How L-carnitine Improves Recovery from Exercise

Posted at 9:31 on Jul 6, 2011 by Muscle Blog

Most people think of L-carnitine as a nutrient that, when used alongside a proper nutrition and exercise programme, supports fat loss.

However, there’s a growing body of evidence to show that it also has a beneficial effect on post-exercise muscle damage. This could give L-carnitine an important role in helping you recover faster from training.

A good example comes from research published in the American Journal of Physiology [1].

Ten resistance-trained men received a placebo or 2 grams of L-carnitine daily for three weeks.
Two days later, the men performed five sets of squats (15-20 repetitions).
Blood tests and MRI scans were used to assess muscle damage in the days after exercise.

The results show that muscle "disruption" in the L-carnitine group was a whopping 41-45% lower compared to the placebo.

Several other markers of muscle damage were also reduced, with the researchers concluding that L-carnitine supplementation results in "... less accumulation of markers of purine degradation, free radical formation, tissue damage, and muscle soreness".

A similar trial published last year shows much the same results [3]. Two grams of l-carnitine supplementation reduced both muscle tissue disruption and soreness after exercise, with the researchers concluding that supplementation can “reduce damage to tissues after exercise and optimise the processes of muscle tissue repair and remodeling”.

Although both studies used 2 grams, a University of Connecticut found that both 1- and 2-gram doses of L-carnitine have much the same effect [2]. In other words, 1 gram of carnitine a day should be enough to reduce post-exercise muscle damage and give your recovery a boost.

Editor’s Note: If you want to give L-carnitine-l-tartrate a try (the exact type of carnitine used in the research), you’ll find it in both Creatamax Capsules and Thermobol (caffeine-free).

References
1. Volek, J.S., Kraemer, W.J., Rubin, M.R., Gomez, A.L., Ratamess, N.A., & Gaynor, P. (2002). L-Carnitine L-tartrate supplementation favorably affects markers of recovery from exercise stress. American Journal of Physiology, 282, E474-E482
2. Spiering BA, Kraemer WJ, Vingren JL, Hatfield DL, Fragala MS, Ho JY, Maresh CM, Anderson JM, Volek JS. (2007). Responses of criterion variables to different supplemental doses of L-carnitine L-tartrate. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21, 259-264
3. Ho JY, Kraemer WJ, Volek JS, Fragala MS, Thomas GA, Dunn-Lewis C, Coday M, Häkkinen K, Maresh CM. (2010). l-Carnitine l-tartrate supplementation favorably affects biochemical markers of recovery from physical exertion in middle-aged men and women. Metabolism, 59, 1190-1199

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