Along with the other 2 heart drugs, I couldn't help but notice that the Russian ice skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for l-carnitine.
Now l-carnitine is perfectly legal when ingested in small quantities, but got me to thinking are runners still using l-carnitine post NOP meltdown?
Does it actually work? If so, how well and how?
I'm pretty sure she didn't 'test positive'. You can declare the supplements/medications you take so she listed L-Carnitine (and Hypoxen).
But yeah, people-including runners- take L-carnitine. It takes awhile for your muscle carnitine stores to increase. For example, to increase your muscle stores by 21% you may need to take 4g a day (w/ carbs) for up to 6 months. But if you can successfully increase your muscle carnitine stores, it could help you spare glycogen and lower muscle lactate levels.
Legally, you can take as much oral l-carnitine as you want. It's only illegal if you exceed the IV limits. These limits aren't specific to l-carnitine, they apply to any IV. NOP used IVs because you can increase muscle stores way more quickly and it's not as annoying as taking oral doses twice a day for 6 months. But again, L-Carnitine isn't the issue, you just can't do IVs over 100mL within a 12-hour window without a TUE. Heck I think even a simply water/sodium IV would be against WADA rules without permission. I'm sure people with money probably do 99mL per 12 hours IV of L-carnitine and other potentially beneficial amino acids, vitamins, etc.
It's pretty pathetic how this is being reported as somehow scandalous when it is legal and was reported on her doping control forms so you would entirely expect it to be present in her sample.
Along with the other 2 heart drugs, I couldn't help but notice that the Russian ice skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for l-carnitine.
Now l-carnitine is perfectly legal when ingested in small quantities, but got me to thinking are runners still using l-carnitine post NOP meltdown?
Does it actually work? If so, how well and how?
I'm pretty sure she didn't 'test positive'. You can declare the supplements/medications you take so she listed L-Carnitine (and Hypoxen).
But yeah, people-including runners- take L-carnitine. It takes awhile for your muscle carnitine stores to increase. For example, to increase your muscle stores by 21% you may need to take 4g a day (w/ carbs) for up to 6 months. But if you can successfully increase your muscle carnitine stores, it could help you spare glycogen and lower muscle lactate levels.
Legally, you can take as much oral l-carnitine as you want. It's only illegal if you exceed the IV limits. These limits aren't specific to l-carnitine, they apply to any IV. NOP used IVs because you can increase muscle stores way more quickly and it's not as annoying as taking oral doses twice a day for 6 months. But again, L-Carnitine isn't the issue, you just can't do IVs over 100mL within a 12-hour window without a TUE. Heck I think even a simply water/sodium IV would be against WADA rules without permission. I'm sure people with money probably do 99mL per 12 hours IV of L-carnitine and other potentially beneficial amino acids, vitamins, etc.
You’re right on that. The problem with infusing saline is that it could be done in quantities that help you dilute the concentration of a banned substance and “beat” the test. At least that’s WADAs reasoning. They couldn’t care less about l-carnitine. They don’t want athletes taking infusions. (Especially saline for that matter).
I have a friend who ran for the Hansons, and they had her taking oral L-carnitine around the time Salazar’s group was rumored to be injecting it. They had her doing it to try and get leaner. She said it made her feel hot. Women athletes can improve a lot more than men because they have more body fat to lose. Look at the transformation of Desiree Linden for example. It’s not an illegal substance.
so you can't imagine any reason that WADA would want to limit people using IVs and also why they wouldn't want people routinely taking large amounts of fluid that way?
