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Carnitine
As
amino acids go, carnitine is quite the popular fellow. But the truth is, it's
not really an amino acid at all! It's only classed as such because of a
structural likeness.
It's
more commonly known as "Vitamin BT". Carnitine actually comes in four
forms: D-carnitine, DL-carnitine, L-carnitine and Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC). Only
the last two could be of actual use to bodybuilders.
When
there is enough Thiamin (Vitamin B1) and pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) in circulation,
it can trigger methionine and lysine to manufacture carnitine. Unlike the
majority of amino's, and this is the reason why we consume as much protein as we
do, it is not involved in protein synthesis.
Instead
it is used for transport of long-chain fatty acids. It is nescessary for these
fatty acids to enter and be removed from the inside of a cell, and also removes
short-chain organic acids from the mitochondria in order to free mitochondrial
coenzyme.
These
characteristics have given it enormous media-attention in bodybuilding circles
because optimal use of carnitine might lead to a decrease in body-fat percentage
and more energy.
For
health reasons, carnitine may also be beneficial to prevent fatty acid buildup
within the heart, liver and muscle. Carnitine is a good idea in any case because
it improves the anti-oxidizing effect of Vitamins C and E.
Carnitine
is the only non-essential amino acid that should be considered for long-term
use. For people needing to stay lean year long, it could be a very helpful tool.
But here, too, I see no need to use it on a permanent basis, since a lot of it
is present in protein-dense foods.
For
competitive bodybuilders I would only suggest use when dieting, since the
leaning out effect may impair the anabolic environment and consequently
muscle-growth, but for those of you making a living as a model or a guest poser,
carnitine could be your number one supplement for keeping lean year round.
For
those of you supplementing carnitine, it is wise not to follow standard
guidelines, but to calculate intake according to lean bodyweight.
Use
To Bodybuilders Increase of ATP,
better synthetic reception of glucocorticoids and the minimizing of fat buildup
around the muscle.
Dosage
Ranging from 20-200 mg seems to be the best
choice.A need for carnitine is calculated according to muscle weight, so more
muscle equals a higher need for carnitine.
Overdosing
Doses exceeding 3000 mg have been known to
cause diarrhea and fish odor syndrome.
Medical
Uses Reducing the risk of poor fat
metabolism in diabetics.
Sources
Fish, chicken, red meat and milk. Not found in
vegetables.
Deficiency
Only
in people with a carnitine transport-defect.
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