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What is already known about this subject

• Carnitine is essential for fatty acid metabolism, and is obtained from the diet and endogenous synthesis.

• Patients with renal failure who are on chronic haemodialysis may require carnitine supplementation.

• It is known that carnitine depletion in these patients may take years to develop, and that measurements of plasma carnitine may not be predictive of loss of carnitine from muscle, the main pool of carnitine in the body.

What this study adds

• This paper adds a quantitative understanding of the time‐course of the relationship between haemodialysis and the plasma concentration of L‐carnitine, with particular reference to how the carnitine pools in the body re‐equilibrate after a dialysis session.

• It also provides insight into the time‐course of the depletion of L‐carnitine in these patients.

Patients requiring chronic haemodialysis may develop a secondary …