L-Carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative that plays a role in the metabolism of fats in horses. It is involved in the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria, where they are oxidized to produce energy. This process is particularly important during periods of increased energy demand, such as exercise. L-Carnitine is synthesized in the liver and kidneys from the amino acids lysine and methionine and can also be obtained from dietary sources. Research on L-Carnitine in horses focuses on its effects on performance, muscle metabolism, and recovery. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the physiological role, dietary supplementation, and potential benefits of L-Carnitine in equine health and performance.
Catandi GD, Fresa KJ, Cheng MH, Whitcomb LA, Broeckling CD, Chen TW, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM.Obesity is a growing concern in human and equine populations, predisposing to metabolic pathologies and reproductive disturbances. Cellular lipid accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction play an important role in the pathologic consequences of obesity, which may be mitigated by dietary interventions targeting these processes. We hypothesized that obesity in the mare promotes follicular lipid accumulation and altered mitochondrial function of oocytes and granulosa cells, potentially contributing to impaired fertility in this population. We also predicted that these effects could be mitigated ...
Palacios P, Peláez G, Soria M, Méndez S, Galarza-Álvarez L, Dorado J, Santiago-Moreno J, Galarza DA.l-carnitine (LC) transports fatty acids to the mitochondria for energy production, reducing lipid availability for peroxidation through β-oxidation. This research examines the effect of LC supplementation to two skimmed milk-based extenders on the cryosurvival of chilled (5ºC) and frozen-thawed Peruvian Paso horse spermatozoa. An initial experiment determined the optimal LC concentration (0, 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 mM) when added to INRA-96® and UHT (skimmed milk + 6% egg yolk) extenders, using nine ejaculates from three stallions chilled for up to 96 h. Subsequently, the effect of 25 mM...
Sudheer Kumar C, Swamy MJ.The major protein of horse seminal plasma, HSP-1/2, exhibits membranolytic and chaperone-like activities and plays a crucial role in regulating sperm capacitation. L-Carnitine is a small polar molecule present in high concentrations in mammalian seminal plasma. The present results demonstrate that L-carnitine binds to HSP-1/2 and increases its thermal stability, enhances cooperativity of its chemical unfolding and decreases both chaperone-like and membranolytic activities of this protein. The HSP-1/2-L-carnitine complex exhibits anti-oxidative behaviour by inhibiting the production of hydroxyl...
Almeida ML, Feringer WH, Carvalho JR, Rodrigues IM, Jordão LR, Fonseca MG, Carneiro de Rezende AS, de Queiroz Neto A, Weese JS, Costa MC, Lemos EG....Recent studies performed in humans and rats have reported that exercise can alter the intestinal microbiota. Athletic horses perform intense exercise regularly, but studies characterizing horse microbiome during aerobic conditioning programs are still limited. Evidence has indicated that this microbial community is involved in the metabolic homeostasis of the host. Research on ergogenic substances using new sequencing technologies have been limited to the intestinal microbiota and there is a considerable demand for scientific studies that verify the effectiveness of these supplements in horses...
Stradaioli G, Sylla L, Zelli R, Chiodi P, Monaci M.The effect of orally administered l-carnitine on the quality of semen obtained from stallions with different semen qualities was investigated. Four stallions with proven fertility (high motility group, HM) and with normal seminal characteristics (>50% progressive motility and > 80 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml), and four questionable breeders (low motility group, LM) with <50% of sperm progressive motility and < 80 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml, received p.o. 20 g of l-carnitine for 60 days. Blood and semen samples were collected before treatment (T0) and after 30 (T1) and 60 days (T2). Semen ev...
Wittek T, Sobiraj A.In the present study the concentrations of L-carnitine (total carnitine, free carnitine, and acyl carnitine) and several parameters of the lipid metabolism were measured during the estrus in 10 broodmares. The carnitine concentrations varied in a wide range between the mares. The differences of the mean carnitine concentrations during the estrus did not reach the level of significance (P < 0.05). There was no relationship between the concentrations of total and free carnitine to the follicle size; however, the concentration of acyl carnitine was significantly correlated (r = -0.42). Because...
