Look at most popular pre-workout supplements and you’ll find they have several ingredients common.
L-citrulline is one of them.
Its name comes from citrullus, the Latin word for watermelon, which is a natural source of it. Other food sources include peanuts, soybeans, and kidney beans.
Most supplements aren’t all that special and can’t live up to the hype, but, as you’ll see, L-citrulline is one of the proven winners.
And in this podcast, we’re going to answer all your questions:
- What is L-citrulline?
- What are its benefits and side effects?
- How much do you have to take to see results?
- What’s the best way to supplement with it?
- And more…
Let’s start at the top.
So, if you want to live a longer, healthier life while avoiding disease and optimizing your brain, listen to this episode!
Oh and if you like this episode and want to get notified when a new one goes live, head on over to Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Soundcloud, or Google Play and subscribe.
Lastly, if you want to support the show, please drop a quick review of it over on iTunes. It really helps!
Time Stamps:
9:57 – How did citrulline get its name?
10:27 – What is l-citrulline?
11:40 – Why do people supplement with l-citrulline?
14:09 – What are the benefits of supplementing with l-citrulline?
19:24 – How much l-citrulline do I need to take to get the benefits?
23:24 – How do I get l-citrulline?
Mentioned on The Show:
What did you think of this episode? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
+ Scientific References
- Liu TH, Wu CL, Chiang CW, Lo YW, Tseng HF, Chang CK. No effect of short-term arginine supplementation on nitric oxide production, metabolism and performance in intermittent exercise in athletes. J Nutr Biochem. 2009;20(6):462-468. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2008.05.005
- Álvares TS, Meirelles CM, Bhambhani YN, Paschoalin VMF, Gomes PSC. L-arginine as a potential ergogenic aid in healthy subjects. Sport Med. 2011;41(3):233-248. doi:10.2165/11538590-000000000-00000
- Tang JE, Lysecki PJ, Manolakos JJ, MacDonald MJ, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Bolus Arginine Supplementation Affects neither Muscle Blood Flow nor Muscle Protein Synthesis in Young Men at Rest or After Resistance Exercise. J Nutr. 2011;141(2):195-200. doi:10.3945/jn.110.130138
- Paddon-Jones D, Børsheim E, Wolfe RR. Potential Ergogenic Effects of Arginine and Creatine Supplementation. J Nutr. 2004;134(10):2888S-2894S. doi:10.1093/jn/134.10.2888s
- Curis E, Crenn P, Cynober L. Citrulline and the gut. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2007;10(5):620-626. doi:10.1097/MCO.0b013e32829fb38d
- Collins JK, Wu G, Perkins-Veazie P, et al. Watermelon consumption increases plasma arginine concentrations in adults. Nutrition. 2007;23(3):261-266. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2007.01.005
- Pérez-Guisado J, Jakeman PM. Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(5):1215-1222. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181cb28e0
- Bendahan D, Mattei JP, Ghattas B, Confort-Gouny S, Le Guern ME, Cozzone PJ. Citrulline/malate promotes aerobic energy production in human exercising muscle. Br J Sports Med. 2002;36(4):282-289. doi:10.1136/bjsm.36.4.282
- Ochiai M, Hayashi T, Morita M, et al. Short-term effects of L-citrulline supplementation on arterial stiffness in middle-aged men. Int J Cardiol. 2012;155(2):257-261. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2010.10.004
- Orozco-Gutiérrez JJ, Castillo-Martínez L, Orea-Tejeda A, et al. Effect of L-arginine or L-citrulline oral supplementation on blood pressure and right ventricular function in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction. Cardiol J. 2010;17(6):612-618. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21154265. Accessed March 17, 2020.
- Cormio L, De Siati M, Lorusso F, et al. Oral L-citrulline supplementation improves erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction. Urology. 2011;77(1):119-122. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2010.08.028
- Pacher P, Beckman JS, Liaudet L. Nitric oxide and peroxynitrite in health and disease. Physiol Rev. 2007;87(1):315-424. doi:10.1152/physrev.00029.2006
- Rahman K. Studies on free radicals, antioxidants, and co-factors. Clin Interv Aging. 2007;2(2):219-236. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18044138. Accessed March 17, 2020.
