L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine was discovered in 1905 due to its high concentration in muscle tissue. While initially erroneously considered a vitamin, carnitine has been relabeled since it is capable of being synthesized directly in the human body[1].
Carnitine is most well known for its involvement in the oxidation of fatty acids to promote weight loss in users, while also helping to decrease post exercise lactic acid, leading to benefits in training/athletic performance, and enhanced recovery rates.
What it does
Evidence suggests carnitine may be able to reduce body weight, yet these results slow over time[2], increase time to exhaustion during exercise[3], and increase rates of fat oxidation[4].
How it works
Carnitine is primarily used in the body to transport fat into the mitochondria of our cell. Once fat is in the mitochondria, it is then able to be oxidized or “burned” to create ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which our body uses for all muscular contractions.
Dosing
Most studies find that doses of 2g/day help increase time to exhaustion, decrease fat mass, and increase fat oxidation. Larger results can be expected with larger doses.