L Carnitine Bodybuilding Benefits
L-Carnitine Bodybuilding Supplements (also known as l-carnitine, acetyl l-carnitine, l carnitine l-tartrate) are used in bodybuilding to keep body fat under control while building muscle.
If you tend to gain too much fat as you increase your calories to build muscle, L-Carnitine is a great way to help you stay lean.
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L-Carnitine bodybuilding supplement dosage*
- The recommended bodybuilding dosage of L-Carnitine is 1000-4000 mg per day. This is the form most effective for exercise performance.
- 500-2500 mg per day Acetyl-L-Carnitine. This form is best for brain function benefits.
It is best to take an l-carnitine supplement dose with food, as it has been shown that carbohydrates help the body absorb it more efficiently.
L-Carnitine Bodybuilding Uses and weight loss Benefits
- Carnitine helps convert fatty acids into energy to be burned during exercise.
- Carnitine Supports weight loss, fat burning, muscle building and enhanced brain function.
Also see this Article on How to Take L-Carnitine Correctly to Boost Your Training
L-Carnitine Bodybuilding Rating:***
3 out of 5 stars for bodybuilding benefits.
Check out other supplements for fat and weight loss such as Green Tea Extract and CLA.
L-Carnitine Side Effects
As with any supplement, always check with your doctor before taking Carnitine. Most people will experience no side effects when taking the prescribed Carnitine bodybuilding dosage, but those with medical conditions may experience difficulty sleeping, nausea, vomiting, increased heart rate, and other symptoms.
What is L-Carnitine, Uses and how does benefit bodybuilders?
For in depth information, see Carnitine at Wikipedia. Here are some of the bodybuilding uses and benefits of Carnitine:
- Carnitine supplement is one of the top 10 supplements with bodybuilding benefits recommended by experts. It is so powerful because it helps in the two most important areas for a bodybuilder, fat burning and muscle growth.
- Carnitine has been shown in studies to enhance muscle building by increasing androgen receptors in muscle cells. This promotes growth by allowing more testosterone to be used.
- Carnitine also benefits weight loss and removing body fat by promoting fat utilization and enhancing carb storage.
- Carnitine is a type of non-essential amino acid, that transports fatty acids into the energy producing parts of cells.
- Carnitine is known as an amino acid-like/vitamin-like supplement. This is kind of an unusual categorization, because although carnitine is formed from amino acids, it is actually more complicated than that. It is formed in the liver and kidneys from the amino acids lysine and methionine.
- The B vitamins and vitamin C also play an important role in forming carnitine. After it is formed in the liver and kidneys is stored primarily in muscle tissue, the brain, and even in sperm. This is why most scientists refer to carnitine as an amino acid like/vitamin like substance.
Types of Carnitine
There are actually two types of carnitine: D-Carnitine and L-Carnitine. We are interested only in the L form, as this is the one that is found in nature and performs biological functions. The D form on the other hand, is inactive and actually can have negative effects on the body. But don’t worry about that, because the L form is the only one that is available for sale in the United States.
Carnitine is primarily marketed as a fat burning supplement, which it is, but we now know that it has several other benefits as well. These benefits include the support of muscle tissue growth and improving brain function.
Carnitine as a Fat burning supplement
Carnitine supplement’s primary function is as a fat burner. It is necessary for fat to be transported into the mitochondria of cells to be burned as fuel. If carnitine levels in the body are low, such as when on a low carb diet, fat is not efficiently burned during workouts, and the rate of fat loss is diminished.
Carbohydrate storage
Carnitine also aids in the proper storage of glycogen, which is the main muscle fuel during intense workouts. When muscles contain adequate glycogen, they become full and large, and have enough energy for the next workout.
Carnitine as a Muscle growth supplement
There is evidence that carnitine can improve oxygen, hormone and energy delivery to muscles by boosting nitric oxide levels which is desired in bodybuilding. In addition, research done at the University of Connecticut, determined that carnitine increases the amount of testosterone receptors inside muscle cells. These are known as androgen receptors an the more of these you have in your cells, the more testosterone can be used to stimulate muscle growth.
Brain function enhancement
Carnitine has also been shown to provide mental benefits. Acetyl-L-carnitine especially helps produce energy throughout the central nervous system. Because of this, research has shown that acetyl-L-carnitine helps to protect against aging and neurodegeneration. These properties can help to retain memory more effectively and improve general brain function.
There are several types of carnitine supplements available, including L-carnitine, Acetyl-L-carnitine, L-carnitine L-tartrate and propionyl-L-carnitine. L-carnitine is the simplest, least expensive and most common form of the supplement. This is the form to use if fat loss is your primary goal.
Acetyl-L-carnitine has acetic acid attached which helps it to get into the brain due to the fact that it passes more freely across cell membranes. This type of carnitine supplement is much more expensive than standard l-carnitine. Propionyl L-carnitine is L-carnitine with the propionate group attached. This helps carnitine get absorbed by muscle tissue and provides energy.
Although different tests were done in with different forms of carnitine supplements, the basic L-carnitine supplement should provide most of the same benefits, such as fat burning, higher nitric oxide levels, etc.
L-Carnitine Health benefits:
Carnitine has been found to help with heart conditions such as Angina. It has been found to stabilize this condition, as well as allow Angina sufferers to exercise with less discomfort.
Also, some studies have shown benefits to taking Carnitine after a heart attack in order to reducethe chances of a future heart attack. There are also studies that show no difference, indicating it may help under certain circumstances.
Never self-medicate without checking with your Physician.
*Dosages are only general recommendations. Always check with your Physician and product label before taking any supplement or medication.