Carnitine Supplement Helps Sperm Swim
(NY, Reuters Health, 3/3/05)

Dr. Carlo Foresta of the University of Padua, Italy, and team, studied 30 men with asthenozoospermis, a condition marked by poor sperm mobility. The investigators divided the subjects into two groups based on whether or not they had normal functioning mitochondria, which are structures inside the cells that supply the energy that allows the sperm to move. The researchers found that for subjects whose mitochondria functioned normally, sperm movement increased from 29.3 % before taking the carnitine to 41.1 % after 3 months of therapy; whereas, there was no such increase in the group with abnormal mitochondia. These findings suggest that taking carnitine supplements may effectively boost sperm mobility in men with normal mitochondrial function.

(Fertility & Sterility 2005)