Taking L-Carnitine, how much is too much?
Hi I actually have a question about supplements. I am female and 24 yrs old. I am currently taking 4 capsules a day of L-Carnitine (Levocarnitine Tartrate) by Vital Strength I believe each capsule has 500 mg, I want to use a new protein powder that has 100 mg of L-Carntine per serve. Is it safe to still do both? How much is too much? Thank you!
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For starters, taking more than the 2 grams per day you'd get on top of the capsules might be useless. Above a certain threshold saturation seems to be reached and no further absorption occurs. (study for reference: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16988205)
Secondly, L-carnitine has shown promising health effects but evidence for its usefulness in exercise supplementation is not definitive. Anecdotally, though, it has generated interest in the bodybuilding community and people seem to believe it has helped them. So if you find it does something for you, it can be useful.
Third, you need to know whether you are getting precisely L-carnitine or some variant. There's an acetylated form called acetyl-L-carnitine (often abbreviated as ALCAR) which you might also find as a supplement, amongst others. The dosage for such forms would be different.
A safety study up to 3 grams daily for 3 weeks in men showed no adverse effects. Evidently there's a "too much" for everything, but in standard supplemental dosages I figure you're unlikely to reach it for L-carnitine. Your 2000 mg supplements a day combined with one or a few servings of the protein powder aren't gonna put you over some dangerous threshold, and absorption at elevated rates is going to be tapered anyway. One thing to note: at these dosages an unusual body scent described as "fishy" got noticed. So as far as side-effects are concerned, there's at least that.
Lets take a look at the one-stop-shop for all things nutrition: examine.com
L-Carnitine and the related compound Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) are
compounds able to alleviate the effects of aging and disease on
mitochondria, while increasing the mitochondria’s potential to burn
fat.
ALCAR is often used as a brain booster, due to its ability to increase
alertness and mitochondrial capacity while providing support for the
neurons.
ALCAR has been shown to be very effective at alleviating the side
effects of aging, like neurological decline and chronic fatigue. ALCAR
supplementation is also a very safe method of improving insulin
sensitivity and blood vessel health, particularly for people with
delicate or weakened cardiac health. ALCAR can also protect neurons
and repair certain damage, such as that caused by diabetes and
diabetic neuropathy.
Theoretically, ALCAR supplementation for fat burning should work well,
but studies on ALCAR in isolation do not show very good results. Fat
loss is typically attributed to the increased activity done by people,
from the increased energy they have from ALCAR supplementation.
As the name implies, supplementation should only be used for additive effects - your primary fitness goals will be mostly achieved via diet and exercise. Still, with that in mind, there are three supplements that are frequently cited as known useful for general health and building muscle:
Creatine
Vitamin D
Omega-3 Supplement such as Fish Oil (note that flax/chia seeds are not sufficient)
On to your question on dosage:
The standard dose for L-carnitine is between 500-2,000mg.
There are various forms of carnitine supplementation available.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) is used for cognitive enhancement.
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (LCLT) is typically used for physical
performance and power output. Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine (GPLC) is
used to alleviate intermittent claudication and blood flow issues.
L-carnitine is supplemented daily.
The equivalent dosage range for other forms of L-carnitine are as
follows: 630-2,500mg (ALCAR), 1,000-4,000mg (LCLT) and 1,000-4,000mg
(GPLC).
On a personal note, ditch this supplement, you will get the benefits of it through a well rounded diet and good exercise.
For more information on the substance and studies, go to: examine.com/supplements/L-Carnitine/
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