L Carnitine for Weight Loss and Physique
L Carnitine (I-C) for Weight Loss and Physique Injectable vs oral, deficiency, sport performance, dosage, side effects, etc.
Intro
So glad to have you here and reading my posts. L Carnitine is so fascinating. I am fascinated by physiology, hypertrophy, the science behind health, nutrition, fitness, etc. For those new, consider subscribing to access more. This is not medical advice, you should always consult with a medical professional before starting a new workout plan and/or using supplements. This is for entertainment/informational purposes only.
What is L-Carnitine?
L-carnitine has grown in popularity as it is an essential amino acid derivative that’s important in most mammals’ energy production function. What is meant by amino acid derivative is they help to enhance physical and mental performance; thyroid-stimulating hormones (TSH) is an example of amino acid derivative. The chemical L-carnitine is made naturally in the body synthesized primarily in the liver, but also the kidneys. It basically helps turn fat into energy. Their are 9 essential amino acids that we need in our diet. See pic below of the 9 essentials.
Lysine (lie-seen)
Methionine (meth-eye-own-een)
Isoleucine (iso-lou-sin)
Tryptophan (trip-to-fan)
Histidine (hist-a-deen)
Threonine (three-no-neen)
Phenylalanine (fen-luh-lah-luh-lien)
Valine (va-leen)
Leucine (lou-sin)
Now that we know the 9 essential amino acids, how does the body make L-carnitine?
Your body can produce L-carnitine from the 2 essential amino acids, Lysine (lie-seen) and Methionine (meth-eye-own-een). For the body to produce L Carnitine in sufficient amounts, vitamin C is also essential. L Carnitine is also found in meat and fish. The word carnitine is derived from the Latin word carnus, meaning meat. Or carne in spanish… :) So the more red the meat is, the higher the carnitine content.
How Does it Work and How to Use and How Long?
Basically L-carnitine (I-C) works by transporting fat cells to the mitochondria to be “burned” aka oxidized and converted to energy, which is a good thing. I’m not too sure if the following is true as I haven’t found a scientific publication on the accuracy of this statement, but it’s said to be that the rate of fat burn seems to be proportional to the intake of I-C. You’ll find that I-C is available at weight loss clinics or part of a weight loss regimen. You can get I-C in powder form online (just search L carnitine powder), and put it in a smoothie pre workout; however, their is a conundrum for oral vs injectable I-C on which is better in other words which works best and is bioavailable. Injectable I-C seems to be more bioavailable, which means the ability of the substance to be absorbed and used by the body.
In this study, it was researched the effects of l-C on exercise performance, and it was concluded that the sweet spot for good outcomes of I-C seems to be 9-24 weeks pre workout for high intensity workouts:
In summary, l-C supplementation with 3 to 4 g ingested between 60 and 90 min before testing or 2 to 2.72 g/day for 9 to 24 weeks improved high-intensity exercise performance. However, chronic or acute l-C or GPL-C supplementation did not present improvements on moderate exercise performance.
Mielgo-Ayuso J, Pietrantonio L, Viribay A, Calleja-González J, González-Bernal J, Fernández-Lázaro D. Effect of Acute and Chronic Oral l-Carnitine Supplementation on Exercise Performance Based on the Exercise Intensity: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2021 Dec 3;13(12):4359. doi: 10.3390/nu13124359. PMID: 34959912; PMCID: PMC8704793.
Self Administer, Price
So what should you do? If you do injectable that’s at your own risk, but you can also just buy the powder form; or you can go to a clinic and get the injectable form. The problem with this is the price with getting it at a clinic. Normally they’ll charge $200+ for a 100mg/ml vial and maybe have a consult with a doctor. Keep in mind, genetics play a big role and your diet. You definitely should monitor your blood work when using supplements, and in general you ought to consider checking blood work regardless. 1x/year is only a snapshot in time.
Injectable L-Carnitine Uses
It’s not uncommon to inject intramuscularly or intravenously. It’s relatively simple, you can use a insulin syringe (100mg/1 ml) like this and depending on the concentration of the I-C, if it’s 600mg/ml then ½ of the insulin syringe is 300 mg.
Once loaded you simply inject slowly into the deltoid seems to be easiest, but can also do it in the trap, lats, rectus femoris, or glute. For example, here they tell you to do frontal thigh area. I caution you though because if not done properly can tighten the muscle. Medial Deltoid is much easier and works just fine. You always inject at a 90 degree angle and always wash your hands before process, and sanitize the area before injection.
Cautions, Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) Metabolism
Just like any over the counter supplement, their are precautions one must take when using a ‘foreign’ substance or in other words using a exogenous substance. One thing to note is the organic compound called Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) (tri-meth-ul-lamb-een), which when cause atherosclerosis (build up of plaque in arterial walls). To reduce TMAO levels, consider minimizing full-fat dairy products (whole milk, egg yolk, cream cheese, and butter); both processed and unprocessed red meat (beef, pork, lamb, and veal), as well as nutritional supplements and energy drinks containing choline, phosphatidylcholine.
What does TMAO have to do with I-C? According to this study, it’s wise to always check blood work before and after usage of a exogenous substance; for, the usage of I-C is associated with elevated levels of TMAO (which is not good); however, I’d confer with the researchers on how intense the workouts were and what the diet was like for the people in the research. Keep in mind when reading research papers that data can be manipulated to sell a new theory, product, service or come up with a medical intervention. Science is not black or white…it’s gray. I am putting the information below for your awareness. I-C still works wonders and it’s helped a lot for my leanness as long as taken with caution.
Research paper #1:
Oral L-carnitine supplementation significantly increased total, free, acyl carnitine, and plasma TMA and TMAO levels, whereas it decreased markers of vascular injury and oxidative stress such as sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and MDA levels. TMA and TMAO levels at baseline were correlated with each other, and free carnitine was independently associated with TMAO levels. Furthermore, change in AGE values from baseline ([INCREMENT]AGE) was positively correlated with [INCREMENT]sICAM-1 (P = 0.043) and was a sole independent determinant of [INCREMENT]sICAM-1 (R2 = 0.133, P = 0.043).
Fukami, Kei MD, PhD*; Yamagishi, Sho-ichi MD, PhD†; Sakai, Kazuko MD, PhD*; Kaida, Yusuke MD, PhD*; Yokoro, Miyuki PhD*; Ueda, Seiji MD, PhD*; Wada, Yoshifumi MD, PhD‡; Takeuchi, Masayoshi PhD§; Shimizu, Makiko PhD¶; Yamazaki, Hiroshi PhD¶; Okuda, Seiya MD, PhD*. Oral L-Carnitine Supplementation Increases Trimethylamine-N-oxide but Reduces Markers of Vascular Injury in Hemodialysis Patients. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology 65(3):p 289-295, March 2015. | DOI: 10.1097/FJC.0000000000000197
Research paper #2
The TMAO increase due to l-carnitine supplementation is mildly associated with a worse lipid profile even in an elderly female population undergoing regular resistance training. l-carnitine supplementation increases D-loop methylation in platelets, but this cannot be directly correlated to the TMAO increase observed in the same group. D-loop is confirmed as among the most responsive areas in terms of methylation variations due to environmental exposure; its increase predicts a more favorable lipid profile, corroborating the hypothesis that l-carnitine supplementation can exert positive effects on the cardiovascular system despite the induced TMAO elevation. Hence, our study supports the hypothesis that the correlation between TMAO and atherosclerosis might be more complex than already postulated and that alteration of mtDNA methylation in platelets (whose dysfunctions have been already associated with CVD [84,85]) could be involved in the pathogenesis of this multifactorial disease. Although a mechanistic explanation for the role of mtDNA methylation is still missing and a limited number of evidence on this topic exists, this pilot study supports the hypothesis that mtDNA methylation could be an interesting potential biomarker of both exposure and disease; indeed, it is important to highlight this new research field and its potential application in order to promote further investigations that could help to unveil the involved pathways and substantiate its usage in clinical practice. The growing research field of mitochondrial epigenetics shows, in particular, an interesting potential in CVD prevention, especially in association with other existing biomarkers whose meaning is still under investigation. Further studies in wider populations are necessary to validate the usage of l-carnitine supplementation in clinical practice.
Bordoni L, Sawicka AK, Szarmach A, Winklewski PJ, Olek RA, Gabbianelli R. A Pilot Study on the Effects of l-Carnitine and Trimethylamine-N-Oxide on Platelet Mitochondrial DNA Methylation and CVD Biomarkers in Aged Women. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Feb 5;21(3):1047. doi: 10.3390/ijms21031047. PMID: 32033285; PMCID: PMC7037757.
Conclusions
In general, L-carnitine may be safe at recommended dosage levels and under the supervision of a MD is recommended, but their are ways to get it as shown in link below. L-Carnitine can be made at home since it’s just a amino acid..simply google L Carnitine at home. Side effects include diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea.
As we just went over their is an increased risk of cardiovascular issues such as atherosclerosis with prolonged use of l-carnitine. I think genetics play a big role in this so I wouldn’t be too concerned if you are monitoring your blood work specifically the lipid panels. Although things can still happen, that could be said with any medical intervention and the such alike. I-C is still a useful product for physique and weight loss. A good way to look at it is even if the lipid panels increase on your blood work, that is only a snapshot in time. It does not mean it’ll stay that way. You shouldn’t be on I-C for life anyways as it’s usually a temporary use for a desired effect.
That’s all for now. Consider subscribing to the page for more. You’ll get access to the workout plans I make and more great content.
Example of L Carnitine powder form : just a link a found on the web. You can put this in your preworkout drinks, and see if you get results from it. Or you can do the intramuscular route (IM) which may be more bioavailable.
Stay safe and healthy!
Yelena