If taken correctly, can L-carnitine promote your training and improve your physique? In the gym, this means more endurance and greater pumping. In the mirror, imagine that you have more muscle and less fat. No matter how much you know about L-carnitine, it's safe to use it.

　　Don't be afraid of L-carnitine. Knowing how it works and how to use it will be a good "tool" in your fitness process.

　　What is L-carnitine?

　　Although it is often classified as an amino acid, L-carnitine is not strictly an amino acid. It is considered to be a "vitamin like" and "amino acid like" compound, which is related to B vitamins. When it was first studied in the 1950s, L-carnitine was called vitamin BT.

　　L-carnitine is formed from lysine and methionine in the liver and kidney. However, it is stored in other parts of the body, mainly muscles (including the heart), brain and even sperm. In the daily diet, it mainly comes from meat and other animal products. You can get some from plant products like avocado and soybeans, but generally speaking, meat is the best source, and the redder the better (all kinds of red meat).

　　Carnitine has two forms: d-carnitine and L-carnitine. L-carnitine is a carnitine found in nature and has biological activity. On the label, you will see that it is listed as L-carnitine, L-carnitine, tartrate, or propionyl L-carnitine. They are similar and equally effective. On the other hand, d-carnitine is biologically inactive and cannot be sold and used as a supplement.

　　Acetylcarnitine, also known as acetyl L-carnitine (or ALCAR), is another popular complementary form of L-carnitine. It can be found throughout the central nervous system, where it plays a role in generating energy and producing the important neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

　　Acetyl groups linked to carnitine molecules enhance the ability of carnitine to cross the blood-brain barrier into the brain, where it plays a powerful role as an antioxidant. Therefore, some studies have shown that acetyl L-carnitine may have a protective effect on the aging process and neurodegeneration.

　　What effect does L-carnitine have?

　　L-carnitine helps transport fats, especially long-chain fatty acids, to the mitochondria of cells. Once there, fatty acids are used as fuel by oxygen to produce adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. L-carnitine works on your cells both during exercise and rest, but research has confirmed that it is particularly effective during intense exercise.

　　Without enough carnitine, most dietary fat cannot enter mitochondria and be burned as fuel. But for people who lack carnitine, this is a serious disease. It can lead to muscle weakness, growth retardation, liver enlargement, and other problems. This is why it is considered a "conditionally necessary" nutrient: your body will produce it, but if it cannot produce enough nutrients, your health will be seriously affected.

　　In addition to delivering fat, L-carnitine can also enhance the effect of insulin on muscle cells, a study concluded. This means that it can help maintain low blood sugar levels, even after a carbohydrate rich meal, and also contribute to glycogen supplementation. This is one of the reasons why many people recommend taking this supplement after exercise.

　　Some of the most interesting studies on L-carnitine supplementation have focused on how it improves athletic performance.

　　What are the properties and uses of L-carnitine?

　　The true role of L-carnitine as a fat burning supplement has been confirmed It can help limit fat gain and control weight. If you are losing weight, it can help you transfer fat to your cells for energy combustion.

　　Burning fat as fuel: some of the most interesting recent studies on L-carnitine supplementation have focused on how it can improve athletic performance. In one study, researchers at the University of Nottingham School of medicine asked a group of athletes to eat 2 grams of L-carnitine and 80 grams of hyperglycemic carbohydrates every morning for 24 weeks. The other group ate only carbohydrates.

　　The researchers found that during low-intensity training, subjects taking L-carnitine consumed 55% less muscle glycogen, while their body's ability to burn fat increased by 55%. In the process of high-intensity training, subjects taking L-carnitine had lower lactate level and higher creatine phosphate level, which is one of the main components of ATP.

　　Fatigue resistance: when researchers at the University of Nottingham measured the ability of subjects to resist fatigue in a test, they found that subjects taking supplements could walk 25% more. This may be because they burn more fat while retaining muscle glycogen. In addition, they have lower lactic acid content and higher creatine phosphate content.

　　Reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery: in some human studies, the dose of L-carnitine is only 1-2 g per day, which has been proved to significantly reduce muscle damage caused by strenuous exercise and improve recovery after exercise. 3-6 g it has also been shown to reduce muscle soreness.

　　What is the most important thing? These tests were not conducted by mice, but by healthy, active men and women.

　　Better blood flow and pumping: the effectiveness of this tonic comes not only from its ability to increase fat burning and reduce glycogen consumption, but also from its ability to promote muscle blood flow. The increase in blood flow means that more nutrients and hormones are released where they are most needed during exercise.

　　How did this happen? First, L-carnitine can reduce the oxidative damage of nitric oxide in the body. But it also increases the activity of a key enzyme involved in the body's production of nitric oxide. The end result is higher blood levels of nitric oxide, which not only enhances the energy during exercise, but also promotes the recovery of muscles after exercise.