This Week In Focus: L-Carnitine: New Section Check It Out

[Mindykins]

correction - i take to help *improve* weight loss, as I am a *slow* loser....

[morgan82]

im so glad i read this...ive been in a stall, and have gone back and 'fixed' everything else in my woe i could think of with no results. maybe this will help me a bit. i just want to lose something again!

[mattkins]

I think the consensus is that it only helps if you take it and then go work-out. Carnitine helps mobilize fat to be used for energy. So if you take 1500 mg and then go sit at your desk and do an office job, you're wasting your money. But if you take 1500 mg and then go run for 1/2 hour, that is when it's truly beneficial.

[cranberry]

Well, I've been taking L-Carnitine for months now. I take 1500 mg per day--500 mg with each meal. I've lost approx 1¼ lbs per week steadily over the past 3 months.

I am going to try this out and take the whole 1500 mg prior to exercise. I'll post again in a few weeks to let you all know if there has been any change in fat loss.

[maryh]

I work out in the mornings, usually 15 minutes or less from the time I wake up, and I am interested in using L-carnitine before my workouts, but it says to take it an hour before working out. Any morning exercisers have any input about taking it on an empty stomach, only 15 minutes before a workout? Thanks!

[mattkins]

I don't have any experience with that. But I'm going to be trying the exact same thing. I've got a couple bottles on order off the internet. When they get here, I'm going to be taking them right when I get up, on an empty stomach (well with about a liter of water) and then within 10 minutes or so working out. I could set the alarm a little early and take them on the first snooze and get about 1/2 hour lead time.

I think your question really is about digestion time. If they are capsules with powder inside, maybe it'd be better to open them up and mix the powder with water then drink that so it hits you faster. ??

[mattkins]

Update! All right my stupid bottle FINALLY showed up. I got up, took 1500mg with nothing but water.... oh wait and 5g glutamine and was on the bike 10 minutes later and........

I did terrible! ...on the first part of the bike. There's a 3 mile stretch where I can usually hold 20 mph the whole way and I was struggling to hold 15/16. But then around the 1/2 hour mark, the part of my trip that is usually the worst was the best. I held 17/18 on the final stretch where I usually struggle to hold 12/13.

So I don't know why the beginning was worse. I had 2 drinks the night before (alcohol) that tends to screw with your ability to burn fat properly. And I was super tired from 4 hours of driving the day before.

I can only guess that the Carnitine needs about 40 minutes digestion time and that is why around the 1/2 hour mark my energy level made a notable turn for the better. I just had 1500mg more right now. It's 45 minutes until I leave for home on another hour bike ride. We'll have to see if this goes any differently.

[maryh]

Thanks for the info, I'm curious how it went on the way home. Any differences today in the morning?

[Uniquely_Ambi]

I've been stalled and very frustrated with Atkins lately. Not Atkins itself, but me and Atkins. I decided to try this sup.

I got some yesterday at the GNC, I don't know how much you guys pay for this stuff, but it's 5.99 a bottle for 500mg 50 pills.

Anyhows, after reading this thread I'm still very much confused. I took some last night before working out, I took some this morning w/ breakfast, some with lunch. I plan to take one before working out and one before bed. What is the thought with this plan? I'm getting desperate for something and when my mind was going towards diet pills I decided to try this stuff first. I've had eating issues my whole life and I really don't need to go back to that.

For working out I've mainly been on the treadmill. Some days I try and do weights, but it depends on my time. After about 30 minutes on the treadmill I go to the sauna for 10 min. and then go home. So, just an idea of the working out I've been doing.

Don't know about effects yet. I know that I started it last night and today my blood sugar seems really off. I'm shaky and craving stuff (being a good girl though). 2big said something about it increasing hypglycemia and I'm already hypoglycemic.

[2big4mysize]

Okay let me see if I can explain to you how our bodies use this compound and how your atkins could be helped if you were deficient in it

First we use two forms of Carnitine in the body uses and in many very different ways, for energy production from fatty acids and for many functions in the brain just to name a few If you are deficeint in either the body can convert one to the other.

Fatty acids are converted all the way down to a 2 carbon moleclue from there larger hydrocarbon form for burning in the TCA energy cycle giving off ATP energy molecules all the way along the alpha and beta oxidation in the mitochondria but they need to get from the cell's cytoplasm into the mitochondria and this is where the carnitine comes in to play.
it is combined with the activated fatty acids by an enzyme on the outside membrane of the mitochondria and shoved inside where another enzyme on the innerside of the memberan seperates them and sends the carnitine back to be used again and again.

The body can create carnitine in the liver from a liver process combining two essential amino acids, Lysine and Methionine. We store a supply of this stuff in our livers too be released during exercise too. We also can get it from our foods too.

So now you are saying my body recycles it and produces it so how could i possibly need more I'm wasting my money. that may or may not be true.

you workout and exercise and your body says I need more energy your body reponds by growing more mitochondria and every cell in your body except your red blood cells have mitochondria so every time you make new cells you need more caritine for those new mitichondria each new cell will be producing as they grow larger and perform whatever their fucntion is in the body. When they are not actively being used they don't need to be using all the transferring molecules so there is no need to keep all the carnitine in the mitochondria and the body shares it with the other bodily processes needing it.
we get a lot of the carnitine molecules from alot of sources but you could become deficient if you body doesn't process enough of it or you don't eat enought to keep pace with your body's growth and energy needs. Those are the people who will see an inprovement in their energy functions when they have more in their systems.

