One of the supplements that I’ve found to be very effective to help me get lean but also to perform better (in the gym and at work) is L-Carnitine. This compound is produced by your body but can also be found in your diet in meats and other animal products. Here are my top 3 reasons why I recommend it if you want to look better and feel better.
- My top reason for taking L-Carnitine is because it improves physical performance. Not only has it been shown to improve endurance when you train, it also helps you to make it feel easier. When you take L-Carnitine before a workout, you will use less glycogen and more fat as energy, which will help you perform for a longer period of time. It has also been shown to delay the time it takes to reach the anaerobic threshold by using aerobic energy systems more effectively. In other words, it allows for fatigue to occur later and performance to be improved. Finally, it has also been shown to improve recovery time after intense exercise or injuries because it enhances the androgen receptors that bind with testosterone.
- Another great thing with L-Carnitine is that it helps to transport fat into the mitochondria of cells, to be used as energy and making it a great fat burner. This also means that your energy levels will increase due to your body working more efficiently, which will lead to more calories being burned and therefore helping you get leaner. In addition to these, it has also been shown that when you take L-Carnitine with a meal that has carbs, you won’t gain as much fat and that you also absorb the L-Carnitine better into your muscles thanks to the insulin.
- The third reason why I take L-Carnitine is for its benefits on the brain and the nervous system. In different studies, it was shown that using the supplement for 90 days would show significant improvement in all measures of brain function. It has also been shown to help reverse the decline in brain function in diseases such Alzheimer’s and improve memory, attention, language, visuospatial and constructional abilities with supplementation. Many recent studies have also shown that L-Carnitine is an effective anti-depressant by stimulating the birth of new neurons in the brain.
Depending on your goals, I would recommend taking 2-3g per day, and if you’re going to have it before a workout take it with some quick carbs to absorb it faster.
