Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
L-carnitine effects on weight loss and metabolism in overweight cats
By Center, Sharon A et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2012·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Influence of dietary supplementation with (L)-carnitine on metabolic rate, fatty acid oxidation, body condition, and weight loss in overweight cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of overweight cats was given a special diet with added l-carnitine to see if it would help them lose weight more effectively. The cats lost at least 1.3% of their weight each week, and those on the l-carnitine diet showed better fat burning compared to those on a regular diet. After the weight loss period, the cats that had l-carnitine gained less weight back when they returned to their regular food. This suggests that l-carnitine can help overweight cats lose weight and manage their metabolism during weight loss.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of dietary supplementation with l-carnitine on metabolic rate, fatty acid oxidation, weight loss, and lean body mass (LBM) in overweight cats undergoing rapid weight reduction. ANIMALS: 32 healthy adult neutered colony-housed cats. PROCEDURES: Cats fattened through unrestricted ingestion of an energy-dense diet for 6 months were randomly assigned to 4 groups and fed a weight reduction diet supplemented with 0 (control), 50, 100, or 150 μg of carnitine/g of diet (unrestricted for 1 month, then restricted). Measurements included resting energy expenditure, respiratory quotient, daily energy expenditure, LBM, and fatty acid oxidation. Following weight loss, cats were allowed unrestricted feeding of the energy-dense diet to investigate weight gain after test diet cessation. RESULTS: Median weekly weight loss in all groups was ≥ 1.3%, with no difference among groups in overall or cumulative percentage weight loss. During restricted feeding, the resting energy expenditure-to-LBM ratio was significantly higher in cats that received l-carnitine than in those that received the control diet. Respiratory quotient was significantly lower in each cat that received l-carnitine on day 42, compared with the value before the diet began, and in all cats that received l-carnitine, compared with the control group throughout restricted feeding. A significant increase in palmitate flux rate in cats fed the diet with 150 μg of carnitine/g relative to the flux rate in the control group on day 42 corresponded to significantly increased stoichiometric fat oxidation in the l-carnitine diet group (> 62% vs 14% for the control group). Weight gain (as high as 28%) was evident within 35 days after unrestricted feeding was reintroduced. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dietary l-carnitine supplementation appeared to have a metabolic effect in overweight cats undergoing rapid weight loss that facilitated fatty acid oxidation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22738052/