Effect of endurance training with L-carnitine consumption on interleukin- 6, nitric oxide, blood pressure, and body composition in young obese women: A clinical trial study

Obesity by releasing inflammation factors such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6) cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Also, L-carnitine reduces inflammatory factor such as IL-6. The study was done to determine the effect of eight week endurance training with L-carnitine supplementation on IL-6, nitric oxide (NO), blood pressure, and body composition in young obese women.

In this clinical trial study, 40 volunteer young obese women (age: 23.3±2.3 yrs. and BMI: 31.1±1.4 kg/m2) randomly assigned in the endurance training with L-carnitine (ETL; n=10), endurance training with placebo (ETP; n=10), L-carnitine supplementation (LCS; n=10) and control (Con; n=10). The training protocol consisted of endurance training with gradually increasing of duration and intensity (25-min at 50% HR max and increased to 45-min at 70% HR max), three session a week for 8 weeks. The supplement groups consumed 3gr of L-carnitine daily, while the placebo group ingested the same amount of maltodextrin. Blood pressure and blood samples were obtained before and 36 hours after training protocol, and serum levels of IL-6 and NO were measured by ELISA method.

IL-6, weight, fat mass and fatty percent was significantly reduced in ETL and ETP groups compared to control and LCS groups (P<0.05), and this reduction was lower in the ELT than ETP group (P<0.05). Also, NO was significantly increased in the ELT and ETP groups compared to the LCS and controls (P<0.05).

Although the implementation of endurance training with and without L-carnitine for 8 weeks caused to decrease of IL-6, increase of NO and improved body composition, but the effect of endurance training with L-carnitine on decreasing of IL-6, weight and fat mass was significantly better.