L-Carnitine

Levocarnitine is a means for correcting metabolic processes; it has metabolic, anabolic, antihypoxic and antithyroid effects, activates fat metabolism, stimulates regeneration, increases appetite. Levocarnitine is a natural substance related to B vitamins.

Increases the threshold of resistance to physical activity, reduces the degree of lactate acidosis and restores performance after prolonged physical exertion. At the same time, it contributes to the economical consumption of glycogen and an increase in its reserves in the liver and muscles.

It has a neurotrophic effect, inhibits apoptosis, limits the affected area and restores the structure of nervous tissue. Normalizes protein and fat metabolism, increased basal metabolism in thyrotoxicosis (being a partial antagonist of thyroxine); restores the alkaline reserve of blood.

It is used as part of complex therapy in adults with intense and prolonged physical exertion, psycho-emotional stress: to improve performance, endurance, reduce fatigue, including in the elderly; during rehabilitation after diseases and surgical interventions, injuries, including to accelerate tissue regeneration; with anorexia nervosa; in diseases accompanied by a lack of carnitine or its increased loss (myopathy, cardiomyopathy, mitochondrial diseases, hereditary diseases with concomitant mitochondrial insufficiency): to compensate for its deficiency as part of complex therapy; in sports medicine and during intensive training (during the training process when working out aerobic performance): to improve speed and strength indicators and coordination of movements, to increase muscle mass and reduce body fat, to prevent post-workout syndrome (acceleration of recovery processes after physical exertion), with traumatic injuries in order to accelerate muscle regeneration.

L-carnitine is prescribed to elderly people in order to improve memory, to concentrate attention and slow down the aging process of the cerebral cortex. Patients with pathologies of the cardiovascular system take this remedy to increase the resistance of the heart muscle to physical exertion.

Elcarnitine is prescribed in childhood with insufficient development of the muscular system, poor appetite, weak weight gain. It is recommended even for premature babies. For adults, the use of L carnitine is also prescribed for severe lack of body weight, exhaustion. Vegetarians take this medicine in order to make up for the lack of levocarnitine in the body.

The drug is used by athletes to increase the effectiveness of training, build skeletal muscles, increase endurance. As part of complex therapy, elcarnitine is prescribed for pathologies of the endocrine system, disorders of the heart and blood vessels, diseases of the pancreas and liver.

L-carnitine and sport

L-carnitine – this medication contains substances in its composition that trigger the mechanism of burning extra calories. Due to its effect, the fat molecules accumulated in the subcutaneous tissue enter the blood, and then into the cellular mitochondria. Here fatty acids are broken down and give energy to the body. The medicine activates metabolism and improves appetite. L carnitine for weight loss is used in combination with a set of physical exercises. Athletes use it during training in order to increase endurance and quickly build muscle mass.

It is a vitamin-like substance that is synthesized, subject to a number of conditions, in the liver. Synthesis requires the presence of amino acids — lysine and methionine, as well as iron and vitamins B3, B6, B9, B12, C. If there is a sufficient amount of protein and vitamins in a person's diet, L-carnitine will be synthesized in his body, but in an extremely small amount, no more than 16-20 mg. At the same time, the daily requirement for L-carnitine in a healthy person is 200-500 mg. It turns out that the liver synthesizes only 10% of the norm that a person should receive per day.

The principle of operation.

L-carnitine is used as a weight loss supplement, but its main function is to improve energy metabolism in the human body. L-carnitine also improves all metabolic processes in the body. Initially, our liver produces it not to burn fat, but to ensure that each cell of the body receives a sufficient amount of bioenergy. 200 mg of L-carnitine is the daily requirement of a person who wants all the cells of his body to function fully.

For reference:

Subcutaneous fat in the human body, under the influence of hormone-sensitive lipases, breaks down into free fatty acids and glycerin. Once in the blood, they combine with albumins, after which they get inside the cells. Thanks to L – carnitine and some enzymes, the fatty acid penetrates into the mitochondria and, as a result of complex biochemical reactions, is oxidized.

The difference between L-carnitine and fat burners.

It is absolutely safe. Many fat burners, which are now being used uncontrollably, contain a large number of stimulants: caffeine, guarana, green tea. Moreover, there are "underground" fat burners containing prohibited components and not certified in our country. Unfortunately, very often they can be found in stores selling specialized sports nutrition products. All these components stimulate the central nervous system, already overloaded with the current rhythm of life, and finally exhaust it. L-carnitine does not affect the nervous system in any way, it works precisely with the utilization of fatty acids.

