L-Carnitine is synthesized primarily in the liver and also in the kidneys, and must be transported to other tissues. It is most concentrated in tissues that use fatty acids as their primary dietary fuel, such as skeletal and cardiac (heart) muscle. In this regard, L-carnitine plays an important role in energy production by chaperoning activated fatty acids (acyl-CoA) into the mitochondrial matrix for metabolism and chaperoning intermediate compounds out of the mitochondrial matrix to prevent their accumulation.

L-carnitine weight loss and performance, the effects:

Scientific literature shows that supplementation with L-carnitine on a daily basis increases the blood and muscular concentrations of this amino acid, enhancing fat metabolization and subsequent better performance.

Nevertheless, the researchers pointed out that muscle lactate was reduced when performing high-intensity exercise (at 80% VO2max).

This was not the first study to show that L-carnitine supplementation is able to reduce various markers of metabolic stress and of muscle soreness. Similar results were found by Spiering et. al. (2007) and Jacobs et. al. (2009).

WHEN SHOULD I TAKE L-CARNITINE

One of the best times to take L-carnitine is post-workout, but you can take it with any other high-carb, high-protein meal throughout the day. If you want to stack L-carnitine with other fat-burning ingredients between meals, consider using the acetyl-L-carnitine form.

One strategy I found to work well for both fat loss and performance is to take 2-3 doses of acetyl-L-carnitine with other fat-burning ingredients without food between meals, and to take 1 dose of L-carnitine or L-carnitine L-tartrate with a post-workout meal.

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