• L-Carnitine assists in the transport of long-chained fatty acids that are burned for energy.
• L-Carnitine enhances the consumption of fat as a source of fuel.
• L-Carnitine has been shown to increase the amount of fat you burn during both anaerobic (strength training) and aerobic (cardiovascular) workouts.
• L-Carnitine plays an important role in mobilizing fatty deposits found in tissues of overweight individuals.
• L-Carnitine helps remove fats waste products (ketones) from the blood stream.
• Effective carnitine activity helps to discourage fatty build up in the liver, heart, and skeletal muscle.
• L-Carnitine has been shown to improve lean muscle strength. Maintaining muscle tissue takes four to five times more calories than maintaining fat tissue, which is important for permanent weight loss.
• L-Carnitine helps to stabilize blood sugar and eliminate cravings for carbohydrates.

Turning up your metabolism with the right nutrients is essential for weight loss. There is significant evidence that increased levels of carnitine in tissue leads to increased fat burning. Obesity is not a drug deficiency. Administering certain synthetic medications or nutrients can stimulate thermogenic activity, but supplying your body with the essential nutrients is all that it needs to activate correct fat metabolism, rather than a caloric restriction or brain chemistry manipulation. Nutrients won’t do everything. You need a diet that is lower in carbohydrates, contains adequate proteins, essential fats, plenty of fiber, and a routine physical exercise program.

Although deficiencies are rare, muscle fatigue, cramps, or pre-mature aging are all signs of possible deficiency. A person may also be L-carnitine deficient if their kidneys seem to not function properly after exercise. Other symptoms of possible deficiency are heart irregularities after a heart attack or angina.

Studies have been conducted on L-carnitine since as early as 1937. They show that the body’s cardiovascular system can greatly benefit from its intake. The FDA has approved L-carnitine under the name Carnitor for use in treating heart disease and low energy levels. Also, there are a variety of published studies that show L-carnitine is useful in increasing the heart’s output and improving it’s functioning, as well as stimulating the heart’s energy supply and improving cardiac performance. Moreover, some experts have shown it increases endurance and helps regulating heart arrhythmia.

L-carnitine is synthesized in the body from the amino acids lysine and methionine. L-Carnitine is available as a high quality supplement from Bodybuilding.com, as well as from natural and synthetic sources. It is also found in avocados, dairy products, and red meats (especially lamb and beef).