Acetyl-L-carnitine o ALCAR
De la wikipedia obtenemos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylcarnitine
It is a dietary supplement. Acetylcarnitine is broken down in the blood by plasma esterases to carnitine which is used by the body to transport fatty acids into the mitochondria for breakdown.
ALCAR is an acetylated derivative of L-carnitine. During strenuous exercise, a large portion of L-carnitine and unused acetyl-CoA are converted to ALCAR and CoA inside mitochondria by carnitine O-acetyltransferase. The ALCAR is transported outside the mitochondria where it converts back to the two constituents. The L-carnitine is cycled back into the mitochondria with acyl groups to facilitate fatty acid utilization, but excess acetyl-CoA may block it. Excess acetyl-CoA causes more carbohydrates to be used for energy at the expense of fatty acids. This occurs by different mechanisms inside and outside the mitochondria. ALCAR transport decreases acetyl-CoA inside the mitochondria, but increases it outside.[5][6] Glucose metabolism in diabetics improves with administration of either ALCAR or L-carnitine. ALCAR decreases glucose consumption in favor of fat oxidation in non-diabetics. A portion of L-carnitine is converted to ALCAR after ingestion in humans.
It has been claimed ALCAR is superior to L-carnitine in terms of bioavailability.
L-carnitine is known to not absorb into cells unless there is an insulin spike such as from a carbohydrate load.
ALCAR has the ability to cross the blood–brain barrier and enter the brain, where it acts as a powerful antioxidant. Its supplementation has been shown to be neuroprotective in instances of cerebral ischemia in rats[16] and may be useful in treating peripheral nerve injury as well as spinal cord injury. It has been shown to be of benefit to Alzheimer’s patients. It may have some neuroprotective benefit in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
ALCAR has also been shown to improve insulin response. It may induce epigenetic changes that may, in turn, give it utility as a therapeutic agent in neuropathic pain and depression.
Por lo tanto hay que tomarlo junto con carbohidratos de alto IG, al igual que la creatina.
About 15 years ago, Bruce Ames, an accomplished scientist at the University of California at Berkeley, proposed that acetylcarnitine, which regulates the mitochondria of cells, combined with an antioxidant, might retard aging while treating mild Alzheimer’s. Antioxidant has become a buzzword of supplement marketing and Dr. Oz–style quackery. Too much antioxidant would be unhealthy, since oxidation is essential to the body’s respiration. Ames thought he had found a compound that safely moderates the pace at which cells use themselves up. He began dosing himself with acetylcarnitine, and continues to work at Berkeley, at age 85; whether he would have enjoyed such longevity anyway is unknowable. Pharmaceutical companies have shown little interest in Ames’s idea—because it occurs naturally, acetylcarnitine cannot be patented, and, worse from Big Pharma’s standpoint, the substance is inexpensive.