- Sureda A, Córdova A, Ferrer MD, et al. Effects of L-citrulline oral supplementation on polymorphonuclear neutrophils oxidative burst and nitric oxide production after exercise. Free Radic Res. 2009;43(9):828-835. doi:10.1080/10715760903071664
- Russell IJ, Michalek JE, Flechas JD, Abraham GE. Treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome with Super Malic®: A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover pilot study. J Rheumatol. 1995;22(5):953-958. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8587088. Accessed March 17, 2020.
- Tang X, Liu J, Dong W, et al. The cardioprotective effects of citric Acid and L-malic Acid on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:820695. doi:10.1155/2013/820695
- Beck TW, Housh TJ, Schmidt RJ, et al. The acute effects of a caffeine-containing supplement on strength, muscular endurance, and anaerobic capabilities. J Strength Cond Res. 2006;20(3):506-510. doi:10.1519/18285.1
- Astorino TA, Rohmann RL, Firth K. Effect of caffeine ingestion on one-repetition maximum muscular strength. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008;102(2):127-132. doi:10.1007/s00421-007-0557-x
- Derave W, Özdemir MS, Harris RC, et al. β-Alanine supplementation augments muscle carnosine content and attenuates fatigue during repeated isokinetic contraction bouts in trained sprinters. J Appl Physiol. 2007;103(5):1736-1743. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00397.2007
- Smith AE, Walter AA, Graef JL, et al. Effects of β-alanine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on endurance performance and body composition in men; a double-blind trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009;6:5. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-6-5
- Kern BD, Robinson TL. Effects of β-alanine supplementation on performance and body composition in collegiate wrestlers and football players. J Strength Cond Res. 2011;25(7):1804-1815. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e741cf
- Trepanowski JF, Farney TM, McCarthy CG, Schilling BK, Craig SA, Bloomer RJ. The effects of chronic betaine supplementation on exercise performance, skeletal muscle oxygen saturation, and associated biochemical parameters in resistance trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2011;25(12):3461-3471. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e318217d48d
- Lee EC, Maresh CM, Kraemer WJ, et al. Ergogenic effects of betaine supplementation on strength and power performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010;7:27. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-27
- Apicella JM, Lee EC, Bailey BL, et al. Betaine supplementation enhances anabolic endocrine and Akt signaling in response to acute bouts of exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2013;113(3):793-802. doi:10.1007/s00421-012-2492-8
- Sugino T, Shirai T, Kajimoto Y, Kajimoto O. l-Ornithine supplementation attenuates physical fatigue in healthy volunteers by modulating lipid and amino acid metabolism. Nutr Res. 2008;28(11):738-743. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2008.08.008
- Kimura K, Ozeki M, Juneja LR, Ohira H. l-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses. Biol Psychol. 2007;74(1):39-45. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.006
- Siamwala JH, Dias PM, Majumder S, et al. L-Theanine promotes nitric oxide production in endothelial cells through eNOS phosphorylation. J Nutr Biochem. 2013;24(3):595-605. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2012.02.016
- Bryan J. Psychological effects of dietary components of tea: Caffeine and L-theanine. Nutr Rev. 2008;66(2):82-90. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2007.00011.x
- Foxe JJ, Morie KP, Laud PJ, Rowson MJ, De Bruin EA, Kelly SP. Assessing the effects of caffeine and theanine on the maintenance of vigilance during a sustained attention task. Neuropharmacology. 2012;62(7):2320-2327. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.01.020
- Nobre AC, Rao A, Owen GN. L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17(SUPPL. 1):167-168. doi:10.6133/apjcn.2008.17.s1.40
- Haskell CF, Kennedy DO, Milne AL, Wesnes KA, Scholey AB. The effects of l-theanine, caffeine and their combination on cognition and mood. Biol Psychol. 2008;77(2):113-122. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2007.09.008