Rivero JL, Sporleder HP, Quiroz-Rothe E, Vervuert I, Coenen M, Harmeyer J.The purpose of this study was to determine whether oral L-carnitine supplementation enhances the responses of skeletal muscle to training in seven 2-year-old Standardbreds. Four horses were supplemented with 10 g/day L-carnitine for 10 weeks and 3 horses served as controls. All horses were exercised regularly every second day on a treadmill for 5 weeks (training period) and housed in individual boxes for 5 additional weeks (detraining period). The training period consisted of 8 high- and 8 low-speed exercises carried out in alternating sequence. Gluteus medius muscle biopsies were taken at Wee...
Foster CV, Harris RC, Pouret EJ.After an oral dose of 10 g of L-carnitine the plasma concentrations of free and total carnitine increased in five yearling thoroughbred horses, reaching a peak two to four hours after administration, but in two horses there was no increase. In the five which responded, the mean (+/- sd) peak increase in total carnitine concentration was 15.1 +/- 6.9 mumol/litre from a predose mean of 18.8 +/- 3.4 mumol/litre, and the mean peak increase in free carnitine concentration was 13.5 +/- 3.1 mumol/litre from a pre-dose mean concentration of 12.5 +/- 2.2 mumol/litre. These changes were similar to those...
Foster CV, Harris RC, Snow DH.1. L-carnitine was administered orally to thoroughbred horses for 58 days. 2. Acceptability and effects on plasma, muscle and urine concentration were studied. 3. Ten-60 g/day (as 2-3 doses) was acceptable with no deleterious effects. 4. One x 10 g L-carnitine significantly raised the plasma-free carnitine concentration (7 hr post) from 21.2 to 31.8 mumol/l; 2 x 30 g increased the mean to 36.5 mumol/l. 5. Plasma acetylcarnitine increased from approximately 1 to 5.5 mumol/l (7 hr post) on 2 x 30 g/day. 6. Muscle total carnitine was unchanged over 58 days. 7. Urinary output accounted for 3.5-7.5...
Stradaioli G, Sylla L, Zelli R, Chiodi P, Monaci M.The effect of orally administered l-carnitine on the quality of semen obtained from stallions with different semen qualities was investigated. Four stallions with proven fertility (high motility group, HM) and with normal seminal characteristics (>50% progressive motility and > 80 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml), and four questionable breeders (low motility group, LM) with <50% of sperm progressive motility and < 80 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml, received p.o. 20 g of l-carnitine for 60 days. Blood and semen samples were collected before treatment (T0) and after 30 (T1) and 60 days (T2). Semen ev...
Almeida ML, Feringer WH, Carvalho JR, Rodrigues IM, Jordão LR, Fonseca MG, Carneiro de Rezende AS, de Queiroz Neto A, Weese JS, Costa MC, Lemos EG....Recent studies performed in humans and rats have reported that exercise can alter the intestinal microbiota. Athletic horses perform intense exercise regularly, but studies characterizing horse microbiome during aerobic conditioning programs are still limited. Evidence has indicated that this microbial community is involved in the metabolic homeostasis of the host. Research on ergogenic substances using new sequencing technologies have been limited to the intestinal microbiota and there is a considerable demand for scientific studies that verify the effectiveness of these supplements in horses...
Rivero JL, Sporleder HP, Quiroz-Rothe E, Vervuert I, Coenen M, Harmeyer J.The purpose of this study was to determine whether oral L-carnitine supplementation enhances the responses of skeletal muscle to training in seven 2-year-old Standardbreds. Four horses were supplemented with 10 g/day L-carnitine for 10 weeks and 3 horses served as controls. All horses were exercised regularly every second day on a treadmill for 5 weeks (training period) and housed in individual boxes for 5 additional weeks (detraining period). The training period consisted of 8 high- and 8 low-speed exercises carried out in alternating sequence. Gluteus medius muscle biopsies were taken at Wee...