Are there any features of its use depending on gender?

No. This is a universal supplement. Performs the same function in the body of both men and women.

Is it most effective in combination with physical activity?

Yes, aerobic exercise is one of the key conditions for L—carnitine to work.

How much should I take L-Carnitine to lose weight?

It is necessary to understand how much excess adipose tissue a person has. If this is a girl who wants to lose 3-4 kg of excess weight, we can talk about a dosage of 1-1.5 g per day. If we are talking about a fairly complete person, it is important to understand what we are dealing with: fat or water. It happens that a person is very large, and he thinks that he has a large amount of fat in the body, although in fact it is water accumulated due to kidney malfunction. L-carnitine, even in large doses, will not help him in any way. That is why the dosage and duration of administration is best determined with a doctor.

How to take L-carnitine correctly? Is it necessary to adhere to some special diet?

Yes, definitely. Diet — first of all. The second is proper cardio training, at least 30 minutes, and preferably 40-50. And only when diet and exercise do not bring a visible effect, you can resort to L-carnitine. It is worth noting that the main amount of L-carnitine should be drunk before training.

Does it make sense to drink a supplement at night?

Yes. At night, growth hormone is produced, which regulates fat metabolism. Thanks to him, fats are involved in the energy exchange at night. At night, you need to eat only protein foods, some salads along with proteins, in order to support growth hormone. And if we take L-carnitine before going to bed, it will also contribute to a more complete utilization of fatty acids during the night. That is, we actually sleep for 8 hours, lose weight for 8 hours.

Drinks with L-carnitine are often offered in fitness clubs. The concentration of the substance in them is extremely small, in addition, it is a sweet drink. Is it even acceptable to drink them during a workout?

If you are interested in fat utilization, you do not need to consume carbohydrates. The main task is to burn those carbohydrates that are stored in your liver in the form of glycogen, so that the body switches to using fats as energy sources. And then it turns out that the energy runs out, we throw up carbohydrates, the body uses them again, without including fats in the work. It's the same with L-carnitine bars. From the point of view of weight loss, such a bar is not effective, it has more carbohydrates.

Is L-carnitine used in medicine?

One of the first applications of L-carnitine was in medicine, not in sports. The fact is that this is one of the supplements that began to be used for the rehabilitation of people after a heart attack. Now it is additionally combined with coenzyme Q10. It also contributes to the production of bioenergy in the body. In addition, L-carnitine improves liver function. Another area is gastroenterology. In all forms of gastritis, L-carnitine normalizes the acidity in the stomach well. It is also included in some children's medicines.

Additional effects of L-Carnitine

In addition to the fat-burning effect, L-carnitine has a number of other properties:

• It has an anabolic effect;

• Increases the sensitivity of tissues to insulin, preventing insulin resistance;

• Increases stamina;

• Helps to avoid post-loading acidosis (changes in the internal environment of the body after exercise);

• Accelerates the recovery of skeletal muscles after physical exertion;

• Increases glycogen stores in the liver and muscles;

• Increases the secretion of gastric juice, has a moderate choleretic effect, improves appetite;

• Has an antihypoxic effect;

• Has a neurotrophic effect;

• Restores the structure of nervous tissue.

Anabolic action of L-carnitine

The anabolic effect of L-carnitine has been established experimentally. The exact mechanism of this effect is not yet clear. It is assumed that it is mainly associated with the ability of L-carnitine to maintain the optimal acetyl-CoA/CoASH ratio in cells for muscle function.

It is also suggested that the anabolic effects of L-carnitine may be associated with increased sensitivity of cells to insulin, which is an anabolic hormone.

According to another theory, increased secretion and enzymatic activity of gastric juice and choleretic effect improves the body's absorption of food proteins. But they are the "building material" for muscles.

The anabolic effects of L-carnitine may not be obvious. The volume of muscles against the background of its reception may even decrease. This is due to the fact that fat reserves are spent regardless of their location, including fat fiber located around muscle fibers. Therefore, the effect of taking L-carnitine should be evaluated not by the volume of limbs or muscle mass, but by the percentage of fat and muscle in the body.

The effect of L-carnitine on endurance

L-Carnitine delivers free fatty acids into the mitochondria in cells. During biochemical reactions in the mitochondria, fatty acids are oxidized with the release of a large amount of energy, which preserves glycogen (carbohydrate reserves) in the depot muscles and liver. Since splitting one gram of fat generates twice as much energy as splitting carbohydrates, L-carnitine allows the muscles to work with greater strength and intensity. Athletes often use this property of L-carnitine when taking it before endurance training.

