Zeitschrift für Veterinärwissenschaft und medizinische Diagnose

Dietary Supplementation with L-Carnitine Induces Equal Utilization of Long-Chain Fatty Acids for Energy Production in Rats Trained with Walking

Sukemori S, Odo S and Ikeda S

Dietary Supplementation with LCarnitine Induces Equal Utilization of Long-Chain Fatty Acids for Energy Production in Rats Trained with Walking

The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of L-carnitine supplementation on the fatty acid composition of epididymal adipose tissue and femoral muscle in rats trained with walking. The rats were assigned to four groups receiving dietary treatments to evaluate the effects of supplementation with 0 ppm L-carnitine or 50 ppm L-carnitine in combination with two types of exercise: free moving and walking (4 h/day at a speed of 840 m/h). L-carnitine supplementation significantly increased its level in the blood plasma. There was a main effect of L-carnitine supplementation on body weight gain and blood plasma triglyceride level, with both parameters reduced by L-carnitine supplementation. The results of the fatty acid composition analysis revealed that walking reduced the C16:0 level, resulting in a low total saturated fatty acid (SFA) proportion. Dietary L-carnitine suppressed the decrease in the C16:0 proportion observed in the walking group and accelerated the use of fatty acids for energy production so that it was the same as in the control condition. There was no specific relation between L-carnitine and fatty acid type. In conclusion, the current results suggest that dietary supplementation with L-carnitine reversed the unbalanced fatty acid degradation caused by walking without L-carnitine supplementation.