Citrulline vs Creatine for performance
Short answer: For performance, users rate them about the same: 100% report improvement with Citrulline (31 reports) and 98% with Creatine (542 reports).
Citrulline has 51 meta-analyses and 258 randomized trials on PubMed; Creatine has 763 and 2,794.
Based on 157 reports about Citrulline and 2,279 about Creatine. Not medical advice.
| Citrulline Supplement | Creatine Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 84%helped58 reports · medium confidence | 72%helped1,048 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 51 / 258 | 763 / 2,794 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Performance % reporting improvement | 100% (31) | 98% (542) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 75% (4) | 97% (268) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | — | 93% (249) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | — | 87% (125) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | 98% (95) |
| Common side effects | erectile dysfunction, tooth erosion, tooth enamel, gerd | stomach issues, hair loss, insomnia, water retention |
| Typical dose reported | 1 g | 5 g / daily |
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.”
The results of the meta-analysis suggest that creatine supplementation did not significantly alter serum creatinine levels (standardized mean difference = 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.24-0.73, P = .001, I2 = 22%), and did not alter plasma urea values (standardized mean difference = 1.10, 95% confidence interval 0.34-1.85, P = .004, I2 = 28%). The findings indicate that creatine supplementation does not induce renal damage in the studied amounts and durations.
J Ren Nutr, 2019 ↗“I actually feel a lot better. Mentally clearer and more balanced, like I have my brain back.”
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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