Does citrulline help you do more reps at the gym?
Changes in resistance training performance, rating of perceived exertion, and blood biomarkers after six weeks of supplementation with L-citrulline vs. L-citrulline DL-malate in resistance-trained men: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lower body endurance showed only a trend toward improvement (p=0.07), while upper body improved dramatically.
Most assume citrulline improves blood flow everywhere—but if it only helped upper body, maybe muscle mass, fiber type, or training volume played a hidden role.
Practical Takeaways
Switch from expensive citrulline malate to pure L-citrulline (8g/day) to save money and get the same endurance boost.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lower body endurance showed only a trend toward improvement (p=0.07), while upper body improved dramatically.
Most assume citrulline improves blood flow everywhere—but if it only helped upper body, maybe muscle mass, fiber type, or training volume played a hidden role.
Practical Takeaways
Switch from expensive citrulline malate to pure L-citrulline (8g/day) to save money and get the same endurance boost.
Publication
Journal
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Year
2025
Authors
Davoud Bayat, Mohammad Azizi, Naser Behpour, G. Tinsley
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Claims (6)
Taking citrulline supplements may help improve blood flow and allow more repetitions during high-repetition, short-rest workouts, but it does not cause measurable increases in muscle size over time.
In men who regularly lift weights, taking L-citrulline or citrulline malate supplements for six weeks does not lead to greater increases in maximum strength compared to not taking them, even though everyone in the study got stronger.
In men who regularly lift weights, taking L-citrulline and citrulline malate leads to similar improvements in upper body endurance and nitric oxide metabolite levels after exercise, meaning adding malate does not provide extra performance benefits.
Taking 8 grams of L-citrulline or 12 grams of L-citrulline DL-malate daily for six weeks may help resistance-trained men perform more repetitions to failure in bench press and incline press exercises compared to taking a placebo.
Taking L-citrulline or citrulline malate regularly may raise levels of nitric oxide metabolites after exercise in men who train with weights, and both forms appear to have comparable effects.