The Best Carnitine Supplements for Athletes, Fat Burn, and More

The amino acid called carnitine isn’t technically essential, but many have found reasons to add it to their supplement regimen. It’s possible that it may have applications for exercise performance and longevity, but how do you decide which product to buy? We’ve looked at the top products on the market to bring you these excellent options.

Best Carnitine Supplements

• Best Carnitine Overall: Legion Recharge
• Best Fat-Burner with Carnitine: Transparent Labs Fat Burner Stim-Free
• Best Carnitine Supplement for Recovery: Legion Recharge
• Best Carnitine Capsules: Kaged L-Carnitine
• Best Carnitine For Athletes: Legion Recharge
• Best Carnitine-Only Supplement: Kaged L-Carnitine
• Best Bulk Carnitine: BulkSupplements ALCAR HCl
• Best Tested Carnitine: Nutricost Acetyl L-Carnitine (ALCAR)

Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine. Individual needs for vitamins and minerals will vary.

Best Carnitine Supplement Overall

To be a top product overall, you have to check all the right boxes. A product has to be cost-effective, properly dosed, and available in a wide variety of flavors to suit nearly anyone’s taste preferences. Legion Recharge ticks all those boxes, and more.

Legion Recharge

Our top carnitine pick is well-dosed and reasonably priced for the number of helpful ingredients you’re getting. Legion Recharge contains two grams of l-carnitine l-tartrate. This form of l-carnitine is combined with a salt of tartaric acid, which is an antioxidant that may help the l-carnitine absorb faster. Legion sweetens and flavors Recharge naturally, and the product is Labdoor certified for label accuracy and ingredient purity. Legion also includes 10mg of corosolic acid, which may be helpful in weight loss and blood sugar support.

Legion Recharge provides over two grams of l-carnitine l-tartrate, which is a version of l-carnitine that may absorb quicker. On top of that, you’ll find five grams of micronized creatine monohydrate, which can help you work out harder for longer.

Legion Recharge

Legion Recharge

Legion Recharge is a well-rounded option that includes a solid dose of creatine monohydrate, along with l-carnitine l-tartrate, which may help to reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and improve recovery.

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Who Should Buy Legion Recharge

• Those who want a carnitine supplement that also contains other ingredients that could be helpful with fat loss and muscle growth. 
• Anyone looking for all-natural sweeteners and flavors will appreciate that Legion doesn’t use any artificial ingredients.
• People who are looking for multiple flavor options as this product comes in Strawberry Lemonade, Blue Raspberry, Grape, Watermelon, Fruit Punch, and an unflavored option. 

Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Recharge

• If you like taking your carnitine in capsule or pill form, you’ll want to look elsewhere as this only comes in a powder. 
• Those with allergies should be mindful. This product is made in a facility that may process common allergens like milk, eggs, fish, tree nuts, soybeans, and wheat.

If you’re looking for a product with a high dose of carnitine, this is it. It also offers other potentially helpful ingredients like creatine and corosolic acid, which combine to create a more robust ingredients list than many other carnitine supplements have.

[Related: Could Baking Soda Be The Best Workout Supplement You’ve Never Tried?]

Best Fat Burner with Carnitine

Many people take carnitine supplements in order to help aid them in their weight loss journey. That’s why a lot of companies have started to introduce carnitine supplements with other fat burning ingredients included. If you’re looking for a carnitine supplement that also packs a fat burning punch, this pick has you covered.

Transparent Labs Fat Burner Stim-Free

Many carnitine products contain ingredients that may help with increasing muscle mass, like creatine. This product goes the other route, including ingredients that can help you burn more fat without the addition of stimulants — like caffeine. This product contains 750mg of acetyl l-carnitine, which may make fat more easily available to be burned.

Transparent Labs also includes forskolin and cayenne pepper, which can help to burn fat and increase metabolism, too. This product is packaged in capsules with a recommended serving size of two capsules twice daily, both times 30 to 60 minutes before a meal. Transparent Labs designed this to potentially help boost your metabolism without extra stimulants to aid in reaching your body composition goals.

10% Off

Transparent Labs Fat Burner Stim-Free

Transparent Labs Fat Burner Stim-Free

This product uses science-backed doses of cayenne, 5-HTP, and Coleus Forskolin to aid fat loss without the use of jitter-inducing supplements. Use the code BARBEND10 for 10% off!

