In a recent article published in the Journal of Physiology, it was shown that oral ingestion of LCLT and carbohydrates can significantly boost skeletal muscle carnitine stores and improve exercise performance.
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On 3 separate experimental sessions (separated by 3 months), 14 healthy male athletes were asked to perform 3 cycle ergometer tests, for 30 minutes each, with no rest in between (1st at 50% VO2max, 2nd at 80% VO2max, and 3rd at an "all out" pedaling cadence). Using a Borg scale, ratings of perceived exertion were carried out at 10-minute intervals throughout testing and muscle biopsies were taken after the 1st and 2nd exercise test. After the first session, in a double-blinded manner, subjects were randomized and instructed to take either 80g of carbohydrate (control) or a mixture containing 2g LCLT and 80g of carbohydrate twice daily for 6 months. The researchers reported that muscle total carnitine increased by 21% from baseline in those who received LCLT, with no change noted the control group. During the 50% VO2max test, subjects who received LCLT used 55% less glycogen and at 80% VO2max had 44% less muscle lactate than controls under the same conditions. As a result, the LCLT group saw an 11% increase in work output in the "all out" exercise trials compared to baseline, where the control group saw no change. Finally the authors reported that muscle PCr/ATP was better maintained in the LCLT group compared to controls, suggesting reduced anaerobic ATP production and more efficient mitochondrial ATP production during high intensity exercise.
