hard the blood can no longer supply enough oxygen. This is when anaerobic energy production comes into play. It will allow you to keep going, but not for long.

After a few minutes of anaerobic activity, lactic acid and ammonia build up in the muscles. The presence of lactic acid causes that familiar burning sensation that forces you to stop. When lactic acid builds up it can also make you feel sick and unwell.

Allowing ammonia to build up is also highly undesirable It’s very toxic to the cells and causes extreme fatigue]

How Citrulline Malate Addresses the Problem

By boosting NO, citrulline malate acts as a vasodilator. That’s science speak for a process that relaxes the blood vessels and improves the circulation.

By improving blood flow to the muscles during exercise, citrulline malate provides extra oxygen. This helps maintain aerobic energy production for a little longer.

Additionally, the improved flow of blood helps flush the lactic acid and ammonia from the muscles after you enter an anaerobic state. This also helps you to work the muscles harder for longer.

Proof that Citrulline Malate Works (What the Research Shows)

The performance-enhancing abilities pf citrulline malate have been well studied. Let’s take a quick look at some of the data that’s available.

Effects on Anaerobic Performance and Muscle Soreness

Data provided by researchers at the University of Cordoba in Spain proves Citrulline Malate provides both aforementioned benefits.

They set out to determine the compound’s ability to enhance performance while performing bench presses. Use of the supplement enabled the volunteers to push through significantly more reps than the members of the placebo group.

In addition to this, citrulline malate also reduced muscle soreness by 40 percent. [4]

Promotes Aerobic Energy Production In Exercising Muscle

This study was carried out in France. Eighteen men took part. All of them were chosen because they were suffering from unexplained fatigue.

After 15 days of supplementing with citrulline malate the changes in muscle metabolism was shown to promote improvements in aerobic energy production.

The researchers speculated this may be due to the compound’s ability to enhance malate supply sufficiently, thereby “activating ATP production from the tricarboxylic acid cycle through anaplerotic reactions”.

Effects on Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils Oxidative Burst and Nitric Oxide Production After Exercise

If you shouting, “Poly what?” I hear ya. Why do these scientific types always have to make things so complicated?

Do you know what? I don’t really even care what “Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils Oxidative Burst” means. All I care about is the study shows citrulline malate is an NO booster.

The guys who took part in the study were all professional cyclists. They took supplements that provided citrulline malate and then climbed on their bikes.

Taking the supplement increased the amount of citrulline and arginine available for NO synthesis. This primed them for the coming burst of oxygen without causing any oxidative damage. In simple terms: the study proves citrulline malate is a good NO booster. [SOURCE]

Additional Benefits

Apart from its abilities as a performance enhancer, citrulline malate appears to have some other interesting capabilities.

Research conducted in Spain suggests using supplements that contain citrulline malate before you exercise may boost human growth hormone (HGH).

In addition to this, the supplement was also shown to enhance the way the body makes use of amino acids. Especially branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). On top of this, the research also suggests citrulline malate may boost creatine production within the body.

Increases HGH

Increasing the production of HGH within the body can only be seen as a good thing. It’s an important hormone that improves fat burning and promotes faster healing and tissue repair. HGH also has anti-aging capabilities and is often thought of as being the body’s internal fountain of youth.

Enhances the Benefits of Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks your body uses for repairing and creating muscle protein. Any compound that can improve the process offers obvious advantages.

BCAAs have greater importance than other amino acids because they make up a larger percentage of muscle tissue. There are only three BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

Leucine is particularly important because it’s the all-important key that unlocks the cells and permits the other amino acids to enter. Acting a bit like a switch, it sets protein synthesis in motion and allows the other amino acids to do their jobs.

Increases Creatine

Creatine occurs naturally in the muscles, but athletes often take it in supplement form. Boosting creatine levels in this way facilities faster healing and growth.

Numerous studies show supplementing with creatine can promote dramatic growth. In fact, one study shows supplementing with creatine can actually double your gains in muscle mass and strength. [5]

Obviously, citrulline malate’s ability to boost normal stores of creatine will be minimal, but any increase is highly desirable.

When Is the Best Time to Use Citrulline Malate?

Different people are using the supplement in different ways.

A lot of people take it 30-45 minutes before their workouts so they can really push their boundaries and train with added intensity.

Others prefer to take it after they’ve finished training to help them heal faster, avoid muscle pain, and help with growth.

Still others take citrulline malate just before going to bed. The idea is it will boost HGH production while they are sleeping and promote faster healing.

There are arguments for and against all three options. Personally, I prefer to use it pre-workout and feel the benefits during training.

Citrulline Malate Dosage

If you are taking a supplement that combines citrulline malate with other ingredients you will need to follow the instructions on the pack.

However, if you are using a basic citrulline malate powder the dose is generally two grams of powder combined with 200 ml of water or the juice of your choice. If the pack tells you otherwise though, go with that.

Citrulline Malate v Arginine

Due to the fact that the body converts arginine into NO, a lot of people wonder why using citrulline malate is preferable to using a straight arginine supplement.

Using arginine is something that was done in the past. However, research continues to reveal the fact that citrulline malate is better.

Strange as it may seem, taking a citrulline malate supplements increases plasma arginine levels better than arginine supplements do. That’s why there has been an industry-wide shift to using citrulline malate in place of arginine.

Arginine supplements are also notoriously hard on the stomach. Citrulline malate is not, so it’s a better option all around.

The Bottom Line

Citrulline malate is a research-backed performance enhancer that can help you to train harder and reap better benefits from all that hard work.

Not surprisingly, it’s becoming increasingly popular with supplement manufacturers and supplement users alike. It’s an exciting ingredient that gets the job done.

Apart from being excellent for boosting NO, citrulline malate also offers a few lesser known benefits, such as boosting HGH and creatine.

The thing to remember is research into the ingredient’s abilities is ongoing. There is no way of knowing what other virtues future studies may reveal.

I’m guessing the popularity of the citrulline malate is only going to increase and that’s no bad thing. It’s a lot easier on the body than many of the other performance-enhancing compounds and supplements some people are using instead.