acetyl-l-carnitine(ALC)?

[Tony Ferous]

Anyone use acetyl-l-carnitine(ALC)?
I've used in the past in the morning at low doses(1/2 to 1g).
Its touted as having many benefits, incerased alertness, lowering cortisol, increasing dopamine, increasing testosterone, enhancing memory, fat loss too. Sounds ok eh? I cant say ive noticed anything by taking low doses.


Heres an except from Dr Michael Colgan:
In animal studies, it proves very effective in preventing mitochondrial damage, especially when combined with acetyl-l-carnitine.9,10 In a new study, representative of the evidence, Liu and colleagues at the University of California at Berkeley showed that treatment of old rats with alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl-l-carnitine dramatically improved both memory and motor movement, and reduced mitochondrial damage to a very low level.9

I think Poliquins a big fan too, taking 7g per day! Expensive!

[Mike ODonnell]

I think most all supplements may have some small advantages but for the money you get a bigger bang for your buck with whole foods....they will get you 95% of where you are going....supplements are usually about 5% of your results but cost 95% of your budget!

[Garrett Smith]

To have to take a massive dose (ie. 7g), one is going after a "drug" effect.

That will burn out the supply of some nutrient needed to process the ALC somewhere, more than likely...

[Peter Borden]

Look up Bruce Ames, who developed the Ames test. He is a big proponent of ALCAR and ALA (R-ALA preferrably). There are some videos of his presentations online. Most of his research is unfortunately in rodents but some human studies show benefit.

Seems to help in older men with erectile dysfunction, nerve repair, slowing ageing, etc.

Poliquins forumula for dosages is maximum benefical dosage found in research X 5. He also recommends like 40 fish oil capsules, IV vitamin C to drop bodyfat to 3.48% without change in diet, removing dental amalgams to gain 20lbs of muscle in a month, and taking a trip to the Dominican Republic, where he reliably gains 10lbs of pure muscle in 2 weeks. The list goes on but pleaseee.

But anyhoo, good supplement. Although the research is mixed, some shows better ALCAR absorption, other shows better L-Carnitine absorption. Definitely better with food, but if you are looking for neurological and performance benefits then probably take on empty.

[Garrett Smith]

Poliquin's funny. I heard some interesting stuff from an ND who used to work for him, involving (improper) sharps disposal, we'll put it that way.