Carnitine fuel for high-energy living: can this little-known nutrient protect your heart, boost stamina and melt fat? New research says carnitine does all that--and more.(CHECK OUT SUPPLEMENTS)(L-carnitine)(Report)

What do college students, fitness enthusiasts and people who worry about getting older have in common? They--and many others--can benefit from L-carnitine, a nutrient found in many energy drinks and in dietary supplements designed to support exercise performance and a long life free of heart disease and other age-related maladies.

According to a review of research published in Alternative Medicine Review, L-carnitine may help with chronic fatigue, cardiovascular disease, hypoglycemia, male infertility, muscular dystrophy, symptoms of anorexia and Rett syndrome (a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the body's movements). Other research has found that diabetics can also benefit.

L-carnitine is found primarily in red meat (its name comes from carnus, the Latin word for flesh) and plays a vital role in energy production. Our bodies use L-carnitine to deliver fuel in the form of fatty acids to mitochondria, the energy-generating components of cells, and to remove waste products. Without these functions, we can't stay alive.

Different Forms of Carnitine

L-carnitine is widely available and has been used extensively in research. Studies have shown that it can aid in recovery from a heart attacks and improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

In recent years, two new forms have been found to offer specific benefits; Propionyl-L-carnitine (PLC)--This form appears to be most effective for improving the ability to perform physical activity such as walking among people suffering from intermittent claudication, due to plaque blocking blood flow in the leg. In one study of 155 patients, published in the American Journal of Medicine, 2g daily of PLC for six months increased the duration participants could walk by 54 percent. And, research under way at the University of Memphis in Tennessee has found that PLC enables healthy people in their 20s to ...