CARNITINE Supplements Fully Explained

What is Carnitine?

Carnitine is everywhere. No, I don't mean on Campus Protein, I mean Carnitine is found in nearly all of the bodies cells. Carnitine is one of those special ingredients found in supplements because the science behind it almost sounds too good to be true. This ingredient is a naturally occurring (meaning your body produces it) amino acid that plays a vital role in energy. May I stress again, a vital role...hence the reason why people love this ingredient but we will talk about that later. Finally, there are two forms of Carnitine; D-Carnitine and L-Carnitine, however, the L-Carnitine is the only one active in the body and the one we care about. 

Where does Carnitine come from?

Like we said earlier, this is a natural ingredient and found in everyday foods we eat. Our bodies consume them and we convert it to energy for our cells. Carnitine can be found in animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, and milk. The redder the meat, the more carnitine is in it. 

How does Carnitine work?

Now that is one of the most important questions being that the answer is why people take it...and LOVE it. Here comes the science answer...Carnitine transports long-chain fatty acids into the cell so they can be oxidized (or used) to produce energy. 

You know when you are saying you need to burn carbs or burn fat for energy...that is the carnitine in your body (or cells) burning that energy (or fat). 

Are you confused? I got you - Carnitine aids in burning fat for energy. Pretty easy now to understand right?

Main Reason to take Carnitine

Other Reasons?

What are the side effects of Carnitine?

There are very few concerning side effects to supplementing with Carnitine. Most of it has to do with your tummy not being able to handle it. This usually happens at close to 4g or 4000mg of Carnitine per day. You may experience nausea or diarrhea if that is the case. 

Who should take carnitine?

It really seems that taking carnitine for increased “natural” energy and weight loss seems like a win-win. Sip or take it in a shot and you will be giving the body the nutrients it needs to help burn more fat for energy. The more energy you use, the leaner you get. 

Also being that Carnitine comes from meat sources, if you are a Vegan this holds even more benefits. 

If you are any of the “other” reasons above, it seems like it is worth a shot but we always recommend consulting with your doctor before doing anything like that. 

What are the different types of Carnitine and how are they different?

All forms of Carnitine minus D show an increase in cellular energy however, different forms of Carnitine have been proven to also aid in other areas. Here are the different forms:

When is the best time to take Carnitine?

There are three ideal times to take Carnitine: The morning right when you wake up, right before a workout and then right before you go to bed. Being that this is just “natural” energy, Carnitine is and should always be Stimulant Free. It is also ideal to take it 2x a day at around 1500mg per serving. 

L-Carnitine Supplements: 

Pro Supps L-Carnitine 1500

<< Try Pro Supps Carnitine >>

VMi Sports L-Carnitine HEAT Powder

<< Check Out VMi Carnitine Powder >>

MAN Sports L-Carnitine 1500

<< Check Out MAN Carnitine >>

EVL L-Carnitine 500 Capsules

<< Check Out EVL Carnitine >>

 References:

• Rebouche CJ. Carnitine. In: Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 9th Edition (edited by Shils ME, Olson JA, Shike M, Ross, AC). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, New York, 1999, pp. 505-12.
• The editors. Carnitine: lessons from one hundred years of research. Ann NY Acad Sci 2004;1033:ix-xi.

• Cruciani RA, Dvorkin E, Homel P, Culliney B, Malamud S, Shaiova L, Fleishman S, Lapin J, Klein E, Lesage P, Portenoy R, Esteban-Cruciani N. L-carnitine supplementation for the treatment of fatigue and depressed mood in cancer patients with carnitine deficiency: a preliminary analysis. Ann NY Acad Sci 2004;1033:168-76. [PubMed abstract]
• Brevetti G, Diehm C, Lambert D. European multicenter study on priopionyl-L-carnitine in intermittent claudication. J Am Coll Cardiol 1999;34:1618-24. [PubMed abstract]
• Hiatt WR, Regensteiner JG, Creager MA, Hirsch AT, Cooke JP, Olin JW, Gorbunov GN, Isner J, Lukjanov YV, Tsitsiashvili MS, Zabelskaya TF, Amato A. Propionyl-L-carnitine improves exercise performance and functional status in patients with claudication. Am J Med 2001;110:616-22. [PubMed abstract]
• Brass EP, Koster D, Hiatt WR, Amato A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of propionyl-L-carnitine effects on exercise performance in patients with claudication. Vasc Med 2013;18:3-12. [PubMed abstract]
• Ames BN, Liu J. Delaying the mitochondrial decay of aging with acetylcarnitine. Ann NY Acad Sci 2004;1033:108-16. [PubMed abstract]
• Hagen TM, Liu J, Lykkesfeldt J, Wehr CM, Ingersoll RT, Vinarsky V, Bartholomew JC, Ames BN. Feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and lipoic acid to old rats significantly improves metabolic function while decreasing oxidative stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2002;99:1870-5. [PubMed abstract]
• Liu J, Killilea D, Ames BN. Age-associated mitochondrial oxidative decay: improvement of carnitine acetyltransferase substrate-binding affinity and activity in brain by feeding old rats acetyl-L-carnitine and/or R-a-lipoic acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2002;99:1876-81. [PubMed abstract]
• Liu J, Head E, Gharib AM, Yuan W, Ingersoll RT, Hagen TM, Cotman CW, Ames BN. Memory loss in old rats is associated with brain mitochondrial decay and RNA/DNA oxidation: partial reversal by feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and/or R-a-lipoic acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2002;99:2356-61. [PubMed abstract]
• 
  Rebouche CJ. Carnitine. In: Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 9th Edition (edited by Shils ME, Olson JA, Shike M, Ross, AC). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, New York, 1999, pp. 505-12.
• The editors. Carnitine: lessons from one hundred years of research. Ann NY Acad Sci 2004;1033:ix-xi.
• National Research Council. Food and Nutrition Board. Recommended Dietary Allowances, 10th Edition. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1989.
• Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes. 2005. http://www.iom.edu/project.asp?id=4574
• Stanley CA. Carnitine deficiency disorders in children. Ann NY Acad Sci 2004;1033:42-51. [PubMed abstract]