Sudheer Kumar C, Swamy MJ.The major protein of horse seminal plasma, HSP-1/2, exhibits membranolytic and chaperone-like activities and plays a crucial role in regulating sperm capacitation. L-Carnitine is a small polar molecule present in high concentrations in mammalian seminal plasma. The present results demonstrate that L-carnitine binds to HSP-1/2 and increases its thermal stability, enhances cooperativity of its chemical unfolding and decreases both chaperone-like and membranolytic activities of this protein. The HSP-1/2-L-carnitine complex exhibits anti-oxidative behaviour by inhibiting the production of hydroxyl...
Wittek T, Sobiraj A.In the present study the concentrations of L-carnitine (total carnitine, free carnitine, and acyl carnitine) and several parameters of the lipid metabolism were measured during the estrus in 10 broodmares. The carnitine concentrations varied in a wide range between the mares. The differences of the mean carnitine concentrations during the estrus did not reach the level of significance (P < 0.05). There was no relationship between the concentrations of total and free carnitine to the follicle size; however, the concentration of acyl carnitine was significantly correlated (r = -0.42). Because...
Foster CV, Harris RC, Pouret EJ.After an oral dose of 10 g of L-carnitine the plasma concentrations of free and total carnitine increased in five yearling thoroughbred horses, reaching a peak two to four hours after administration, but in two horses there was no increase. In the five which responded, the mean (+/- sd) peak increase in total carnitine concentration was 15.1 +/- 6.9 mumol/litre from a predose mean of 18.8 +/- 3.4 mumol/litre, and the mean peak increase in free carnitine concentration was 13.5 +/- 3.1 mumol/litre from a pre-dose mean concentration of 12.5 +/- 2.2 mumol/litre. These changes were similar to those...
Foster CV, Harris RC, Snow DH.1. L-carnitine was administered orally to thoroughbred horses for 58 days. 2. Acceptability and effects on plasma, muscle and urine concentration were studied. 3. Ten-60 g/day (as 2-3 doses) was acceptable with no deleterious effects. 4. One x 10 g L-carnitine significantly raised the plasma-free carnitine concentration (7 hr post) from 21.2 to 31.8 mumol/l; 2 x 30 g increased the mean to 36.5 mumol/l. 5. Plasma acetylcarnitine increased from approximately 1 to 5.5 mumol/l (7 hr post) on 2 x 30 g/day. 6. Muscle total carnitine was unchanged over 58 days. 7. Urinary output accounted for 3.5-7.5...
Palacios P, Peláez G, Soria M, Méndez S, Galarza-Álvarez L, Dorado J, Santiago-Moreno J, Galarza DA.l-carnitine (LC) transports fatty acids to the mitochondria for energy production, reducing lipid availability for peroxidation through β-oxidation. This research examines the effect of LC supplementation to two skimmed milk-based extenders on the cryosurvival of chilled (5ºC) and frozen-thawed Peruvian Paso horse spermatozoa. An initial experiment determined the optimal LC concentration (0, 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 mM) when added to INRA-96® and UHT (skimmed milk + 6% egg yolk) extenders, using nine ejaculates from three stallions chilled for up to 96 h. Subsequently, the effect of 25 mM...
Catandi GD, Fresa KJ, Cheng MH, Whitcomb LA, Broeckling CD, Chen TW, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM.Obesity is a growing concern in human and equine populations, predisposing to metabolic pathologies and reproductive disturbances. Cellular lipid accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction play an important role in the pathologic consequences of obesity, which may be mitigated by dietary interventions targeting these processes. We hypothesized that obesity in the mare promotes follicular lipid accumulation and altered mitochondrial function of oocytes and granulosa cells, potentially contributing to impaired fertility in this population. We also predicted that these effects could be mitigated ...
