We’re all looking for that magic pill or powder we can take to
double or triple our fat-burning, muscle-building eff o rts. We ’ v e
gone through much of the latest re s e a rch, and here are our
picks for the best X-treme Lean nutrients and compounds
available. Are any of them magic? You’ll have to be the judge.
Most have helped our bodyfat disappear faster than you can
say flab-ra-cadabra.
- L-carn i t i n e .This amino acid is directly responsible for
t r a n s p o rting long-chain triglycerides, or fat, into the cells for
energy production. Sounds like a winner so far. It works with an
enzyme called CPT-1, which results from omega-3 fatty acid
intake, to shuttle fatty acids into the cell mitochondria, where fat
is oxidized in a process called beta-oxidation. (We told you
good fat was important, so don’t neglect getting your EFAs.)
C a rnitine n ot only tra nsp orts lon g-c hai n fat s in to the
mitochondria but also helps you recover from killer lifting
sessions. (Are you starting to see why it’s at the top of our list?)
A study at the University of Connecticut had 10 healthy men
who were recreational lifters take two grams of L-carnitine daily
(a divided dose at breakfast and lunch) for three weeks. The
subjects performed a squat protocol consisting of five sets of 15
to 20 repe titions. They repeated that under placebo and
carnitine-supplemented conditions. Growth hormone increased
above resting levels during the first 30 minutes after exerc i s e ,
and testosterone increased during the first 15 minutes, but there
were no differences between the carnitine and placebo groups.
The real difference was in the muscle-damage area: 16 to 23
p e rcent in the carnitine group vs. 29 to 39 percent in the
placebo group.
In another muscle-related study L-carnitine improved the
contractile force in the latissimus dorsi of dogs by 34 perc e n t
and overall force production by 31 percent (J Strength Cond
R e s, 17:455-462; 2003). (That means it may give your X Reps
m o re firepower!) So it can improve fat burning, muscle power
and muscle recovery, but there’s more.
Scientists re p o rted still another unexpected effect fro m