L-carnitine - the "taxi" for your fat reserves from the body

L-carnitine - the "taxi" for your fat reserves from the body

Today we want to take a look at L-carnitine, a hotly debated topic.

No dietary supplement (except perhaps creatine) has ever caused as much discussion, studies and headlines as L-carnitine. Some even call it a miracle cure. But is it really? Or is there probably something more to it, like z.B. Diligence and ambition?!

My aim with this article is to show you that it can be a very effective and very useful tool for you to reach your goal faster and more efficiently, no matter what it may be. So let's take a very simple approach.

What exactly is L-carnitine?

Well, when we talk about L-carnitine, we basically mean a naturally occurring chemical compound in the body, consisting of the two amino acids methionine and lysine. The cofactors vitamin C, iron, vitamin B6 and niacin are important for its production (synthesis)!

It can only be produced by the liver, kidneys and brain, while the majority of it is absorbed through the daily diet. It is partly protein-bound and can be found in the red blood cells, the so-called erythrocytes. Approximately 95% of the total amount is found in the skeletal muscles.

Important foods in which L-carnitine is found are z.B.

Beef 56-137mg

Pork 22-33mg

Chicken meat 2.5-33mg

Whole milk 3.3mg

Butter 0.5mg

Wholemeal bread (wheat) 0.362mg

White bread 0.146mg

Hen's egg 0.01mg

Rice, cooked 0.014mg

Potatoes 0.013mg

Peas, cooked 0.006mg

green beans, cooked 0.003mg

Broccoli, fresh 0.003mg

Pears 0.002mg

Orange juice 0.002mg

in mg per 100g (list according to Broquist 1994)

However, bear the following in mind: L-carnitine is water-soluble! This means that when cooking the o.g. Some of the foodstuffs have enormous losses!

The requirement for carnitine is usually 0.23-0.25mg per kilogramme of body weight. Approximately 30-35mg per day are taken in with food. Vegetarians or vegans often only consume up to 2mg per day. The body's own synthesis amounts to approx. 15-17mg per day.

The special feature of carnitine is that it is not used up during the transport of fatty acids and therefore an even higher intake of carnitine does not mean higher fat consumption!

The effect of L-carnitine in the body?

The best way to explain the effect of L-carnitine is to break it down to primary school level. Let's imagine the following: Many people, several taxis and several hotels.

The guests are the "free fatty acids"

The L-carnitine is the "taxis"

The mitochondria or the so-called power stations of the body are the "hotels".

In order to have as many guests available as possible, i.e. free fatty acids, we have to give the body the signal to use precisely these to provide energy. The best and most effective way to do this is through a low-carbohydrate diet (z.B. Low carb, no carb, paleo, etc.). This is precisely when the organism is logically forced to release fatty acids in order to utilise them as energy. The more fatty acids you provide, the more taxis are needed to bring the "guests" to the "hotels".

In the case of deficiency symptoms of "taxis", there is therefore a reduced transport of the "guests", i.e. fatty acids, into the "hotels" or mitochondria.

L-carnitine is therefore ideal for optimising body fat reduction.

What other benefits does L-carnitine offer me?

L-carnitine is fundamentally involved in the metabolism and energy supply of fats.

It has a positive effect on the immune system and thus helps to cope with stress of any kind (physical and mental).

It promotes the body's ability to regenerate after training stimuli and therefore also helps to increase strength and indirectly muscle growth.

It increases mental performance and promotes concentration.

It can help to increase motivation if you lack motivation.

It also has a positive effect on the formation and quality of sperm production.

Higher fat burning with L-carnitine?

The human body is a very intelligent and at the same time complicated system. Just like water, the body always seeks the path of least resistance. This means that it simply utilises the energy that is most easily and quickly available.

As a rule, these are carbohydrates. However, it can also be the other two macronutrients fat and protein. Since muscle protein is known to secure your muscles and therefore your basal metabolic rate, this source should ideally be spared. This is where the ingenious effect of L-carnitine comes into play! It helps to reduce the catabolic (breakdown) processes in a hard, calorie-reduced diet and prevents your body from using your hard-earned muscles for energy.

The purpose of L-carnitine is to provide free fatty acids for energy production. Countless studies have shown that test subjects who used L-carnitine experienced increased fat loss.

Deficiency symptoms result in a reduced transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria, as well as a slower supply of energy from food and body fat.

Conclusion

I hope that I have been able to help you with my article. Based on my many years of experience as an athlete and also as a preparer for many international greats, I can summarise that L-carnitine and the general use of nutritional supplements can never compensate for a poor diet. However, L-carnitine in particular has a very positive effect on your fat burning and all other bodily mechanisms if you eat a smart diet!