How does L-Carnitine work in the body?
As stated above, one of the first requirements that must be met in any growing animal’s body is energy. This is done through a process called beta-oxidation, which occurs within the mitochondria of cells (for example, muscle cells). Beta-oxidation takes fatty acids and breaks them down and burns them for fuel. However, before fats are burned, they first must be carried from the outside of a cell (the cytosol side) to the inside of a cell (the mitochondria). Carnitine is what transports these fats from the outside to the inside of cells. Nothing explains the concept of how Carnitine works better than the illustration that likens Carnitine to a fuel filter on a car. In this example, let the outside of a cell (cytosol) represent the fuel tank on a car. Let the mitochondria represent the Engine in a car. Carnitine acts as a fuel filter, transporting fuel (fatty acids) from the gas tank (cytosol) to the engine (mitochondria) so the fuel can be burned. What happens when the fuel filter on yo
