GlycoCarn (Glycine Propionyl-L-Carnitine) And Nitric Oxide
In a double blind placebo controlled study using 15 resistance trained men as subjects for four weeks. This study measured changes in plasma nitrate/nitrate(NOx) which is the primary method to measure nitric oxide(NO) changes. After a 5 minute period of wearing a blood pressure cuff, subject performed isometric contractions using a hangrip device for one minute.
Following the one minute of hangrip contractions, blood samples were collected immediately following and at 3 and 10 minutes post handgrip contractions. NOx values for GPLC where statistically higher than the placebo at 3 and 10 minute pot protocol. How much of an increase in NOx you ask, 16 and 17% increases at minutes 3 and 10.
The exact mechanism of action of how GPLC increases NO is not fully understood, but one theory has been suggested, is that GPLC decreases the activation of NADPH oxidase, the enzyme that decreases NO bioavailability. Additionally, it is believed that the PLC component increases endothelial nitric oxide synthase, the primary enzyme involved in NO production.
Bloomer RJ, Smith WA, Fisher-Wellman KH
Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine increases plasma nitrate/nitrite in resistance trained men
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2007, 4:22 (3 December 2007)
By:Athletic Edge Nutrition
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October 16, 2009 - 6:52 am MDT at 6:52 am
The April 2004 issue of the Journal of Urology published the findings of Italian researchers that the amino acid L-carnitine is more active than testosterone in improving symptoms of aging in men, such as sexual dysfunction and depression associated with the decline of androgenic hormones.
One-hundred-twenty men between the ages of 60 and 74 with symptoms of low testosterone were randomized to receive 160 milligrams of orally-administered testosterone undecanoate, 2 grams propionyl-L-carnitine, plus 2 grams acetyl-L-carnitine per day, or to receive a placebo, for a six month period. Many parameters were assessed before treatment, at three months, and after the treatment period, including such parameters as prostate-specific antigens, prostate volume, nocturnal penile tumescence, total and free testosterone, prolactin, luteinizing hormone, erectile function scores, depression and fatigue.
Erectile function, sexual desire, sexual satisfaction and nocturnal penile tumescence increased over the course of the study in the group receiving testosterone as well as the group receiving L-carnitine. In addition, the group receiving L-carnitine experienced an increase in orgasm and general sexual well-being. Erectile function and nocturnal penile tumescence were significantly improved in the L-carnitine group compared to the testosterone group. While both treatments lowered depression scores, L-carnitine’s effect was greater.
Predictably, treatment with testosterone increased serum total and free testosterone and decreased luteinizing hormone levels, but L-carnitine’s effect on these hormones was not significant. Treatment with L-carnitine was not associated with an increase in prostate volume as was testosterone treatment after six months. PSA levels did not increase in any of the groups.
Fatigue was likewise improved in both groups. As one negative effect, the men taking testosterone developed enlargement of the prostate, which did not occur in the L-carnitine treated group. Although both testosterone and L-carnitine improved symptoms of male aging, there was an overall superior benefit of L-carnitine with no real side effects.
L-carnitine is an essential nutrient that has vitamin-like qualities. It is considered essential in helping transport fatty acids into the mitochondria (the power plants of the cells). A deficiency in L-carnitine can, therefore, result in an overall reduction in energy production by the cells. It is well known that individuals can become L-carnitine-deficient for a number of reasons.
L-carnitine, aside from being an incredible anti-aging nutrient, has shown to be beneficial for multiple medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease such as angina and congestive heart failure, liver and kidney disease, obstructive lung disease, and many others. L-carnitine has actually even shown to be beneficial in AIDS patients. Although it is unusual to see physicians prescribing vitamins in the hospital, acetyl L-carnitine is routinely prescribed by kidney specialists for their patients since the kidney is a major site of L-carnitine synthesis.
Although tissue L-carnitine levels have been found to be positively associated with sex hormone levels, the findings of this study show that the compound’s action is not strictly linked to sex hormone blood levels. L-carnitine’s mechanism of action against reactive oxygen species (ROS) is different than conventional anti-ROS compounds tried for conditions associated with male aging, which may help explain its effectiveness.