-carnitine_fatigue.html Tweet (NewsTarget) Nearly everyone experiences fatigue at one time or another, but when that fatigue goes on for long periods of time or when it accompanies another health problem, it can be devastating. While there ARE many medical reasons for it, often those with persistent fatigue are left without a diagnosis, without answers and without hope. For many, however, the amino acid supplement L-Carnitine COULD just offer some hope for a normal life again. L-Carnitine is an 'essential' amino acid, meaning that it must be supplied in the diet in order to meet the body's needs. While the majority of amino acids are used for protein synthesis, L-Carnitine is special; it is not required for protein synthesis, but is used as a carrier of fatty acids into the mitochondria, the energy production centers of every single cell in the entire body. The burning of fatty acids in these miniature cellular power plants supplies MOST of the energy for the body's skeletal muscles. While this points to the need for good quality fats in the diet, it ALSO highlights the vital function that L-Carnitine plays in producing energy. 'These findings suggest that L-Carnitine may be safely administered at doses up to 3000 mg/day and that positive effects may be more likely at relatively higher doses in this range.' 'Safety, Tolerability and Symptom Outcomes Associated with l-Carnitine Supplementation in Patients with Cancer, Fatigue,and Carnitine Deficiency' Since L-Carnitine is required to produce energy, the result of a deficiency is LACK of energy. While this is logical and there is plenty of research to back this up, doctors just simply do not look for L-Carnitine deficiency in their search for a cause of fatigue . This is a big mistake because studies have shown L-Carnitine to be effective in increasing energy, sometimes DRAMATICALLY so, in people with a wide variety of conditions including: 