Keen to optimize their diet, athletes are interested in all kinds of food supplements, including carnitine or L-carnitine.
This substance corresponds to a particular amino acid. Like other amino acids, its consumption can legitimately be thought to promote mass gain and muscle strengthening.
However, the studies carried out on carnitine are insufficient to clearly list its alleged benefits.
E-tailers often present carnitine as a fat-burning supplement. However, no researcher has been able to precisely explain its role in a slimming diet.
The scientific literature tends to emphasize that, in certain cases, carnitine can be useful in endurance or high-intensity sports, particularly at top level.
This amino acid is said to improve performance and muscular resistance to fatigue. These potential results can only be observed in the context of a course of treatment lasting several weeks. In the short term, carnitine consumption would be of little interest.
It is stillpossible to combine whey and carnitine. Together, these two substances are unlikely to have any undesirable effects on the body.
As with the famous whey and spirulina blend, we must be careful not to exceed the indicated doses, and to be very rigorous about the origin and quality of the products we consume...
What is carnitine?
Carnitine is a non-essential amino acid. Our bodies can synthesize it using methionine and lysine. Nevertheless, this substance is mainly supplied by the diet, and is found mainly in red meat and dairy products. Carnitine deficiency is relatively rare. However, vegan athletes may find themselves in this situation.
There are many different forms of carnitine. However, L-carnitine tartrate remains the most frequently proposed variant. In principle, this molecule is better assimilated by the body. This is one of the reasons put forward for its more interesting effects.
What are the benefits of carnitine?
Few conclusive studies have been carried out on the effects of carnitine. In fact, its alleged benefits are, for the most part, the fruit of mere supposition and empirical observation.
Scientists have discovered that carnitine plays a role in transporting fatty acids to the mitochondria, and thus in fat oxidation. Based on these observations, and its role in energy production at cellular level, some dietary supplement companies have deduced that this nutrient is an outstanding fat burner, and promote it as such.
While carnitine may help weight loss (1), its effects are far from significant. According to scientific findings, the impact of carnitine consumption was mainly found on total weight, and was less conclusive on other criteria such as % body fat or waist circumference.
Slimming and the expected "fat-burning" effect are often the result of a rigorous diet, sometimes including a low-calorie whey, combined with appropriate training. Carnitine capsules are therefore not a miracle solution for fat loss.
To find out more about the link between supplementation and weight loss, read our following articles:
- Should I take whey protein to lose weight?
- Does whey protein make you fat?
- What to choose between whey and gainer?
On the other hand, it is claimed that carnitine also improves physical performance.
Scientists have contradictory views on this subject. Some studies (2)(3) even question the benefits of supplementation.
Unlike creatine, its consumption does not allow us to store more of it in our muscles (discover the differences between whey and creatine here).
Similarly, taking it on an occasional basis does not increase muscle energy production (4).
That said, carnitine reduces muscular stress during and after exercise. That's why it's ideal for endurance and high-intensity sports.
This supplement could also be useful in warding off fatigue and preserving strength during a major event.
How do I take carnitine?
Carnitine should be taken with meals, at a dose of around 1.4 to 3 g/day, divided into two daily intakes. In the context of physical performance, each intake should be accompanied by at least 80 g of carbohydrates, for perfect assimilation.
This product seems to work only when taken over long periods. A 12-week course of treatment is required. Virtually all studies conducted on this substance agree on this duration. It is therefore unclear whether short-term supplementation is worthwhile.
Does carnitine have side effects?
Little is known about the carnitine extraction process. It's often unclear where these dietary supplements come from. The method of extraction and/or synthesis is often unclear, and involves the use of solvents or other chemicals. As a result, little is known about their potential effects on health.
On the other hand, one thing is certain: exceeding a dose of 3 g a day over the long term could be dangerous. Excessive consumption will reveal carnitine's atherogenic effects.
It can thus promote the deposition of atherosclerotic plaque in blood vessels, exposing them to cardiovascular disease.
The product can also cause gastrointestinal upset, and overuse can cause fishy body odor! (Yes, this is no joke 🐠).
Do you need to take carnitine?
All of the above may deter you from taking carnitine. However, supplementation and nutrition are not fixed sciences. We still need more scientific studies on the subject to be able to rule more precisely on the real benefit of such supplementation.
Our opinion is our own, but we don't recommend taking it. Even at a high level, there's so much more to be done by optimizing macronutrients and possibly considering a well-timed creatine intake, before resorting to carnitine.
Nevertheless, it is often claimed that this form of supplementation is just as beneficial for body-builders as it is for endurance athletes.
For bodybuilding, this supplement could help preserve your muscles from metabolic stress. For other sports, it's all about improving endurance. It's up to you to make up your own mind, based on this objective presentation.
In any case, if you want to lose weight, remember that the calories you ingest (diet) and expend (physical activity) are at the heart of your slimming process.
Taking carnitine won't be enough to achieve your goal. You need to adopt a balanced, sustainable diet and regular exercise.
Can whey and carnitine be combined?
From a technical point of view, you can combine whey and carnitine. Even if we don't see any benefit in terms of performance, there's nothing to stop you taking carnitine with your whey, as long as you stick to the recommended doses.
Whey, whether whey concentrate, whey isolate or hydrolysate, is derived from milk. This raw whey protein is technically a natural product.
While whey itself is a natural product, the finished product offered to athletes can be far from it. Indeed, additives (sucralose, lecithins, thickeners, nanomaterials...) are not always harmless, especially over the long term.
To avoid the risk of bad interactions, it's best to avoid additives, and therefore dietary supplements containing them. Whether you take your whey with carnitine or on its own, it's always best to choose an additive-free whey protein.
