Review Detail

I've tried both l-carnitine and acetyl-l-carnitine and noticed definite effects from both. Having tried both at a dose of 500mg twice daily I found both gave a strong energy boost. Unfortunately, rather than a smooth boost in energy that would have enabled me to maintain activity throughout the day it all seemed to come in one big lump rather like a stimulant. As a result, at the end of the day I was actually left exhausted and also had trouble sleeping due to the overstimulation. In this respect I found that the acetyl version was stronger, perhaps due to increasing acetylcholine levels.

I should explain that I have experienced this overstimulation from a lot of supplements that others have found very helpful. This is more than likely due to my low DHEA levels which fail to provide a balance to the stimulant effects of various "energy boosting" supplements.

I did find that carnitine supplements were very beneficial for my liver function which would be expected due to their anti-oxidant properties and ability to improve fatty acid metabolism within the liver.

From my experience carnitine is a very powerful supplement that may well benefit those suffering from fatigue related illnesses. I would recommend a trial but suggest starting at low doses and building up to see how you react to it.