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Citrulline Malate Research & Evidence

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Evidence Level

Strong

Citrulline malate is one of the most evidence-backed pre-workout ingredients. The landmark Pérez-Guisado & Jakeman (2010) RCT in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research demonstrated dramatic improvements in resistance training performance and recovery. Mechanistically, citrulline bypasses hepatic arginase (unlike oral arginine), resulting in superior plasma arginine and NO elevation. The malate moiety may independently support aerobic metabolism by serving as a TCA cycle intermediate, though this mechanism is less thoroughly studied in isolation.

Evidence by Condition

ConditionStudied DoseEvidence
Resistance training performance8 g pre-workoutStrong
Endurance performance6 g pre-workoutModerate
Blood pressure support3-6 g L-citrulline dailyModerate
Full Citrulline Malate Guide

References

  1. (). Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. DOI
  2. (). Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of oral L-citrulline and L-arginine. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. DOI
  3. (). Oral L-citrulline supplementation enhances cycling time trial performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. DOI