[Yakara]

Re: This Week In Focus: L-Carnitine: New Section Check It Out

I found this online in response to someones question and figured I should put it in here for informational purposes.

The Different Forms of Carnitine:
l-Carnitine Tartrate vs. l-Carnitine Fumarate vs. Acetyl-l-Carnitine
l-Carnitine Tartrate:

Tartrate, naturally found in some foods, acts to stabilize l-carnitine. l-Carnitine is a dipeptide found in great abundance in the body, especially the heart and skeletal muscle. It maintains efficient fat utilization by transporting long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria where they can be broken down by a process called beta oxidation (fat metabolism) to produce energy (1,2). A recent study reported that oral l-carnitine supplementation in healthy subjects promotes optimal long-chain fatty acid oxidation (1). Additionally, l-carnitine helps to clear short and medium chain fatty acids from the mitochondria that would otherwise accumulate over time. This helps to keep metabolic processes running smoothly and efficiently. l-Carnitine also promotes cardiovascular health by supporting ventricular function and antioxidant activity (2-5). Additionally research also suggests a role for l-carnitine in supporting muscle repair after strenuous exercise. The results of one study indicated an attenuation of muscle strain and fatigue when exercisers were given l-carnitine-l-tartrate supplements prior to completing a high repetition strength regimen, suggesting l-carnitine may help reduce post-exercise recovery time (6).

Pure Encapsulations offers l-Carnitine, providing 340 mg carnitine per capsule from 500 mg l-carnitine-l-tartrate. Recommended dosage is 2-4 capsules per day, in divided doses, between meals.

l-Carnitine Fumarate:

l-Carnitine fumarate promotes healthy fat metabolism, oxygenation of the heart muscle, and enhances high intensity training much like l-carnitine-l-tartrate. However, unlike most forms of carnitine, l-carnitine fumarate provides dual support for energy production and cardiovascular function (7) in addition to providing a stable form of carnitine. Fumarate is a key compound in the Krebs cycle, which is the major energy-producing pathway preceding the electron transport chain. This intimate connection with energy metabolism makes l-carnitine fumarate an excellent supplement for enhanced muscle and fat metabolism support.

Pure Encapsulations offers l-Carnitine fumarate providing 340 mg carnitine per capsule from 586 mg l-carnitine fumarate. Recommended dosage is 2-4 capsules per day, in divided doses, between meals.

Acetyl-l-Carnitine:

This acetylated form of l-carnitine is supportive of healthy mental and cognitive function (. The acetyl group is needed for acetylcholine synthesis, a key neurotransmitter for healthy cognitive function, memory, and attention (8-11). Several clinical trials have reported improved scoring on memory, attention, verbal, and logic examinations in those volunteers receiving acetyl-1-carnitine (9-11). Additionally, both the acetyl group and l-carnitine help promote the generation of energy. The acetyl group can break off and form acetyl CoA, important for most metabolic pathways in the body, mitochondrial function, and cell membrane stability (. Furthermore, investigators found the supplement to be well tolerated (9-11).

Pure Encapsulations offers Acetyl-l-Carnitine in 500 mg and 250 mg capsules. Recommended dosage is 1-2 (500 mg) or 2-4 (250 mg) capsules in divided doses, between meals.

http://www.purecaps.com/NewsResearch/newsletter/20030127/index.asp?print=Y

[AndyL]

Re: This Week In Focus: L-Carnitine: New Section Check It Out

I've been taking 500mg a day with Chromium but I feel really tired after taking it. to the point where I could sleep standing up!!

[Ginasfuntime]

Re: This Week In Focus: L-Carnitine: New Section Check It Out

I started taking carnitine about 2 weeks ago and my keto strips turned purple for ever and now 3 days ago my ketyone strips are super light pink that is awful so i don't know if my body got used to the carnatine or what is happening

[djfmf]

Re: This Week In Focus: L-Carnitine: New Section Check It Out

my thought on L-Carnitine. i know it metabolizes fatty cells into energy. i reached a platoe on my diet a few months into it so i started taking the following supplements recommended in the Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution: L-Carnitine, Omega Complex(fish oil), chromium picolinate, psyillium husk pills and coq-10. one thing people believe behind diet pills and supplements that is if they don't work then why invest? i have no scientific proof that these pills work, but since i eat small meals three times a day, drink plenty of water, exercise and take supplements i see weight loss. i just take all the supplments because it's a mental thing to help me believe that it's helping me lose weight(which might be true) but it's also my lifestyle that's also contributing to the weight loss since i'm still on induction.

so here is my wisdom on diet pills and supplements- the are not magic pills and do not work overnight. they do have certain vitamins and other nutrients to aid you in whatever lifestyle you live. we shouldn't depend on them and see weight loss, that isn't the point. if it happens that we seem to lose weight than good since it will differ from person to person and i know for a fact that not everyone is on the same level of losing weight. i recommend taking l-carnitine and the other supplements i'm taking, but that's going towards my lifestyle.