When to Take L-Carnitine: Best Time & Dosage

L-carnitine has develop into quite popular within the fitness industry over the past few years because it’s develop into well-known for its ability to support weight reduction, fight disease, improve health and brain function, and lead to higher aging.

And as a naturally produced amino acid, it seems to pop up in every recent fat burner as the newest “must-have” ingredient. But what exactly is L-carnitine, and the way does it work? 

In this text, we’ll see if l-carnitine is all it’s cracked as much as be, together with providing you with the very best time, dose, and method to take it for optimal results.

Table of Contents:

• What Is L-Carnitine?
• Different Sorts of L Carnitine
• Advantages Of Acetyl L Carnitine
• How And When To Take L Carnitine
• When To Take L Carnitine For Fat Loss
• What Is The Best L Carnitine Dosage?
• L-Carnitine Dosage For Weight Loss
• Is L Carnitine Protected?
• How Long Should I Take An L-Carnitine Complement?
• The Best Fat Burner With L-Carnitine
• FAQs

What Is L Carnitine?

L-carnitine is an amino acid that is of course occurring in the environment in addition to our bodies.

Your body can produce l-carnitine naturally by synthesizing the amino acids lysine and methionine. Just ensure to get your every day dose of vitamin C, because it’s a central component of this synthesis.

Along with the natural production of l-carnitine, it’s also possible to eat small amounts by consuming various animal products equivalent to meat and dairy (carn=meat). Below is the l-carnitine content of some whole foods:

Although you may produce l-carnitine by yourself, l-carnitine is taken into account a conditionally essential nutrient. Many individuals either cannot make or don’t devour enough, whether from poor weight loss plan or genetic issues. As such, loads of conditions require extra care to make sure you’re meeting your needs. 

One situation where this rings true is in vegans, who are inclined to have a l-carnitine deficiency. As vegans don’t eat animal products, the first source of l-carnitine, it’s difficult for them to take care of an adequate supply.

Enter l-carnitine supplementation. Vegans and similarly deficient populations can take exogenous l-carnitine in supplemental form, whether pill or powder.

Different Sorts of L Carnitine Supplements

It is vital to know that there are numerous types of l-carnitine, meaning there are several several types of l-carnitine that you might buy.

1) D-carnitine: 

D-carnitine is an inactive type of carnitine. It may help to scale back blood levels of carnitine and increase fat buildup, resulting in liver inflammation and oxidative stress¹.

2) Acetyl-L-carnitine: 

Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR) is believed to be probably the most effective type of carnitine for brain health. Studies suggest that it could profit individuals with neurodegenerative diseases².

I like Naturalife Labs Acetyl L-Carnitine, which accommodates 1,500mg of 100% pure Acetyl L-Carnitine per serving and may also help improve mood, energy, learning, and memory.

3) Propionyl-L-carnitine: 

Propionyl-L-carnitine is a type of l-carnitine normally attributed to treating circulatory issues equivalent to peripheral vascular disease and hypertension. Research shows it could improve blood flow through the rise within the production of nitric oxide³.

On the lookout for a product advice? Swanson Propionyl L-Carnitine with Glycine accommodates 515mg propionyl l-carnitine and 150mg glycine per capsule, supporting cardiovascular health, cellular energy, and muscle strength.

4) L-carnitine L-tartrate: 

Essentially the most common variation of l-carnitine for improved sports performance is l-carnitine l-tartrate, commonly added to sports supplements resulting from its rapid absorption rate. It could aid muscle soreness and recovery in exercise⁴.

I like to recommend Nutricost L-Carnitine Tartrate Powder, which delivers 1 gram of L-carnitine tartrate per serving and is manufactured in a GMP-compliant, FDA-registered facility.

L-Carnitine’s Role In The Body

L-carnitine plays several roles contained in the human body, with its primary function being to optimize mitochondrial function and energy production.

By transporting fatty acids into the cell’s mitochondria, it allows them to be converted into energy. And if you happen to remember anything out of your middle school biology class, fatty acids provide an incredibly sustainable energy source. Tissues with high energy requirements (read: the brain and the guts) especially depend on fatty acids for energy.

Research suggests this may play a task in the next:

• Promotes healthy aging
• Supports weight reduction
• Helps to fight disease
• Improves health and brain function

Different variations of l-carnitine supplements are fitted to different purposes, so it is vital to know why you wish to take l-carnitine.

5 Advantages Of Acetyl L-Carnitine

Now that you already know what l-carnitine does, let’s go over the science-backed advantages. Research suggests that l-carnitine plays a task in several different processes, a lot of which surround the conversion of fatty acids into fuel.

Maintaining high energy levels can mitigate mitochondrial dysfunction and keep your systems running optimally.

1) Promotes Fat Loss:

As mentioned above, l-carnitine plays a major role in energy production and mitochondrial function. Since l-carnitine is a primary fatty acid transportation system, it is sensible that with more available l-carnitine, one can transport more fatty acids, leading to more fat loss.

