Carnitine
Carnitine is a relatively new kind of supplement with a range
of beneficial and highly promising properties.
Carnitine, derived from an amino acid, is to be found in virtually
every cell in your body. It is the generic term for a family
of compounds that includes L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine
(ALCAR) and propionyl-L-carnitine.
Carnitine plays a crucial role in the production of energy,
transporting long-chain fatty acids to the mitochondria so
that they can be burned to produce energy. It also transports
toxins away from this process to prevent their interference.
Carnitine is concentrated in tissues like muscle which utilize
fatty acids as a form of fuel. The body naturally produces
enough carnitine to meet the needs of ordinary people, but
studies have indicated that athletes who go through intensive
training, such as bodybuilders and weight lifters, can benefit
from supplementing their diet with carnitine in terms of increased
performance, reduced fatigue and lower recovery times.
Studies show that supplementing with L-Carnitine increased
the peak treadmill running speed in marathon runners, and
showed increased ability in other athletes to perform high
intensity exercise for longer, a crucial boost if you are
a bodybuilder looking to push yourself further every workout
in order to stimulate new muscle mass gain.
L-carnitine also decreases lactic acid production and as
a result, glycogen stores are spared. Muscles can work longer
without suffering the effects of fatigue, and this too can
help any athlete participating in high intensity exercise.
The most recent clinical study of L-carnitine showed that
daily supplementation significantly reduced muscle pain and
the damage caused to muscles after high intensity exercise.
Simply put, carnitine substantially boosts the recovery process,
allowing new muscle tissue to form quickly and reducing the
risk of overtraining.
Carnitine has also been variously found to aid weight loss,
improve cardiovascular performance and promote a general sense
of well-being, and is available in powdered or capsule form,
best taken within two hours of completing a high intensity
workout. Some are coated with a time-release action substance,
allowing their active ingredient to be released in the upper
intestine where the body expects it to be. It is also believed
that ALCAR is the more readily processed form of carnitine
supplement.
Carnitine is also a sometime ingredient in fat burners,
particularly thermogenics, because of its inherit function
in converting fat into energy. Carnitine is proving to be
a flexible and potent addition to the range of bodybuilding
supplements, and we believe that it may prove a very effective
boost for those seeking best results from an intensive weight
training programme.
Carnitine
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