How Can Amino Acids Help Maintain Muscle Mass While Dieting?

Supplement Facts: How Can Amino Acids Help Maintain Muscle Mass While Dieting?

What it is: Amino acids are the building blocks of your muscles. When your body is worked too hard, like in a strict diet or during a workout routine, it will consume your fat but also your amino acids and muscles at the same time. You may find yourself getting smaller but not getting thinner or not getting to be the shape that you desire. Since muscles are necessary in tone and in size to build a fit youthful body shape, amino acids should be supplemented when they may be lost in a diet. The most popular form of amino acid used in supplementation is called L-Carnitine.

How does it help retain muscle mass while dieting?

L-Carnitine is found in small amounts in many foods but mostly we consume it from red meat. 100g of red meat typically contains about 95mg of L-Carnitine. If you choose to supplement with L- Carnitine, you will be getting at least 500mg per pill. So this is a very convenient supplement for how useful it is. L-Carnitine helps to guide the body to consume more fatty acids on the mitochondrial level, and the more fatty acids that your body consumes, the less energy it will take away from your muscles. L-Carnitine in effect can guide your body to burn mostly fat instead of mostly fat and muscle. Since your heart is arguably your most important muscle, an added benefit to supplementing with L-Carnitine is that it has been shown to prevent heart attacks in people who have a history of heart disease. Most people take 1,000mg a day in order to see the full range of benefits in keeping muscle mass and burning fat. You can choose to go up to 2,000mg a day if you tolerate that dosage well.

Can you take too much?

Taking more than 2g (2,000mg) of L-Carnitine per day is not necessary, in fact your body will stop using any amount that you consume over this and simply get rid of it (and keep in mind this requires extra work by your liver and kidneys!). See how much works for you- 1,000-2,000mg per day is the range that most people see results in.

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