Exercise is an important wellness tool for everyone regardless of your health goals. Unfortunately, muscle discomfort can sometimes occur a day or so after exercise, particularly in those with less training and experience.  

Known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), this phenomenon can exhibit a variety of symptoms, including tenderness, pain on movement, stiffness, and swelling of the muscles (1). DOMS can also occur in elite athletes and has been reported to reduce quality of life, performance, and training intensity in some of these individuals (2). 

While the severity and duration of DOMS is individual, researchers, coaches, and recreational exercisers alike have long sought ways to help reduce negative effects associated with muscle soreness. Although well-balanced nutrition and proper hydration are important in reducing muscle soreness, a growing body of scientific literature points to specific nutrients that have shown notable effectiveness. One of these is a naturally occurring antioxidant created from two amino acids, methionine and lysine, called L-carnitine (3). 

L-carnitine supplementation for DOMS 

In a recently published meta-analysis in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers aimed to examine the effects of L-carnitine supplementation on DOMS and other measures of exercise stress in muscle (4). Pooling data from seven randomized controlled trials, supplementation with L-carnitine was found to significantly improve muscle soreness for up to 96 hours after exercise compared to the placebo. In addition, markers of muscle stress such as creatine kinase, myoglobin, and lactate dehydrogenase were found to be reduced.  

Importantly, supplementation with L-carnitine was found to have even higher effects in those less experienced with exercise compared with trained participants. The authors speculated that the trained individuals could have had higher levels of this antioxidant before the study and, therefore, received less benefit from supplementation. Regardless, under the rigor of a meta-analysis, L-carnitine was found to have notable clinical support for reducing muscle soreness and physical stress after exercise. 

How Isagenix utilizes L-carnitine 

AMPED™ BCAA Plus is formulated with L-carnitine to support exercise recovery, promote the building of lean muscle, and fuel muscles during a workout. Other ingredients in the formula like branched-chain amino acids are also backed by science. In fact, in an earlier meta-analysis, BCAA supplementation was shown to prevent and treat muscle soreness after exercise (5). 

Backed by science and with a blend of BCAAs, L-carnitine, and L-glutamine, AMPED BCAA Plus can support you during a workout. Simply mix two scoops with 8 fluid ounces of purified water or your beverage of choice. If preferred, pour over ice and sip throughout your workout. 

 References 

  1. Cheung K, Hume P, Maxwell L. Delayed onset muscle soreness : treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Med. 2003;33(2):145-64.  
  2. Moreira NB, Vagetti GC, de Oliveira V, de Campos W. Association between injury and quality of life in athletes: a systematic review, 1980–2013. ApuntsMedicina de l’Esport. 2014;49(184):123–138. 
  3. Kraemer WJ, Volek JS, Spiering BA, Vingren J. L-carnitine supplementation: a new paradigm for its role in exercise. Monatshefte fur Chemie. 2005;136(8):1383–1390. 
  4. Yarizadh H, Shab-Bidar S, Zamani B, Vanani AN, Baharlooi H, Djafarian K. The Effect of L-Carnitine Supplementation on Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. J Am Coll Nutr. 2020 Jul;39(5):457-468.  
  5. Rahimi MH, Shab-Bidar S, Mollahosseini M, Djafarian KJN. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation and exercise-induced muscle damage in exercise recovery: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Nutrients. 2017;42:30–36.