Ergogenic effect of dietary L-carnitine and fat supplementation against exercise induced physical fatigue in Wistar rats
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Ergogenic effect of dietary L-carnitine and fat supplementation against exercise induced physical fatigue in Wistar rats M. D. Pandareesh & T. Anand
Received: 6 February 2013 / Accepted: 19 April 2013 # University of Navarra 2013
Abstract L-carnitine (LC) plays a central role in fatty acid metabolism and in skeletal muscle bioenergetics. LC supplementation is known to improve physical performance and has become widespread in recent years without any unequivocal support to this practice. A scientificbased knowledge is needed, to understand the implications of LC supplementation on physical fatigue. In current study, we have explored synergistic effects of dietary LC and fat content against physical fatigue in rats. Ninety male Wistar rats were supplemented with different concentrations of LC (0.15, 0.3, and 0.5 %) and fat content (5, 10, and 15 %) through diet in different combinations. Our results elucidated that LC (0.5 %) along with 10 and 15 % fat diet supplemented rats showed significant ergogenic effect. The swimming time until exhaustion was increased by ~2- and ~1.5-fold in rats fed with 10 and 15 % fat diet containing LC (0.5 %). LC supplementation improved the energy charge by increasing the levels of ATP, tissue glycogen, reduced GSH, plasma triglyceride, plasma glucose levels, and enzymatic antioxidant status, i.e., superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. LC supplementation also significantly reduced lipid peroxidation, lactic acid, plasma urea nitrogen, creatinine, creatinekinase, M. D. Pandareesh : T. Anand (*) Biochemistry and Nanosciences Discipline Defence Food Research Laboratory, Siddarthanagar, Mysore 570011, India e-mail: [email protected]
and lactate dehydrogenase levels in various tissues compared to its respective control group. Thus the present study indicates that LC ameliorates the various impairments associated with physical endurance in rats. Keywords L-carnitine . Fat diets . Physical fatigue . Weight-loaded forced swim test (WFST) . Antioxidant enzymes . Lipid peroxidation
Introduction L-carnitine (3-hydroxy-4-N-trimethylammoniobutanoate) is a carrier molecule required for transformation of free long-chain fatty acids into mitochondrial matrix to produce acetyl-CoA through the β-oxidation pathway. Acetyl-CoA being a high-energy compound provides cellular energy by entering into TCA cycle. LC can be stored in its ester form, i.e., acetyl carnitine, which can act as an energy store. LC plays a very important role in skeletal muscle bioenergetics. Hence, deficiency of LC in skeletal muscle is associated with profound impairment of muscle function which can lead to physical fatigue. Physical fatigue can be defined as the ability to sustain maximum muscular contraction at a given work load over a period of time. During physical exercise, there will be excessive generation of free radicals in body tissues which leads to oxidative damage of cell membranes (lipid peroxidation) and reduce muscle force production by altering calcium ion sensitivity in mu
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