L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine is a nutrient that plays an essential role in the body's energy metabolism. L-Carnitine is not an amino acid, but does behave a lot like one - it is actually made with the two amino acids lysine and methionine (along with other vitamins and minerals) within the body naturally when it is required. Whilst the body can produce L-Carnitine on its own it takes a lot of work to do so, and the lysine that is used comes from your muscles (catabolism) - not great for anyone wanting to keep muscle mass! L-Carnitine can be obtained through diet - it is found in meat (particularly red meat) and fish, and also in tiny quantities in some plants. Generallly speaking we can expect to consume between 30-300mg of L-Carnitine every day in food.

L-Carnitine is used by the body primarily for producing energy from fat, by transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria (sometimes called the "furnace") of the cell, where it is used for energy ("fat burning"). Whilst this is the main selling point of L-Carnitine as an important part of any fat loss supplement plan, L-Carnitine does have several other important uses. For athletes (both cardiovascular and resistance/weight trainers) L-Carnitine has been shown to ensure athletic endurance and recovery. L-Carnitine has also been shown to prevent the onset of fatigue during exercise, which means you can train harder for longer. It does this by countering the constriction of the blood vessels caused by physical exertion, thereby improving blood circulation and oxygen to the muscles. L-Carnitine is also particularly important as a supplement for vegetarians and the elderly. This it becuase as people get older they tend to eat less red meat (to avoid high cholesterol for example) and also as you get older, your body tends to use more protein in muscles for energy instead of using fat. Using L-Carnitine can help to boost the fat metabolism meaning less muscle loss and better fat metabolism.

L-Carnitine is a natural and essentially single ingredient. L-Carnitine is the naturally occurring and active form of carnitine, there is also a synthetic version (called D-Carnitine) - D-Carnitine should never be consumed as it has no beneficial side effects and actually leads to a deficiency in L-Carnitine. This isn't anything to worry about though, as any reputable branded L-Carnitine will be 99.9% pure L-Carnitine - so just make sure to buy a well known brand. Another supplement that can be confused with L-Carnitine is Acetyl-L-Carnitine - this is NOT the same thing and is more of a mental boosting supplement than a weight loss supplement!

L-Carnitine should be taken in the morning, at lunchtime and in the early afternoon. It is not recommended to take L-Carnitine in the evening or before going to bed because elevated dosages can make you more restless and make getting to sleep difficult. L-Carnitine should be taken in dosages no larger than 500-1000mg either during or after a meal. As part of a weight loss regime you should aim to take around 2-3g daily although for athletic performance many people used 3-5g per day before competing.

Because L-Carnitine is a natural substance within the body it is safe and can be taken on a long term basis without side effects. Taking very large dosages can result in mild, transient diarrhoea in some people however taking the recommended 3g per day will not have this effect.