L-Carnitine L-Tartrate vs. Acetyl-L-Carnitine Hydrochloride
Among 2,330 on-market l-carnitine products with an identifiable primary form, 36.9% use L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (859 products) and 23.3% use Acetyl-L-Carnitine Hydrochloride (542).
| L-Carnitine L-Tartrate | Acetyl-L-Carnitine Hydrochloride | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Unrated | Unrated |
| L-Carnitine by weight | 68.2% | 67.3% |
| Share of market | 36.9% | 23.3% |
| On-market products | 859 | 542 |
| Median declared dose | 404.6 mg middle half: 150–682 | 336.5 mg middle half: 134.6–400.15 |
| Most common brands | GNC Pro Performance AMP, AdvoCare, Cellucor | Core Nutritionals, Vitamin World, Gamma Labs |
Doses are declared per serving in mg. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why L-Carnitine L-Tartrate is unrated
The form used in several RCTs (2g/day carnitine as LCLT in Volek 2008, 2g LCLT twice daily with carbohydrate in Wall 2011, which raised muscle carnitine 21%), but no human study comparing tartrate directly with free L-carnitine or other salts was located.
Source: Volek JS et al. 2008, Am J Cardiol 102(10):1413-7, PMID 18993165; Wall BT et al. 2011, J Physiol 589(4):963-73, PMID 21224234
Why Acetyl-L-Carnitine Hydrochloride is unrated
Same ALC molecule as a hydrochloride salt; no human comparison of salts.
Source: Sima AA et al. 2005, PMID 15616239
Other l-carnitine comparisons
- L-Carnitine L-Tartrate vs. Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC)
- L-Carnitine L-Tartrate vs. L-Carnitine Fumarate
- L-Carnitine L-Tartrate vs. L-Carnitine Hydrochloride
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) vs. Acetyl-L-Carnitine Hydrochloride
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) vs. L-Carnitine Fumarate
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) vs. L-Carnitine Hydrochloride
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine Hydrochloride vs. L-Carnitine Fumarate
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine Hydrochloride vs. L-Carnitine Hydrochloride
- L-Carnitine Fumarate vs. L-Carnitine Hydrochloride