L-carnitine Injectables

The potent fat-loss shot in the arm you’ve been waiting for Bodybuilders, physique athletes and aesthetically-inclined individuals are constantly on the hunt for supplements that will give them that extra edge, be it to push the limits in the gym or on the competitive stage. In this regard, products that increase muscle mass, aid recovery and, most importantly, speed up fat loss are prized above all others.

- Werner Beukes

The new kid on the physique enhancement supplement scene is injectable L-Carnitine. It is being touted by many as the most effective fat-shredding supplement since the release of the first thermogenic fat burner, with the added ability to improve workout performance and retain muscle mass. It almost sounds too good to be true.

Injectable L-Carnitine supplementation, which is now available for human consumption, was in the past only intended for veterinary purposes, in particular for race horses and greyhounds. According to research conducted on animals, L-Carnitine, an amino acid-like compound needed for energy production and fat metabolism, improves exercise tolerance and stamina.

In this regard, scientists prefer using acetyl-L-Carnitine, also known as acetylcarnitine, or ALCAR, a supplemental form of L-Carnitine, when conducting tests in a laboratory setting because it is better absorbed from the small intestine and more efficiently crosses the blood-brain barrier.

SUPERIOR ABSORPTION

Carnitine’s name is derived from the Latin word carnus, meaning flesh, as the compound was isolated from meat. L-Carnitine occurs naturally in the human body and transports longchain fatty acids into the mitochondria so they can be oxidised (burned) to produce energy. The mitochondria are “cellular powerhouses” concentrated inside tissues such as skeletal and cardiac muscle cells, where fatty acids (derived from fat) and glucose (from carbohydrates) are converted into energy in a process called beta oxidation. L-Carnitine is also responsible for improving oxygen utilisation.