Carnitine Metabolism and Human Nutrition

Interest in carnitine and its potential health benefits has surged over the last decade. Carnitine serves a number of biological roles, such as stimulating the oxidation of fat and preventing the accumulation of lactic acid. It is also used as a supplement for weight loss and performance enhancement. This book discusses the functions carnitine fulfills in human biology, with specific emphasis on its roles in skeletal muscle metabolism. It covers carnitine homeostasis and transport, the renal handling of carnitine, and applications of carnitine in human nutrition.

Carnitine Metabolism and Human Nutrition offers a contemporary and in-depth look at the biological effects of carnitine metabolism and its application to clinical and sports nutrition, based on decades of robust scientific enquiry. It gathers and distills key results of the last 20 years of carnitine research to provide an invaluable reference tool for students, researchers, and clinicians.

This book addresses the importance of carnitine in skeletal muscle fuel metabolism, the complexities and importance of muscle carnitine transport, and the metabolic insight that has been gained from experiments manipulating muscle carnitine stores. The authors cover the potential application of carnitine supplementation in specific clinical populations and the role of carnitine as an ergogenic aid for athletes. They also provide a comprehensive mechanistic overview of skeletal muscle insulin resistance, including the role of carnitine shuttle systems in the metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity and the metabolic syndrome.

provides you with a comprehensive and up-to-date look at the properties and underlying metabolic biochemistry of carnitine. The book provides contributions from leading international scientists, each a pioneer in their chosen study of carnitine metabolism or its application to human nutrition.