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Who Should Buy Transparent Labs Fat Burner Stim-Free

• Folks who want a full fat burner supplement will like that this product contains other ingredients that can potentially help with fat burn outside of carnitine. 
• If you’re looking to start out by taking a lower dose of carnitine, this product offers 750mg per serving, which is lower than other products. You can increase the amount gradually over time.
• Those who prefer taking capsules rather than a powder will like this supplement. 

Who Shouldn’t Buy Transparent Labs Fat Burner Stim-Free

• Athletes who want to drink their carnitine should opt for a powder supplement on this list. 
• If you’re looking for a high dose of carnitine, you can find doses that are more than double what you will get with this supplement. 

This fat burner contains carnitine, forskolin, 5-HTP, and cayenne pepper, all of which may be able to help you during a cutting phase — this is great if you’re looking for more of a fat burning boost along with your carnitine. 

Best Carnitine Supplement for Recovery

Carnitine is probably best known as a weight management supplement, but a lot of post-workout products include it for its potential to aid in recovery from workouts. If you’re looking for a carnitine supplement for recovery purposes, this pick is the way to go.

Legion Recharge

Legion Recharge is a carnitine supplement within a post-workout drink that can potentially help with recovery and muscle soreness. Not only does this supplement contain 2.1g of carnitine, but it also has 5g of micronized creatine, and 10.5mg of corosolic acid. The idea is that creatine and carnitine can potentially work together, which may help you recover better, and be ready for your next session. 

It’s an ideal supplement to take just after your workouts to help maximize gains and potentially reduce soreness. It’s all-natural, and contains no added sugars. Plus, it comes in four different flavors — Blue Raspberry, Fruit Punch, Grape, and Strawberry Lemonade.

Legion Recharge

Legion Recharge

Legion Recharge is a well-rounded option that includes a solid dose of creatine monohydrate, along with l-carnitine l-tartrate, which may help to reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and improve recovery.

Shop Legion

Who Should Buy Legion Recharge

• If you want a full post-workout supplement, you will appreciate the additional ingredients here that can potentially help with your gains. 
• Those who want a carnitine supplement that can help with recovery will like this blend of post-workout ingredients designed to reduce muscle soreness, and boost recovery. 
• If you prefer a powdered carnitine supplement, this is a great option. 

Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Recharge

• Athletes who just want a supplement that just contains carnitine should look elsewhere. 
• Anyone who wants the convenience of a capsule supp. This is a powder.

This post-workout supplement contains carnitine, creatine, and corosolic acid, which combined, can help with recovery, muscle retention, and muscle soreness after your training sessions. 

Best Carnitine Capsules

Sometimes taking a supplement in powder form just isn’t possible or convenient. Maybe you’re traveling, or on the go often. Maybe you just don’t like taking your supplements in powder form. If that sounds like you, then carnitine capsules may be just the product to grab.

Kaged L-Carnitine

If you’re not after funky-tasting powder, sweetened liquid, or filler-filled tablets, Kaged L-Carnitine provides a solid capsule that’s made from plant-based vegetable cellulose, so it’s free from animal products. In addition to using very few ingredients and providing 500mg of carnitine in each one-capsule serving, this product is third-party tested by Informed Sport.

Since one capsule provides 500mg of carnitine, if you’d like to increase your dose, you can just add another capsule to your daily regimen. Each bottle provides 250 capsules at a very affordable cost, so you won’t have to break the bank to implement this supplement into your daily regimen. 

Kaged L-Carnitine

Kaged L-Carnitine

Kaged L-Carnitine contains 500mg of carnitine per each one-capsule serving. This product is also vegetarian as its capsule is made from a plant-based vegetable cellulose. Plus, it’s fairly inexpensive compared to the rest of the market. 

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Who Should Buy Kaged L-Carnitine

• Those who are looking for a capsule supplement that allows them to easily increase their carnitine dosage by adding another capsule will like this supplement. 
• Anyone who follows a vegetarian diet. The capsule of this supplement is made of vegetable cellulose, which means it’s a vegetarian-friendly product. 
• Folks who want a straightforward carnitine supp. This product only contains carnitine without any additional ingredients. 

Who Shouldn’t Buy Kaged L-Carnitine

• If you’d rather take a powder or liquid carnitine supplement, you can find better options out there. 
• People who want a higher dose of carnitine without having to increase the number of capsules they are taking can find carnitine supplements that offer over 1,000mg per single dose. 

Again, there isn’t much downside to many of the supplements on this list, and Kaged is no exception. The cost is reasonable, the carnitine dosage can be both high or low depending on how many capsules you take, and the ingredients are vegetarian-friendly. 

