Learn all about L-Carnitine
What is L-Carnitine?
Helps turn fat into energy by supporting your cells' powerhouses (mitochondria). Improves exercise recovery & cell function. Fuel your performance!
Benefits of L-Carnitine
- Helps turn fat into fuel by carrying fats into the cell's energy factories (mitochondria)[ref]
"Taking extra L-carnitine is most useful for people who might be low - like strict vegetarians, older adults, or those with certain health issues affecting how they handle carnitine. For healthy meat-eaters, the benefits might be less obvious. The type you take matters: acetyl-L-carnitine seems good for brain health, while L-carnitine L-tartrate seems helpful for exercise recovery."
- Dr. Benjamin Wall, Associate Professor of Nutritional Physiology at the University of Exeter (source)
How to use L-Carnitine
Dosage
500-2000mg daily for general health; up to 4000mg daily for specific health needs (under medical advice)
Timing
Best taken with meals; can be divided into multiple doses throughout the day
Notes
The Acetyl-L-carnitine type seems easier for the body to use ('bioavailable') and better at reaching the brain; L-carnitine L-tartrate is often picked for exercise recovery.
Who should take L-Carnitine?
- Athletes and physically active individuals seeking improved recovery and performance
- Vegetarians and vegans with limited dietary sources
- Older adults concerned with energy levels and thinking ability
- Individuals with specific health conditions affecting how their body makes energy
How does L-Carnitine work?
L-carnitine mainly helps turn fat into energy. It attaches to fats and helps them get inside the parts of your cells (mitochondria) that act like power plants, where the fats are burned for energy (making ATP). It also acts like an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage ('oxidative stress'). It might also affect how your body controls energy use at a deeper level.
Frequently asked questions
Natural sources of L-Carnitine
L-carnitine is mostly found in animal foods, especially red meat like lamb and beef (up to 95mg per 100g). Poultry, fish, and dairy have smaller amounts. Plant foods have very little, so vegetarians/vegans rely more on their body making it ('endogenous synthesis'). Your body makes L-carnitine in the liver and kidneys using basic building blocks (amino acids lysine and methionine), needing enough iron, vitamin C, B6, and niacin to do this.
Potential side effects & risks
Warnings
People with kidney disease or seizure problems should ask a doctor before use; early research raises questions about a substance called TMAO forming in some people with long-term high-dose use
Side effects
Usually well-tolerated; high doses might cause stomach upset, feeling sick, diarrhoea, or a fishy body smell
Interactions
May interact with blood-thinning medicines and thyroid hormones; possibly reduces how well certain seizure medicines work