One meta-analysis researched and compared nine studies of the effect of l-carnitine supplementation on weight loss⁵. They concluded that obese individuals who supplemented lost an additional 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg).

In 2020, one other meta-analysis checked out 37 different randomized controlled studies researching the results of l-carnitine on body fat percentage, body composition, and BMI⁶.

In conclusion, they determined that l-carnitine supplementation modestly affected fat loss. Specifically:

• Reduced body weight −1.21 kg
• Reduced BMI by −0.24 kg/m2
• Reduced fat mass by −2.08 kg

You’ll be able to learn more about this in our article: L Carnitine For Weight Loss: Does It Actually Work?

2) Improves Heart Health:

Attributable to its role in transferring of long chain fatty acids, l-carnitine has long been regarded as a technique to help normalize lipid profiles and improve glycemic control.

A recent study from 2020 showed this to be true⁷. When taking 1,500mg every day, l-carnitine supplementation successfully improved lipid profiles by increasing HDL and lowering LDL cholesterol.

In 2017, a meta-analysis found that supplementation effectively treated patients with congestive heart failure⁸. In these studies, the quantity taken ranged from 1,500mg-6,000mg a day.

3) Treats Diabetes:

Diabetes is a major health issue within the Western world, with roughly 10.5% of the American population affected. With that being the case, any effective therapy could bring immense advantages.

A review from 2023 checked out 41 different trials and concluded with positive results⁹. Results showed that L-carnitine supplementation reduced each fasting blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c.

As well as, it improved insulin sensitivity in individuals with diabetes, possibly resulting from the optimization of pancreatic cell function, which is accountable for insulin production.

4) Reduces Depression:

While it remains to be largely misunderstood, l-carnitine is considered able to reducing symptoms of depression. As of now, quite a few studies back this belief.

For instance, in 2018, a meta-analysis was performed and checked out 12 different studies examining the connection between l-carnitine and depression¹⁰.

Not only did they find that l-carnitine supplementation improved symptoms higher than placebos, but researchers also found that it produced similar results to common anti-depression medication.

5) Improves Exercise Performance:

Attributable to its role in energy production, it’s believed that l-carnitine plays a task in several performance-related areas. For instance, l-carnitine supplementation has been utilized by each elite and recreational athletes to assist optimize workout recovery. Various advantages include less discomfort and faster recovery times¹¹.

One other key good thing about l carnitine supplements is improved endurance through reduced fatigue¹². This comes from its ability to extend oxygen supply, blood flow, and nitric oxide production.

How And When To Take L-Carnitine

Regarding the timing of l-carnitine supplementation, researchers have no evidence that timing matters much, aside from one little bit of nuanced information.

We do know that insulin is required to load l-carnitine into the skeletal muscle cells. For that reason, it’s best to at all times pair your l-carnitine consumption with healthy carbs to cause an insulin spike¹³. Subsequently, the very best time to take your l-carnitine is with a meal containing anywhere from 30-60g of carbs.

The one other instance where timing could make a difference is for improved performance. If you wish to use l-carnitine supplementation to boost performance, take it 30-60 minutes before an event. This may allow your body to optimize the utilization of fats for fuel, saving glucose and enhancing endurance and workload.

When To Take L-Carnitine For Fat Loss

As you may see, research on timing for l-carnitine remains to be in its infancy. I’m still not entirely sure of the particular mechanisms of fat loss, so researchers aren’t positive about the very best time to take l-carnitine for fat loss, if one exists.

Of all of the various advantages of l-carnitine, exercise performance is the just one we have now a very good rationale for timing. Attributable to increased fat metabolism, it’s best to take l-carnitine 1 hour before exercise.

Nevertheless, take into account that l-carnitine can improve muscle endurance and workload. If l-carnitine can show you how to perform more work within the gym, this will even translate to more calories burned. Subsequently, if you happen to are figuring out (which try to be!), adding some l-carnitine to your peri-workout complement stack is sensible.

On the lookout for other ways to amp up your complement stack and boost fat loss? Try our 8 Best Supplements For Fat Loss to load up on the highest, evidence-based ingredients to drop extra pounds.

What Is The Best L-Carnitine Dosage?

Dosing can vary quite a bit, but most studies recommend 500-1,500mg per day¹⁴. That said, resulting from bioavailability issues, many recommend a much higher dosage, equivalent to:

• L-Carnitine: 4-6 grams
• L-Carnitine L-Tartrate: 6-8 grams

As mentioned, for best results, take the above dose with 60g of carbs, because it’s believed to assist with absorption. Finally, l-carnitine may require chronic oral ingestion to accumulate within the muscle cells. Subsequently, it’s believed that you might must take it for an prolonged period to see any real effects.

