Keto Plateau – Should you supplement L-carnitine?
L-Carnitine is a natural compound primarily obtained from meat, and is one of the key mobilisers of fat from stored fat cells (adiposites) to muscles to burn for energy. However for L-Carnitine to be most effective in mobilising fat to burn for ATP we must keep certain things in mind:-
- L-Carnitine works best in a fasted state. Have it in the morning before any food or other nutritional intake like butter coffee.
- L-Carnitine will help mobilise fat from stored reserves when liver glycogen is burnt.
- L-Carnitine is a mobiliser of fat (it makes it available for your body to use) not the burner, so to burn the fat you still have to work for it. Try 20–30 min fasted cardio to deplete liver glycogen, and allow muscles to access fat stores for energy.
- L-Carnitine has other key functions which are beneficial apart from fat mobilisation. It’s a cognitive enhancer (specially the form Acetyl L-Carnitine), Anti-aging, anti-oxidant, and boosts healing of fatty liver disease.
- While extra L-Carnitine helps everyone, as its primarily available from meat, poultry, fish, and dairy it is particularly beneficial for vegetarians on keto due to the incomplete nature of essential amino acids in vegetarian proteins.
Carnitine is supposed to help fatty acids enter the mitochondria of the cell to be converted to ATP (energy). On a ketogenic diet, fat is the primary source of energy. However, our bodies are primed to use glucose as its main source of fuel. Carnitine may, theoretically, help with the transition given its purpose is to help use fat for energy.
It is better to work your way from about 500 to 2000mg daily, and then take a week off to reset the receptors for Carnitine. Also one can use Actyle-L-Carnitine intermittently. it works synergistically with Co-Q10 and Chromium supplements.
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