You probably have seen Carnitine products many times in the supplements stores, not knowing what its used for, and rarely bothered to ask, as other fancy products caught your attention more, spending your time and budget on them.
Carnitine is a valuable tool in any serious athletes supplements, and it’s an indispensible tool in the war against fat!
So what is Carnitine? What are the benefits of taking it? What’s the recommended dosage? And what are the side effects?
We will answer all these questions during this article.

What is Carnitine?
L- Carnitine is a substance similar to amino acids and vitamins. It’s made in the body in small amounts from amino acids such as lysine and methionine plus other vitamins like C and B. Natural Sources contain Carnitine aren’t many, and they contain small amount of it, which make supplementing a better choice. Some of the sources containing Carnitine are red meat and dairy products, and it also can be found in very small amount in vegetables. 

What are the benefits of Carnitine?
L- Carnitine has many benefits for the body, most importantly with the fat loss process; it is responsible for the transport of fatty acids to the mitochondria, where they are burned for energy, as such enabling the athlete to lose body fat.
The amount of body fat the athlete loses is directly related to the amount of fatty acids transported to the mitochondria.
As such, an athlete will only burn as much body fat as is being transported by Carnitine; irrespective of the amount of fat loss aids that person might be taking.

Another benefit for bodybuilders is on the androgen receptors sites. Recent research has found that supplementing with l-Carnitine, increases the number of androgen receptors in the muscles – yes the same receptors that use testosterone and are responsible for your muscle growth.

This means that not only Carnitine is a great tool for fat burning; it may also improve the lean body mass, by increasing the amount of receptors which increases the opportunity for size gains.

This is especially useful for bodybuilders with elevated testosterone levels, whether naturally or by certain supplements/compounds. Either way, the user can experience better muscle gains with Carnitine.
And yet another benefit for Carnitine is that it’s shown to improve sexual ability, particularly the erection quality, which may not be your reason for using it, but it’s an additional benefit that you cannot complain about, so enjoy this hardness effect.

Other additional benefits from Carnitine

• Enhances mental quickness
• Slows the effect of aging. Lots of research lately showing that Carnitine has great a great anti aging effect.
• Decreases symptoms of depression and improve mood.
• Supports bodily functions that require high energy.
• Helps improve heart health.
   

What’s the recommended dosage of Carnitine?

The are many different opinions and variances about the needed dosage of Carnitine. The average dosage for long term use is 100-400mg a day, but higher dosage is needed for better result, depends on your tolerance.
A good source I found recommends the following dosages:

• For fat metabolism (conversion of fat to energy) and muscular performance: 1,000 to 2,000 mg usually divided into two doses throughout the day, with 3 weeks on 1 week off.
• For treating Male infertility and improving sexual performance: 300 to 1,000 mg three times daily.
• For improving heart health and for people with heart diseases: 600 to 1,200 mg three times daily, or 750 mg twice daily.
• For treatment of Chronic fatigue syndrome: 500 to 1,000 mg three to four times per day.

Of course you should always consult with your doctor or health provider before taking anything new.

What are side effects of supplementing with Carnitine?
Side effect are rare and often occur with high doses 500mg +.
Insomnia that’s why it’s better to take the dosages early in the day to avoid. Nausea a good to prevent that is by spreading the daily dosage into smaller dosages throughout the day and taking it with food.
Other less common side effects are: Body odor, rash and diarrhea.

To summarize:
Carnitine is an indispensable tool in the fat loss process – this is the main use for it. However, whether your goal is to lose fat, compete, add muscles, feel young, or even improve your sex life, Carnitine can help you.
 

Shady Eid is a certified Personal Trainer, writer and competitive bodybuilder based in UAE, for questions and comments you can contact him at: Shady@arabianmuscles.com