L-Carnitine Dosage For Weight Loss

The optimum dosage for weight reduction is difficult to pinpoint. While studies suggest 1,500mg a day, many actual users will suggest 3g/ day and even consuming 2g twice a day.

Note that these numbers are along with whatever you devour throughout the day in your weight loss plan. Nevertheless, it’s incredibly difficult to accurately track how much you eat through food. 

Subsequently, if you happen to eat numerous meat, your l-carnitine supplementation requirements could also be on the lower end. Nevertheless, you’ll have the next every day dose if you happen to’re a vegan or don’t eat much meat.

To learn more about l carnitine and reducing weight, head to our article: Is L Carnitine Good For Weight Loss?

Is L-Carnitine Protected?

Generally speaking, l-carnitine supplements are considered protected. After all, there’s at all times an upper maximum tolerable limit, however it’s unclear what it’s.

Studies suggest it could range depending on the person, but some science and anecdotal evidence suggest 6g a day, so we would err on the side of caution.

How Long Should I Take An L-Carnitine Complement?

When taking l-carnitine, you could understand that it’s different from other supplements. Unlike a pre-workout which could be felt immediately, it will possibly take weeks and even months to note a considerable improvement.

Subsequently, if you happen to’re considering taking l-carnitine, try to be prepared to take it every day for a minimum of a couple of months. Fortunately, it seems that you may take carnitine every single day for 12 months with none antagonistic response.

Reddit users help make clear some real experiences:

“I have been using 3g of oral l-carnitine with 3g of garlic every morning while fasting. I normally cut by fasting, but this time, I actually have definitely noticed a difference In how much fat I’m losing, and I’m retaining more muscle proportionally.” (source)

“L-Carnitine is the one thing to date that is actually helping me lose unwanted fat. I at all times drink a tablespoon of 3000mg 45 minutes before my cardio workouts, and I just love the endurance boost it gives me.” (source)

What Is The Best Fat Burner With L-Carnitine?

While you should buy l-carnitine as an independent complement in powder or pill form, one other popular approach to consumption is thru a fat burner. These are supplements that can contain l-carnitine in addition to other compounds that can aid in weight reduction.

One in all my favorite l-carnitine-containing fat burners is Kaged Muscle Clean Burn. One serving of Clean Burn provides 1000mg of l-carnitine tartrate, which can help metabolize fat and improve athletic performance.

Clean Burn also accommodates:

• Green Tea Extract: For a thermogenic and mild stimulation
• ChromeMate®: Improve fat metabolism
• Gymnema Sylvestre Extract: Decrease cravings for sweets

One other powerhouse of a fat burner is Transparent Labs Stim-Free. Each serving delivers 1000mg of acetyl-l-carnitine, but that is just the beginning. You furthermore may get the next:

• Citrulline Malate: 6,000mg
• Beta-Alinine: 2,000mg
• Organic Caffeine: 180mg
• L-Theanine: 180mg
• Plus about ten other quality ingredients

One in all the advantages of l-carnitine as a fat-burning ingredient is that it’s non-stimulating. Meaning it’s featured in lots of a non-stim fat burner, equivalent to the Clean Burn from Kaged I just discussed. While it does contain some green tea extract, it’s too small of an amount for any real “stimulant” effects.

FAQs

In case you’ve any lingering questions, let’s examine among the more common things people ask about l-carnitine supplementation.

When is the very best time to take l-carnitine?

For exercise performance or weight reduction, taking l-carnitine 30-60 minutes before exercise appears to be probably the most commonly suggested time.

Can I take l-carnitine without exercise?

Absolutely! l-carnitine has quite a few advantages completely separate from exercise, equivalent to an improved heart health.

Can I take l-carnitine and l-glutamine together?

Yes! These compounds work through different mechanisms so could be taken together.

Can you are taking l-carnitine and creatine together?

Yes! In actual fact, studies that have a look at the effect of pairing these compounds show numerous success¹⁵.

Should I cycle l-carnitine?

There aren’t any studies that suggest this may be helpful.

Where can I purchase acetyl-l-carnitine?

Acetyl l-carnitine could be purchased at nearly any nutrition store or pharmacy. Nevertheless, the most well-liked place will certainly be Amazon. For instance, take a look at Naturalife Labs Acetyl L-Carnitine, which has a 4.5-star rating from 10,254 real users. That is about as top-rated as you may get.

When To Take L-Carnitine: Final Summary

L-carnitine appears to be a promising complement assuming you’ve the correct expectations. In relation to weight reduction, understand that l-carnitine just isn’t a miracle drug that can melt fat off of you.

You should still commit to a calorie-restricted weight loss plan and an efficient weight-based exercise program. Once you’ve this under control, consistent l-carnitine supplementation can speed up your weight reduction efforts.

Finally, its role basically health and wellness makes it a vital compound for almost everyone, not only those that want to drop extra pounds.