[Related: The Lifter’s Guide To Magnesium: What This Nutrient Does For Strength]

Best Carnitine For Athletes

Athletes train hard and need to recover even harder. Sometimes, you may need some help along the way with that. That’s where a carnitine supplement comes in. Not only can it potentially help with maintaining your optimal weight for competition, but it may also help you recover better with less muscle soreness for your next training session.

Legion Recharge

 Legion Recharge is an ideal supplement for athletes to take post-workout to help potentially maximize gains and reduce muscle soreness. This product packs a solid dose of over two grams of l-carnitine l-tartrate in each scoop. L-carnitine has been shown to help reduce recovery times and improve muscle soreness after resistance training. (7) That’s what makes this product with a high dose of carnitine a great pick for athletes looking for a carnitine supplement.

Recharge is available in six different flavors, including unflavored, all with no artificial flavors or sweeteners. This product also has five grams of micronized creatine monohydrate, which may help improve muscular strength and power. Recharge keeps the ingredients list short and to the point — only including the necessities.

Legion Recharge

Legion Recharge

Legion Recharge is a well-rounded option that includes a solid dose of creatine monohydrate, along with l-carnitine l-tartrate, which may help to reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and improve recovery.

Shop Legion

Who Should Buy Legion Recharge

• Athletes who are looking to try carnitine in combination with their workouts — it’s ideal to take this supplement after you hit the gym.
• Those who want a high dose of carnitine will like that this supp provides two grams per serving. 
• Anyone who wants more than just carnitine in their supp. This post-workout product comes with creatine and betaine as well.

Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Recharge

• Anyone who would prefer a capsule carnitine supplement — this is a powder.
• Folks who don’t want other performance-enhancing ingredients included in their supplement. You can find other supplements on this list that are just carnitine. 

If you’re an athlete looking to drop a few pounds or stay focused in the gym, carnitine might help. This particular supplement provides a large 2.1g dose of carnitine and other potentially helpful ingredients that you can take post-workout, like creatine and corosolic acid.

Best Carnitine-Only Supplement

So you’re looking for a carnitine supplement, but just want carnitine by itself. It can be difficult to find a high-quality supplement that’s just the one ingredient you want. If that’s the case, we’ve got just what you’re looking for with this carnitine-only supplement in a convenient capsule form.

Kaged L-Carnitine

Many carnitine supplements can contain other helpful ingredients (such as creatine, or even a full line-up of pre-workout ingredients). This is a great option for those who just want carnitine. Kaged L-Carnitine contains 500mg of carnitine per each one-capsule serving, and that’s it. 

While this dose is on the lower side, if you want a higher dose, you can take two capsules instead of just one. This product is also vegetarian as its capsule is made from a plant-based vegetable cellulose. Plus, it’s fairly inexpensive when compared across the market. 

Kaged L-Carnitine

Kaged L-Carnitine

Kaged L-Carnitine contains 500mg of carnitine per each one-capsule serving. This product is also vegetarian as its capsule is made from a plant-based vegetable cellulose. Plus, it’s fairly inexpensive compared to the rest of the market. 

Shop Kaged

Who Should Buy Kaged L-Carnitine

• Folks who want a carnitine supplement that just contains carnitine will like this product. 
• Anyone who prefers to take capsules over a powder. Kaged L-Carnitine is one capsule per dose. 
• Vegetarians who want a capsule that’s made of a plant-based cellulose.

Who Shouldn’t Buy Kaged L-Carnitine

• If you’re looking for a more robust ingredients list, you can find products that contain other potentially helpful fat loss and muscle-building ingredients as well. 
• For those who prefer a powder supp, there are other picks on this list that may better suit you. 

This is a great, minimal option if you’re looking for a carnitine supplement, and don’t want it to be bogged down with other ingredients you may already have in your regimen.

Best Bulk Carnitine

Buying things in bulk can be cheaper and more convenient than buying in smaller quantities. Bodybuilders know this all too well as they can be seen regularly buying rice by the cart full. If you’re in the market for a bulk carnitine product, our top pick might be the one you’ve been searching for.

BulkSupplements.com ALCAR HCL

Buy bulk, save cash, at least if you’re really taking a lot of carnitine. BulkSupplements is indeed the best way to buy up to a thousand servings of carnitine at once, and the quality is superb: it contains absolutely nothing but acetyl l-carnitine.

Additionally, this carnitine supplement is tested both in house and by a third party to ensure quality, and it’s made in a facility free from major allergens.

BulkSupplements.com ALCAR HCl

BulkSupplements.com ALCAR HCl