Active Nutrition - Acetyl L-Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid - 700 mg. 120 vege caps

Other Ingredients: Rice Powder and Vegicaps™ Ingredients: Vegetable Cellulose, Glycerin, and Water.

Suggested Usage: Take 1 vege capsule 1 to 3 times daily, or as directed by your qualified health consultant.

Description: * Acetyl L-Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid!

Scientific interest in alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and acetyl L-carnitine (ALC), has exploded and a large number of studies are now under way with humans. Initial results look encouraging, but what are the implications for athletes – and can these nutrients be harnessed to improve performance?

The amino acid carnitine, which carries fatty acids into the mitochondria (the cellular furnaces), where they are ‘oxidised’ for energy. Acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) is very similar, consisting of the same basic amino acid structure, with an acetyl group attached. In the body, acetyl L-carnitine is synthesised from L-carnitine by the enzyme carnitine acetyltransferase. Although levels tend to decrease after the age of 40, acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) is not normally considered an ‘essential nutrient’ because the body can manufacture all it needs.

One of the main roles of acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) is to carry fatty acids from the cytosol (the main body of the cell) into the mitochondria (the energy-producing furnaces within cells) so that these fats can be oxidised for energy. Although L-carnitine carries out this role too, acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) also provides acetyl groups, from which acetyl-coenzyme A (a key metabolic intermediate) can be regenerated, thereby facilitating the transport of metabolic energy and boosting mitochondrial activity.

The addition of the acetyl group also endows acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) with a greater solubility in water, which enables it not only to diffuse easily across the inner wall of the mitochondria and into the cell cytosol, but also cross cell membranes in general more easily. Acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) reaches parts of the body that L-carnitine can not reach such as the brain! In addition to its role in mitochondrial activity, acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) is involved in the production of the key brain neurotransmitter acetylcholine and is also able to donate its acetyl group in a number of other biochemical reactions.

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a sulphur-containing antioxidant, which occurs naturally, in small amounts in foods. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is readily soluble in water and fat, enabling it to exert an antioxidant effect in almost any part of the body, including the brain. In the mitochondria, alpha lipoic acid (ALA) can act both as an antioxidant, capable of recycling other antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin E, and as a coenzyme for key metabolic enzymes involved in energy production. In addition to its role as an antioxidant, alpha lipoic acid (ALA) also raises the levels within cells of a substance called glutathione, which is critical for neural function, and aids in glycolysis, the first stages of breaking down carbohydrates for energy.

The initial excitement about ALC/alpha lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation began when a team of researchers in California fed elderly rats both nutrients for a period of seven weeks and then compared them with young rats. They were testing the theory that mitochondrial decline is caused by free radical damage (see panel opposite). There was already evidence that supplementation with acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) could reverse the age-related decline in mitochondrial activity in rats, increase fatty acid oxidation and boost general metabolic activity. However the down side to this increased mitochondrial function was that more oxidative damage occurred, so the researchers decided to add the powerful mitochondrial antioxidant alpha lipoic acid (ALA) to the mix to see if they could get the best of both worlds: increased mitochondrial energy output, with reduced mitochondrial damage.

This two-pronged ‘punch’ to aging cells seemed to work, with the two supplements together producing better results than either one alone. After a month on the supplements, elderly (24-month-old) and lethargic rats had more energy and did better on memory tests, while their mitochondria worked better. The decline in overall activity typical of aged rats was reversed to the level of young-to-middle-aged adult rats, aged 7-10 months. The researchers likened this result to a group of 80-year-old humans throwing away their walking sticks and starting to act 35 years younger!

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Contains no artificial preservatives, coloring, flavors, salt, soy, sugar, wheat or yeast.

Manufactered for and Distrubuted by:
Active Nutrtion
P.O. Box 8144
Foster City, CA. 94404