Taking L-citrulline or L-arginine supplements for eight days doesn’t make swimmers any faster in 100m or 200m races, even if they’re trained athletes.
Claim Language
Language Strength
definitive
Uses definitive language (causes, prevents, cures)
The claim uses 'has no effect on' and 'do not act as', which are absolute, non-probabilistic statements asserting a definitive absence of effect, characteristic of definitive language.
Context Details
Domain
exercise_science
Population
human
Subject
Eight days of 8 g/day L-citrulline or L-arginine supplementation
Action
has no effect on
Target
100-m or 200-m freestyle swimming time-trial performance in trained/developmental swimmers and triathletes
Intervention Details
Gold Standard Evidence Needed
According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Eight Days of L-Citrulline or L-Arginine Supplementation Did Not Improve 200-m and 100-m Swimming Time Trials
Scientists gave swimmers either L-citrulline, L-arginine, or a sugar pill for 8 days and then timed their 100m and 200m swims. The swimmers didn’t get any faster no matter which pill they took, so these supplements don’t help improve short swimming races.