Cats in Positive Energy Balance Have Lower Rates of Adipose Gain When Fed Diets Containing 188 versus 121 ppm L-Carnitine.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
diet containing 188 ppm of L-carnitine (LC188) | increase | BW | adult cats | - | gained | #1 |
diet containing 121 ppm of L-carnitine (LC121) | increase | BW | adult cats | - | gained | #2 |
diet containing 188 ppm of L-carnitine (LC188) | no change | BW | adult cats | - | no differences | #3 |
diet containing 121 ppm of L-carnitine (LC121) | no change | BW | adult cats | - | no differences | #4 |
diet containing 121 ppm of L-carnitine (LC121) | increase | body fat (g) | adult cats | - | were greater | #5 |
diet containing 121 ppm of L-carnitine (LC121) | increase | body fat : lean mass ratio | adult cats | - | were greater | #6 |
dietary L-carnitine at a dose of at least 188 ppm | neutral | health and well-being | cats fed above MER | - | may be beneficial | #7 |
L-carnitine (LC) is included in select adult feline diets for weight management. This study investigated whether feeding adult cats with diets containing either 188 ppm of LC (LC188) or 121 ppm of LC (LC121) and feeding them 120% of maintenance energy requirement (MER) resulted in differences in total energy expenditure (EE), metabolic fuel selection, BW, body composition, and behavior. Cats (n = 20, 4 ± 1.2 yrs) were stratified for BCS and randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments and fed for 16 weeks. BW was measured weekly, and indirect calorimetry, body composition, physical activity, play motivation, and cognition were measured at baseline and throughout the study. A mixed, repeated measures, ANCOVA model was used. Cats in both treatments gained BW (P < 0.05) throughout the study, with no differences between treatments at any time point (P > 0.05). There were no differences in body composition between groups at baseline; however, body fat (g) and body fat : lean mass ratio were greater in cats fed LC121 in contrast to cats fed LC188 (P < 0.05) on week 16. No other outcomes differed between treatments (P > 0.05). Supplying dietary LC at a dose of at least 188 ppm may be beneficial for the health and well-being of cats fed above MER.