Acetyl L-carnitine (ALCAR) can help you and other men with low sperm motility father a child. Low sperm motility means that your sperm is not fast enough to do a Michael Phelps to fertilize the egg, therefore no pregnancy occurs. Low sperm motility is one of the conditions that indicates poor sperm quality. Poor sperm quality contributes to a couple’s difficulty conceiving in 40 percent of cases. In addition to sperm motility, other parameters used by the World Health Organization to assess sperm quality are sperm count, sperm concentration, and morphology.
No, Acetyl L Carnitine (ALCAR) is not a sperm donor but rather an amino acid that the body uses to convert fat into energy. But on top of that, it can increase your chances of becoming a dad. This is based on several trials demonstrating the effects of acetyl L carnitine (ALCAR) on sperm motility.
A 1992 study by Moncada showed that a daily dose of 4 grams of acetyl L carnitine (ALCAR) for two months increased progressive sperm motility from 22 to 38 percent with a steady increase of more than 40 percent in 12 of 20 patients. Marked and sustained improvement was seen in 60 percent of subjects. It is true that the figures from the trial came true and there were five pregnancies during the treatment period and two pregnancies in the four month period after the end of the treatment.
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, 86 male subjects aged 20 to 40 years received either two grams per day of L-carnitine or placebo after a two-month washout period. After two months of treatment and another two-month washout period, the two groups were cross-treated for another two months. The results have shown that there was a statistically significant improvement in semen quality after L-carnitine therapy compared to placebo. These improvements were particularly seen in sperm concentration, sperm linearity, total motile sperm, and forward sperm motility. Notably, subjects with lower baseline values of forward sperm motility experienced a more significant increase after L-carnitine treatment. And just like in the study mentioned above, the trial figures came true and resulted in eight pregnancies over the entire observation period. The menstrual history of female partners who became pregnant showed that all pregnancies were in the L-carnitine therapy phase.
These studies suggest that L-carnitine and acetyl L-carnitine (ALCAR) are a promising nutritional supplement for men who want to have children. The usual recommended dose for the powdered form of acetyl L carnitine (ALCAR) for male infertility is 500 milligrams per day for at least three to six months to give the sperm time to mature. Acetyl L Carnitine (ALCAR) presents a safe and affordable initial option to treat male infertility.