Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)
Acetylated form of L-carnitine that crosses the blood-brain barrier. Supports mitochondrial energy production, neuroprotection, and fat metabolism.
Projected serum levels — 500 mg, once daily
Maintenance schedule: 500 mg once daily (oral).
Loading schedule: 680 mg on day 1, then 500 mg once daily — reaching therapeutic levels sooner.
Modeled steady state after ~2 days: peak ≈ 54.5 mg, trough ≈ 18.1 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 15 days for a 500 mg dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.
Key facts
- Category
- Amino Acid
- Route modeled
- Oral
- Model confidence
- inferred
- Half-life
- 12 h
- Common dose
- 500 mg
- Suggested maximum
- 3k mg/day
- Reference dose range
- 250–3k mg (single dose)
- Suggested cadence
- once daily
Research behind this entry
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Acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation and the treatment of depressive symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Meta-analysis of 12 RCTs found acetyl-L-carnitine significantly reduced depressive symptoms compared to placebo, with efficacy comparable to established antidepressants.
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Acetyl-L-carnitine improves pain, nerve regeneration, and vibratory perception in patients with chronic diabetic neuropathy
RCT of 1,257 patients found acetyl-L-carnitine (1000 mg three times daily) significantly improved nerve fiber regeneration and reduced pain in diabetic neuropathy.
2 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.