Nutrition Commons^™

The Use Of Carnitine And Pyruvate In Weight Management, Karen Phyllis Bergs

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Carnitine has been a naturally occurring compound since the beginning of the century, and was considered to be an essential nutrient for quite some time. Carnitine has many essential roles in the body. Carnitine transports fatty acids into the mitochondria for energy, controls ketogenesis, and modulates the acyl-CoA/free CoA ratio. Studies have postulated that exercise decreases carnitine in the body, therefore leading to a deficiency in athletes. Carnitine has also been used as a weight loss product because of its fatty acid oxidation function. Many nutritional supplement companies have marketed on these functions of carnitine, resulting in a big business. …