LEARNING OUTCOME: To appreciate fat loss by interactive action of nutritional supplements (caffeine, carnitine, choline) and moderate exercise.

Professional and nonprofessional athletes use many nutritional supplements to improve performance and to reduce fatigue. Recently, we have shown choline-induced carnitine conservation in normal humans and animal models. The preferential accumulation of carnitine in skeletal muscle lead us to expand search for conditions that may promote fat oxidation and body fat loss. Caffeine is a stimulant and fat mobilizer. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of a combination of caffeine, carnitine, and choline with and without exercise on body fat and energy substrate utilization. Twenty, 7 wk old, male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=10) and fed either a non-supplemented (NS) or a supplemented (S) diet with a combination of caffeine, carnitine, and choline (@ 0.1, 0.5 and 11.5g/kg diet, respectively) for 30 days. Each dietary group was subdivided into exercise (E) and non-exercise (NE) groups (n=5). The exercise group was made to run on the treadmill for 6 days/wk for 3 weeks. During this time RQ was determined and blood and tissue samples were collected for metabolite determination. The SE group had significantly higher VO₂max, and lower body weight and body fat mass than the other groups. Serum triglycerides (TG) were significantly lower in the S groups but the muscle TG were not different. Muscle and serum short-chain acylcarnitines were significantly higher in the S groups which indicates higher fat oxidation in these groups compared to the others. The combination of caffeine, carnitine and choline supplementation with exercise significantly reduced body fat in a relatively short period of time. These observations merit further investigation in healthy humans and delineation of the mechanism of these nutrient-nutrient interactions. (Supported by TN-AES 136)