Taking L-citrulline might only help with short, intense workouts like sprinting or weightlifting, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference in long, hard cycling rides—even if you take enough of it for long enough.

Taking a specific dose of L-citrulline for 10 days doesn’t make you bike harder, faster, or feel less tired—even though some people think it might help. Your heart, lungs, and muscles act the same as if you didn’t take it.

Taking L-citrulline pills for 10 days doesn’t help healthy, moderately active young adults ride harder or longer on a bike at a tough pace.

Taking a specific amino acid supplement called L-citrulline for 10 days might help young women bike harder for a little longer, but the results weren’t strong enough to be sure — so scientists think it might work differently for women than for men, and more research is needed.

Taking a supplement called L-citrulline every day for a week, plus a little more right before riding a bike for 4 km, makes healthy, fit men feel less tired and more focused right after they finish the ride.

Taking a specific dose of L-citrulline for 10 days doesn’t change how your body uses sugar or handles lactic acid when you bike really hard, so it doesn’t help or hurt your energy or fatigue during intense exercise.