L-Carnitine increases endurance both during aerobic exercises (cardio training, swimming, dancing, etc.) and during anaerobic exercises (powerlifting, bodybuilding, etc.).

L-Carnitine not only helps to better tolerate workouts, but also improves muscle recovery after debilitating physical exertion. It has an antihypoxic effect, reduces the severity of post-loading acidosis, reducing the formation of lactic acid during exercise, increases glycogen reserves

in the muscles and liver. All this leads to the fact that the muscles do not hurt so much after exertion and restore their working capacity faster.

The effect of L-carnitine on insulin sensitivity

One of the new trends in the study of the effects of L-carnitine was the determination of its effect on the sensitivity of tissues to insulin.

The fact is that excess adipose tissue in the abdomen and internal organs (abdominal obesity) has a negative effect on metabolic processes. Obesity of the "apple" type or the so-called "beer belly" leads to a metabolic disorder known as "metabolic stress". Abdominal obesity significantly increases the risk of developing diabetes mellitus, diseases of the cardiovascular system. "Metabolic stress" is a condition that is accompanied by a significant depletion of carnitine reserves in the body.

And a decrease in the amount of L-carnitine leads to a violation of oxidative processes in the mitochondria, which leads to a deterioration in the processes of using fat from the depot and, as a result, can lead to further weight gain.

This is how a vicious circle is formed, slowing down the processes of weight loss.

As mentioned above, abdominal obesity increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis and related diseases, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and this occurs due to the development of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is an insufficient sensitivity of tissues and skeletal muscles, including insulin. Normally, insulin works as a "key" that unlocks the "lock" of cell membranes and lets glucose into the cell for its use as an energy source. With the development of insulin resistance, the sensitivity of tissues to this "key" decreases, glucose is not used by tissues, remains in the blood, and then turns into fat.

Improving insulin sensitivity normalizes the flow of glucose into cells, improves anabolic processes in the body. That is why it is important for overweight people with metabolic syndrome or diabetes mellitus to receive L-carnitine from the outside.

According to many studies [3, 4], it has been shown that the administration of L-carnitine preparations in addition to the diet

and physical activity for people suffering from obesity and diabetes mellitus improves the sensitivity of cells to insulin and can help reduce blood sugar levels.

Indications for taking L-carnitine

Taking L-carnitine may be useful for:

• physical and mental overload;

• violation of muscle tone;

• coronary heart disease and cardiomyopathy;

• reduction of gastric juice secretion;

• lack of body weight;

• anorexia nervosa;

• during the recovery period after prolonged bed rest or surgical interventions;

• chronic cerebral ischemia;

• overwork and lack of rest.

Sources of L-Carnitine

The main sources of L-carnitine are:

• Meat;

• Fish;

• Dairy products.

The daily norm of L-carnitine is contained in about 300-400 g of beef. But during heat treatment, most of the carnitine is destroyed. In addition, excessive consumption of red meat significantly increases the risk of atherosclerosis, gout and colon cancer.

It seems safer to take biologically active supplements containing L-carnitine. In such a situation, you can avoid overeating, which is fraught with excessive calorie intake, and also accurately calculate the dose of L-carnitine received per day.

How to take L-Carnitine

According to various data, L-carnitine is effective both with a single and long-term course intake. However, it should be understood that with a deficiency of carnitine, the body will first replenish the reserves of this substance in the muscles, and only then will L-carnitine preparations begin to have a fat-burning effect. Therefore, it is advisable for people with overweight, diabetes mellitus, impaired liver or kidney function to take L-carnitine in long courses, according to the instructions for use. For those who just want to improve their shape a little, it will be enough to periodically take 750-1000 mg of L-carnitine before training. L-carnitine can be safely taken in the evening — it does not affect the feeling of vivacity and does not disturb falling asleep.

Side effects and contraindications of L-carnitine

L-carnitine has practically no side effects and contraindications. Individual intolerance to L-carnitine or the development of hypersensitivity to the drug is possible.

L-carnitine increases the secretion of gastric juice, which can increase appetite. Therefore, when taking it for a long time, it is better to eat often and in small portions.

Thus, L-carnitine is an effective and safe drug that not only stimulates fat burning, but also promotes the improvement of the body, normalizes metabolism, improves endurance and accelerates recovery during intense physical and mental exertion.

L-Carnitine

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