L-Carnitine Supplementation May Promote Healthy Sperm Motility.

A new study conducted in Italy by researchers from University of Padova and published in the February 2005 issue of Fertility and Sterility (83, 2:355-61), found that L-Carnitine supplementation can improve sperm motility in men with a condition which causes underactive sperm, known as asthenozoospermia. This research involved 30 asthenozoospermic men who were divided into two groups based on mitochondrial function, indicated by phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) levels. Both groups received placebo for 3 months and then oral L-Carnitine supplementation, two grams per day for three months. Semen samples were collected at baseline, after placebo, after L-Carnitine supplementation, and then again after 3 months without supplementation. When asthenozoospermic subjects were divided into two groups based on PHGPx levels, researchers observed an improvement of mean sperm motility only in the group of patients with normal PHGPx levels. In those with normal mitochondrial function, sperm movement improved from 29.3% before treatment to 41.1% after taking two grams per day of carnitine for three months. The group with abnormal mitochondrial function showed no change in sperm motility. Researchers concluded that phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase has an important role in male fertility and that L-Carnitine supplementation may improve sperm motility in the presence of normal PHGPx levels / mitochondrial function.

Bio-Design l-Carnitine provides 250 mg of l-Carnitine per capsule.