Researchers at the University of Nottingham have discovered that recreational athletes taking supplements containing L-carnitine, combined with increased carbohydrate intake, showed markedly improved workout performance compared with a control group.

Heading up the research was Professor Paul Greenhaff, Professor of Muscle Metabolism at Nottingham. The study proves for the first time that L-carnitine levels can be influenced by dietary supplements, and that it plays a key role in muscle fuel metabolism.

The supplements are said to alter muscle fuel use by maintaining muscle carbohydrate oxidation and reducing the fatigue caused by lactic-acid build-up. Results showed that combining L-carnitine with high carbohydrate intake increased the muscle carbohydrate content by 20 per cent, and increased the use of fat as a fuel for energy production.

The 14 male volunteers involved in the study reported a reduced perception of effort in their workout and increased output during a validated high-intensity exercise performance test. At low-intensity exercise, 50 per cent less muscle carbohydrate was used, indicating that muscle fat was being used as fuel instead.

Previous studies in this area have centred on cardiac-based research rather than skeletal muscle, so these latest findings are likely to spur further investigation into L-carnitine effects on muscle fuel performance.

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