Alternative Health Blog

In a placebo-controlled, crossover design study involving 18 healthy men and women, results indicate that l-carnitine supplementation may improve muscle recovery after acute physical exertion. The subjects received l-carnitine (2g/d) or placebo for 3 weeks and then performed an acute exercise challenge. Following a 4 day recovery period and a 1-week washout period the interventions were crossed over for another 3 weeks. Blood samples were drawn pre- and post-exercise. Carnitine supplementation was associated with attenuated biochemical markers of purine metabolism, free radical formation, muscle tissue disruption, and muscle soreness after physical exertion. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, “These findings support our previous findings of l-carnitine in younger people that such supplementation can reduce chemical damage to tissues after exercise and optimize the processes of muscle tissue repair and remodeling.
 
Reference:
“l-Carnitine l-tartrate supplementation favorably affects biochemical markers of recovery from physical exertion in middle-aged men and women, Ho JY, Maresh CM, et al, Metabolism, 2009 Dec 30; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1110, USA