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Carnitine - Does It Really Help in Weight Loss?



Weight loss supplements are becoming increasingly popular in our society as people with body weight issues attempt to seek out solutions. As such, the availability of fat-burning supplements is expanding quickly, being industry-driven by companies wishing to cash in on the market. In fact, it is likely to expand at a rate at which valid scientific analysis cannot match.

L-carnitine is one such supplement that has a reputation for helping in the fat-burning process. But, does it live up to that reputation from a scientific point of view?

Let's see.

Carnitine is a protein molecule that is composed of the amino acids lysine and methionine. The highest natural content of carnitine is found in red meat. It can also be found in other foods, but in much lesser concentrations.

Carnitine's primary function is related to the shuttling of fatty acids into little structures in a cell called the mitochondria where energy is created in order to finance the body's metabolic needs. In essence, carnitine is involved in the chain of processes that are responsible for turning fat into energy.

Because of this role as a fat transporter it has been proposed that increasing the amount of carnitine in the body through supplementation can have an influence on muscle fuel metabolism, possibly leading to an enhanced usage of fat as a source of energy for physical activity.

Study data has demonstrated that short-term usage does not appear to have any discernible influence on exercise performance parameters via modification of muscle fuel sources like carbohydrates, protein, and fat. However, long-term consumption of carnitine coupled with an insulin-stimulating carbohydrate source appears to lead to an increase in the concentrations of carnitine in human skeletal muscle, resulting in improvements in the usage of energy sources. The effect appears to be associated with performance-oriented exercise and is intensity-dependent.

This effect can also possibly offer therapeutic benefits to those who suffer from obesity and type-II diabetes, conditions in which fat oxidation is known to be impaired.

In addition, carnitine supplementation might also have positive effects on exercise recovery. Those benefits will need to be investigated further to establish with scientific certainty if they are valid. For the moment we are, as in the past, still operating from the perspective of the theoretical.

On the fat-reduction front carnitine has been shown in some research to induce subtle changes in fat usage, but nothing points towards it as being a miracle supplement for weight loss or meaningful reductions in body fat, at least to the degree that retailers propose and users are wishing for.

Unfortunately, the human-based studies on the elevated fat-burning potential of L-carnitine supplementation seem to be quite variable, or show no significant influences. In addition its proposed benefits concerning exercise performance have not manifested themselves consistently in research outcomes. In the end, doubt is cast upon its proposed effectiveness for enhancing fat burning and augmented athletic performance.

From a toxicity standpoint, L-carnitine appears to have a favorable safety profile. However, its usage in relation to long term supplementation remains to be determined and needs to be studied in order to establish a complete safety profile.

In the final analysis, in terms of a weight loss program, L-carnitine may offer, at best, a mediocre fat-reducing effect. As such, in light of the less than stellar results and the lack of definitive scientific conclusions, it is a speculative supplement that might not be worth the monetary expense.


Daniel Eamer is a successful professional personal trainer, author, speaker, and fitness blogger. He is the author of two books: The Fat Burner Secrets and The Muscle Builder Secrets. Visit Dan's website at http://www.danieleamer.com to download the first two chapters of his ebooks for free. Subscribe to Dan's YouTube channel for great fitness content.

Disclaimer: This article is written as a source of information only and should by no means be considered a substitute for the advice of a qualified medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before beginning any new diet, nutritional supplement usage, exercise program, or any other health program. Daniel Eamer is not affiliated with or sponsored by any supplement company and does not endorse any supplement product or brand.

Copyright © Daniel Eamer

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