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Effect of l-carnitine supplementation and aerobic training on FABPc content and β-HAD activity in human skeletal muscle

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Abstract

Both regular physical exercise and carnitine supplementation exert a role in energy metabolism and may improve endurance capacity. We investigated whether a combination of long-term carnitine ingestion and exercise training reveals any interactive effects on cytosolic fatty acid-binding protein (FABPc) expression and β-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (β-HAD) activity in human skeletal muscle. Twenty-eight untrained healthy males randomly divided into four experimental groups: a placebo (CON; n = 7), exercise training (ET; n = 7, 40 min session−1, five times per week at 60% VO2max), carnitine supplementation (CS; n = 7, 4 g day−1), and exercise training and carnitine supplementation (CT; n = 7). Before and after 6-week treatment, muscle biopsy samples were taken from the vastus lateralis. Nonesterified carnitine and acid-soluble acylcarnitine concentrations were increased in CT (P < 0.05), and serum triacylglycerol concentration was elevated almost twofold in ET and CT (P < 0.05). No interactive effects in FABPc expression were shown from any of treatment groups. Although FABPc increased by 54% in ET compared to CON, it failed to reach statistical significance. In addition, there was no change in FABPc expression from any of experimental groups. Similar trends with FABPc contents were demonstrated in β-HAD activity. It is concluded that the combination of exercise training and l-carnitine supplementation does not augment in FABPc expression and β-HAD activity in human skeletal muscle indicating that combined treatment does not exert additive effect in fat metabolism. Thus l-carnitine supplementation would be unlikely to be associated with the enhanced exercise performance.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Research Grant of the Korea National Sport University and the Korea Research Foundation Grant funded by the Korean Government (MOEHRD) (the Center for Healthcare Technology Development, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Physiology, Korea National Sport University, 88-15 Oryun-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Jang Kyu Lee & Chang Keun Kim

  2. Department of Physical Education, Daegu University, Daegu, South Korea

    Jong Sam Lee

  3. Department of Sport Medicine, Kyunghee University, Suweon, South Korea

    Hyon Park

  4. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Research Institute of Human Ecology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea

    Youn-Soo Cha

  5. Department of Physical Education, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea

    Chung Su Yoon

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  1. Jang Kyu Lee
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Correspondence to Chang Keun Kim.

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Lee, J.K., Lee, J.S., Park, H. et al. Effect of l-carnitine supplementation and aerobic training on FABPc content and β-HAD activity in human skeletal muscle. Eur J Appl Physiol 99, 193–199 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-006-0333-3

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