Key claims about carnitine
Carnitine is most well-known in the body-building community as a fat burner. But there are many more claims around this supplement that could be interesting to cyclists. Here is a list of the most important ones. Enhances fat metabolism
Reduces body fat
Increases muscle mass
Increases VO2max and reduces lactate production during strenuous exercise
Boosts endurance by increasing fat oxidation and conserving muscle glycogen
The problem with carnitine Carnitine is involved in the process of burning fat for energy. During fasted or low-to-mid intensity endurance rides, fat is the main source of energy. Fat molecules need to be transported to mitochondria, which is the powerhouse of the cell, where it’s transformed into usable energy. That’s where carnitine helps. The problem is that muscles have about 1,000x higher carnitine concentration than blood.To move carnitine from the blood into the muscles, our body uses a transport protein called OCTN2. But there’s a limit to how much carnitine OCTN2 can move. Even if we take extra carnitine as a supplement, it doesn’t usually increase the amount in our muscles. If we can’t get more carnitine into our muscles with a supplement, it can’t produce the claimed effects. Carnitine as a weight management tool Several studies have shown that oral carnitine intake doesn’t alter muscle carnitine levels. Even direct carnitine infusion failed to increase its concentration in muscles. The carnitine supplementation was unable to increase muscle carnitine concentration in these studies for more than one reason: […]
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