L carnitine is one of the primary ingredients in Impossible Energy. It’s gained reputation as an energy driver, but what exactly is this ingredient and why is it important to your health?
What is L Carnitine?
L Carnitine is a compound your body produces and is frequently found in meat products.
L carnitine’s primary claim to fame is energy production.
L Carnitine is also known as
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine
- Carnitine
What does L Carnitine Do?
L carnitine seems to show good evidence to reduce fatigue in activities requiring muscular endurance.
It may also help prevent muscle damage during resistance work.
There is also some evidence that l carnitine may aid in fat loss, but it’s unclear if this is due to the compound itself or to its overall impact on increased activity.
It can also seems to have small improvements in blood glucose, inflammation and overall metabolic health.
Benefits of L-Carnitine
In short, some of the primary benefits of l-carnitine include:
Improved fat burning for fuel
Improved endurance & decreased fatigue
Improved recovery times
Improved blood flow and “pumps”
What dosage of Carnitine should I take?
Usually l-carnitine is dosed between 500 and 2000mg.
When To Take L Carnitine?
You can take l-carnitine anytime you like as it’s generally well tolerated. The timing choice primarily depends on
For endurance and workout effects, take 30-60 minutes prior to your workout.
For recovery aspects, you should take it soon after your workout - along with your post-workout meal.
L Carnitine Mechanism of Action’
The precise mechanism of action for l-carnitine is not quite known (yet).
Side Effects of Carnitine
Carnitine seems to have a limited number of side effects. The main concern has primarily been indigestion or discomfort.
L Carnitine for Weight Loss
There is limited real studies on using l carniinte for weight loss.
While it’s popular for fat loss, and does seem to have some impact, but the studies here are slim.
That said - the mechnism of action for weight loss does make sense, but only in the fact that it aids a diet and physical activity regimen - in other words - it won’t work if you don’t.
L Carnitine in Coffee
Adding l carnitine to your coffee has become a popular move in recent years.
The idea is that stacking caffeine with l-carnitine may result in an increase in energy and improved overall fat burning. Many coffees are now bundling their coffee with l-carnitine - we don’t necessarily recommend this for flavor’s sake - as you can easily supplement l-carnitine after the fact without compromising the taste of your coffee - it has become a trend.
Alternatives to L-Carnitine in Coffee
If you’d like to combine caffeine and l-carnitine, you might want to look at Impossible energy.
The combination of caffeine and l-carnitine in the same product is part of why we added l carnitine to impossible energy.
While this is certainly doable, we obviously like the fact that you can combine this directly in your drink with impossible energy.
This is why we think it’s one of the healthiest energy drinks out there on the market.
L Carnitine Injections
There have been a series of med spas that have popped up offering to do injections .
The injections range from 600-2500mg/day.
These are usually promoted as fat burners. These procedures can be costly and it’s usually cheaper to supplement l-carnitine via traditional routes.
Verdict on L-Carnitine
Its primary claim to fame is as a fat burner. We see that as an add-on benefit, but the increased muscle endurance, brain function and protective effects are more interesting than the fat loss claims.
Other Resources
Other research guides you might want to dive into: