L-carnitine is to help transport long-chain fatty acids for energy

Physiological function and role

L-carnitine also has a certain promoting effect on ketone body utilization and nitrogen metabolism.

1. Promote the transportation and oxidation of fatty acids The β-oxidation of fatty acids is carried out in the mitochondria of liver and other tissue cells. It is known that neither free fatty acids nor fatty acyl-CoA can penetrate the inner mitochondrial membrane, but acylcarnitine can quickly pass through this membrane, thus affirming that L-carnitine removes fatty acids from the mitochondrial membrane in the form of fatty acyl Transporter from the outside to the inside of the membrane. The detailed mechanism of this transport is unclear, but it is certain that carnitineacyl-CoAtransferase (Carnitineacyl-CoAtransferase) is the key enzyme in this process. Some people think that L-carnitine can also participate in the transport and excretion of other acyl groups, so it can prevent the body from metabolic poisoning caused by the accumulation of acyl groups or facilitate the normal metabolism of some branched-chain amino acids.

2. Accelerate sperm maturation and improve vitality L-carnitine is an energy substance for sperm maturation, which has the function of increasing sperm count and vitality. The survey of 30 adult males shows that the number and vitality of sperm are directly proportional to the supply of L-carnitine in the diet within a certain range, and the content of L-carnitine in sperm is also positively correlated with the content of L-carnitine in the diet.

3. Improve the tolerance of the body Watanabe et al. found that L-carnitine can improve the tolerance of patients with diseases during exercise, such as exercise time, maximum oxygen absorption, lactic acid threshold, oxygen absorption threshold and other indicators, supplementing L-carnitine in the body After carnitine, there will be different degrees of improvement; oral L-carnitine can also increase the muscle tolerance at the time of maximum oxygen absorption by 80%, shorten the recovery period after strenuous exercise, and reduce the tension and fatigue caused by exercise. Santulli et al. found in 1986 that L-carnitine could increase the growth rate of hatching cultured perch and reduce the content of cholesterol and triglyceride in fish tissues. Germany reported that after taking L-carnitine for 3 weeks, the body fat content of athletes decreased significantly, and the proportion of protein increased, but the body weight was not affected.