The effects of acute L-carnitine supplementation on endurance performance of athletes

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of L-Carnitine, published as a randomized controlled trial.

This study examined the effect of acute L-carnitine loading on the endurance performance of footballers.

Measurements were performed on 26 candidate professional footballers who volunteered to take part in the study.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 12 participants were involved.

The age groups tagged for this paper are teenagers and young adults, men only.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got L-Carnitine and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Blinding on both sides kept the participants and researchers unaware of who received L-Carnitine.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with L-Carnitine could be set against what happens without it.

Athletes were given a glass of fruit juice 1 hour before applying L-carnitine with the double-blind method.

What Was Measured

Measurements were performed on 26 candidate professional footballers who volunteered to take part in the study.

Athletes began the exercise test at a running speed of 8 km·h and then continued at 10 km·h.

The subject headings attached to it are Athletic Performance, Carnitine, Dietary Supplements, Heart Rate, Performance-Enhancing Substances, Physical Endurance and Running.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of L-Carnitine in 12 participants.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2014 (Journal of strength and conditioning research), a journal based in United States.

More context: the L-Carnitine compound page, all human trials.