Hello,

I have a question about carnitine. Some clients, who are using carnitine as part of their weight loss efforts, show more effective fat burning, but at the cost of higher "water retention" levels. Their aerobic exercise frequency is 3 times a week for 50-minute sessions.

Very often, the client then shows a greater increase in overall weight on the scale and we proceed with "water shedding".

I cannot explain why this is happening.

Thank you.

Carnitine should not have a direct effect on water retention in the body. First and foremost, it is crucial to consider the type of water being assessed, whether it is intercellular or intracellular. If you start using substances like carnitine for weight reduction, combined with physical activity, and achieve a decrease in body fat percentage, the proportion of muscle tissue and consequently water (associated with muscle mass) will increase. If you have a device that can measure intercellular water content, such devices should typically show a decrease in intercellular water in such cases (perhaps with the exception of situations where physical activity is more intense, causing increased perspiration and mineral loss, and salt intake is increased without your oversight as a consultant).

Theoretically, it is also possible that individuals with an overloaded lymphatic system might react to the intake of certain additives by retaining water (carnitine supplements in liquid form contain preservatives and flavorings). However, I would tend to lean more towards the first scenario mentioned above.

Themes:  Carnitine