Citrulline vs Citrulline Malate for performance
Short answer: For performance, more users report improvement with Citrulline — 100% of 31 reports, versus 94% of 49 for Citrulline Malate.
Citrulline has 51 meta-analyses and 258 randomized trials on PubMed; Citrulline Malate has 5 and 36.
Based on 157 reports about Citrulline and 162 about Citrulline Malate. Not medical advice.
| Citrulline Supplement | Citrulline Malate Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 84%helped58 reports · medium confidence | 83%helped58 reports · medium confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 51 / 258 | 5 / 36 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Performance % reporting improvement | 100% (31) | 94% (49) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 90% (20) | 100% (3) |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | 100% (14) | 86% (7) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 75% (4) | 100% (9) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | 100% (6) |
| Common side effects | erectile dysfunction, tooth erosion, tooth enamel, gerd | diarrhea, headache, dizziness, stomach issues |
| Typical dose reported | 1 g | 2 scoops / pre-workout |
Supplementation of some but not all micronutrients may benefit cardiometabolic health. This study highlights the importance of micronutrient diversity and the balance of benefits and risks to promote and maintain cardiovascular health in diverse populations. (Antioxidant Supplementation in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases; CRD42022315165).
J Am Coll Cardiol, 2022 ↗“try all the standard vasodilators - citrulline and agmatine helped me a lot.”
Nevertheless, several studies have reported that L-citrulline supplementation can enhance exercise performance and recovery. Given the positive effects observed from some investigations, future studies should continue to investigate the effects of both acute and chronic supplementation with L-citrulline and citrulline malate on markers of blood flow and exercise performance and should seek to elucidate the mechanism underlying such effects.
J Strength Cond Res, 2020 ↗“Creatin and Citrulline Malate helped me most with reducing PEM, energy shortage, and a general feeling of extreme tiredness.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate