allison, I'm no expert on this but what I've read is that the carnatine (or glutamine if you take it) must be taken on an entirely empty stomach to work (won't hurt you if you eat with it, but your body won't "read" it as a special amino acid). Since you're paying a dollar or more a pill or so for the carnatine, seems crucial to do this. Two hour after a meal and at least an hour before the next is what I recall reading is ideal.

So I have two times I take supplements per day. My empty-stomach time, before I work out in the morning...and then my anytime supps, including that calcium magnesium horse pill that I swear one day will choke me to death...lol. Sometimes before I go to bed, I remember to take an extra evening primrose oil for a third dosing, sometimes not.