L-Carnitine

Mechanism

Supports fatty-acid transport into mitochondria through the carnitine shuttle.

Reported effects

What sources associate with this compound. Reported categories, not outcomes we have graded — each would need its own citation and rung.

• Fat oxidation
• Endurance support
• Muscle recovery

Literature on file 10

• human observational
  Impact of L-carnitine supplementation on lipid profile parameters in overweight and obese women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. graded on: a synthesis of human studies — “systematic review”
• animal in vivo
  Effects of dietary l-carnitine on growth performance, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function and endoplasmic reticulum stress of rice field eel (Monopterus albus) fed high-carbohydrate-diets graded on: 960 rice field eels across 16 cages, control vs high-carbohydrate diets — read from the abstract — “abstract review”
• animal in vivo
  L-Carnitine Improves Visceral Hypersensitivity and Colonic Hyperpermeability in a Rat Model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. graded on: an animal model — “Rat”
• in vitro
  Biochemical Signatures of L-Carnitine-Induced Changes in Brain Cancer Cells Revealed by Confocal Raman Imaging: A Preliminary Study. graded on: confocal Raman spectroscopy of human astrocytoma cells after 24 h exposure — read from the abstract — “abstract review”
• animal in vivo
  Antioxidant Effects of Vitamin E and L-Carnitine on Hippocampal Histology, Epigenetics, and Cognition in Morphine-Exposed Mice. graded on: an animal model — “Mice”
• human RCT
  NCT00775645: S0715: Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) for the Prevention of Taxane Induced Neuropathy Phase III graded on: a randomised trial — “Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial”
• human RCT
  NCT01107730: Randomized Double Blind Study of Administration of Vitamin C for Prophylaxis of Post-operative Atrial Fibrillation in On-pump Cardiac Surgery Procedures graded on: a randomised study — “Randomized Double Blind Study”
• human RCT
  NCT01783041: A Double-Blind, Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial of the Effect of Early L-Carnitine Supplementation on Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants graded on: names a randomised controlled trial — “Randomized Clinical Trial”
• human observational
  NCT00822172: Evaluation of Cilostazol in Combination With L-Carnitine in Subjects With Intermittent Claudication graded on: a registered clinical study — “clinicaltrials.gov”
• human RCT
  NCT01695317: Effect of Acetyl-L-carnitine in Migraine - a Randomized, Double-blind Placebo Controlled Study graded on: a randomised study — “Randomized, Double-blind Placebo Controlled Study”

Identity

PubChem CID 10917 computed 3D conformer

Skeletal formulathe canonical depiction

Drawn by PubChem from CID 10917, the identifier on this record.

Molecular weight

161.20

Molecular formula

C7H15NO3

CAS number

541-15-1

PubChem CID

10917

InChI key

PHIQHXFUZVPYII-ZCFIWIBFSA-N

SMILES

C[N+](C)(C)C[C@@H](CC(=O)[O-])O

InChI

InChI=1S/C7H15NO3/c1-8(2,3)5-6(9)4-7(10)11/h6,9H,4-5H2,1-3H3/t6-/m1/s1

Classified as

Lipolysis Stimulationmechanism

This mechanism is the source of the most common category error on the site. A record can be well supported for lipolysis and carry nothing at all for fat loss, and the two live in different fields with different rungs on the ladder at /evidence/rubric.

Mitochondrial Functionpathway

The phrase appears in a great deal of product copy but is measured very differently across studies, from oxygen consumption in cultured cells to exercise capacity in a person, and the rung a claim earns usually depends on which was actually done.

Also called

• L-Carnitine

Listed prices 89

What 67 shops we track listed for L-Carnitine, read from their own public catalogues on 2026-09-14. We take no commission on these and they are not ranked by any payment — how vendors are scored.

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