Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (December 2007;86:1738–1744) examined the effects of L-carnitine supplementation in very elderly adults. The study involved 66 men and women with an average age of 101 years, who were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or 2 grams of L-carnitine daily for six months.
At the end of the study, participants receiving L-carnitine experienced an average loss of 1.6 kilograms of fat, while the placebo group showed an average gain of 0.6 kilograms of fat. The L-carnitine group also demonstrated a greater increase in muscle mass, averaging 3 kilograms more than the placebo group.
Cognitive performance was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Subjects receiving L-carnitine showed an average improvement of 4.1 points, compared with a 0.6-point increase in the placebo group. In addition, those receiving L-carnitine reported less fatigue following physical activity.
These findings suggest that L-carnitine may support body composition, cognitive function, and physical endurance in very elderly individuals, a population particularly vulnerable to muscle loss, fatigue, and cognitive decline.
