NCT03439917

Effects of Carnitine Supplementation on Liver and Muscle

Effect of Carnitine Supplementation on Liver Steatosis, Insulin Sensitivity, Plasma Glucose Homeostasis, Skeletal Muscle Metabolism and Energetics: a Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Nottingham · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

It will be evaluated whether carnitine, a dietary supplement, reduces liver fat and improves metabolism in individuals who have a high concentration of fat within their liver. Participants will be given either Carnitine or placebo, together with a meal replacement milkshake twice daily for 6 months.

Detailed description

NAFLD occurs when too much fat accumulates in liver tissue. This can, over time, cause inflammation and scarring of the liver, eventually leading to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. It is strongly associated with diabetes and obesity, both of which are endemic in Western societies. Carnitine enables cells in the body to use fat as a fuel, and recent studies have suggested that carnitine supplementation may reduce liver triglyceride content. Muscle and liver are the major sites in the body which coordinate glucose and fat metabolism. As well as assessing the effect of carnitine supplementation on liver fat, its effect on metabolic processes within these tissues will also be measured

Conditions

• Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
• Insulin Resistance

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	L-Carnitine tartrate	2g L-Carnitine tartrate as a powder consumed twice a day
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Meal Replacement Drink	325ml dairy-based meal replacement drink ('Slimfast' trademark of KSF Acquisition UK Ltd) consumed twice a day
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Maltodextrin	2g Maltodextrin powder packaged to mimic carnitine powder consumed twice a day

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-04-02
• Primary completion: 2020-08-30
• Completion: 2021-11-01
• First posted: 2018-02-20
• Last updated: 2021-11-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom