Let’s start with a simple answer: L-carnitine doesn’t help you lose weight faster or easier. For all those who continue to search for the Holy Grail of the Great Man, this substance is not even a philosopher’s stone. But is it useful for anything? Let’s talk about what we know about this substance, its use and its consequences.
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What is L-Carnitine?
Levocartine, or L-carnitine, is an organic substance that is an amine (a fourth-class amine for chemistry lovers). In other words, the stereoisomer of D-carnitine is “Dextro” carnitine and is not used biologically in animals. This substance is an indispensable component of cellular energy metabolism.
Its function is to mediate the transport of fatty acids into the mitochondria, which are organelles involved in cellular respiration. In these processes, molecules such as fatty acids are “consumed” and converted into energy, but these molecules are inside to enable their transport.
For this reason, L-carnitine is essential and our body produces it in sufficient quantities thanks to the kidneys, liver and brain. Its formation is composed of two essential amino acids, methionine and lysine, but it is also obtained from animal products such as milk and meat (its origin).
Vegetables do not contain carnitine, with some exceptions, but under normal health conditions supplementation with this substance is not required (except in children, as some studies have shown). As a general rule, the L-carnitine we produce is sufficient for proper physical function. So far everything is CLEAR. But, what if we talk about using it as a sports supplement?
What is L-Carnitine used for?
L-carnitine is a supplement that many people use for weight loss. We want to review supplements of this type, to give us an idea of the value they offer. However, is there a reason for this?
We have known for a long time that carnitine is necessary for the proper functioning of the body. Its deficiency can cause very serious problems. In mild cases, L-carnitine deficiency leads to weight gain and fat accumulation. It makes sense if you consider it an important element of fat metabolism.
Therefore, it is not surprising to assume that the additional amount of this metabolite in the body helps to burn fat more quickly. But that is not the case. Numerous studies in both animals and humans have shown that L-carnitine supplementation has no discernible difference in weight loss and fat mass. Not even when used with people suffering from obesity.
Therefore, it can be fairly stated that L-carnitine does not lose weight (nor does it speed up the process). This is also very logical since it speaks to the internal mechanisms of mitochondria, one of the most intimate organelles of cells, and provides one of the most basic processes that exist.
And how about the exercise?
We read a recent study in which researchers have shown that consuming 4 grams of L-carnitine over several months significantly increases the concentration of carnitine present in muscle. This, again, could indicate that we may achieve greater muscle performance after this continued supplementation.
While nothing has helped you lose weight before, it means improving the performance of trained muscles, improving fatigue and muscle energy economy. But soon after, another study overturned these conclusions. This time, the researchers tried to interpret what this increase was associated with and look at things like muscle conditions and metabolites present.
As a result, I’m a bit disappointed. At the moment, increasing the concentration of carnitine in the muscle does not seem to have any effect. This is inferred from an analysis of high intensity exercise, but since the metabolism is the same, the results can in principle be extrapolated to other types of exercise.
So what is carnitine for?
As I was saying from the beginning, L-carnitine, in very simple terms, is essential for life. Without it, we could suffer from fatigue, muscle failure and, in the worst case, many problems that can have fatal consequences. How about supplementing with L-carnitine? It is used to treat various diseases.
L-carnitine is used to treat certain medical problems and conditions, but to date no ergogenic effect has been detected.
L-carnitine helps the proper functioning of the liver in people with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a medical condition that is difficult to solve and has very serious consequences. It is also useful as a treatment for sperm motility and addiction caused by valproic acid, a substance used to treat epilepsy.
However, what we are looking for has to review whether it helps manage body fat or improve physical efficiency. At this time, carnitine supplementation does not show any type of ergogenic help (improving the body’s energy production) or sports performance.
Despite the voices that continue to advise its use, its effectiveness has been seriously questioned and there are good scientific reasons to keep its advocates out of the spotlight. To date, there is no good reason to supplement a diet with carnitine unless it is medically necessary. And it is that this issue of sports supplements is already known: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is not”.
