L-Citrulline vs Maca for libido
Short answer: For libido, more users report improvement with L-Citrulline — 97% of 37 reports, versus 88% of 112 for Maca.
L-Citrulline has 14 meta-analyses and 101 randomized trials on PubMed; Maca has 13 and 13.
Based on 181 reports about L-Citrulline and 299 about Maca. Not medical advice.
| L-Citrulline Supplement | Maca Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| User score | 57 | 51 |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Positive of reports that state an outcome | 76% | 52% |
| Reports | 181 | 299 |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 14 / 101 | 13 / 13 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Focus % reporting improvement | 67% (3) | 90% (10) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 100% (7) | 82% (40) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | — | 40% (5) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | 43% (7) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | 87% (30) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | 97% (30) | 100% (4) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | — |
| Pain & inflammation % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | — |
| Digestion % reporting improvement | — | 0% (2) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 97% (37) | 88% (112) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | 50% (2) | 73% (15) |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | 94% (16) | — |
| Immunity % reporting improvement | — | 100% (2) |
| Common side effects | dizziness, headache, eye bags, tooth damage | anxiety, stomach issues, insomnia, acne |
| Typical dose reported | 8 g / 3x/week | daily |
Foods rich in polyphenols and nitrate provide trivial benefits for endurance exercise performance, although these effects may be food dependent. Highly trained endurance athletes do not appear to benefit from consuming nitrate-rich foods but may benefit from polyphenol consumption. Further research into food sources, dosage and supplementation duration to optimise the ergogenic response to polyphenol consumption is warranted. Further studies should evaluate whether differential sex-based responses to nitrate and polyphenol consumption are attributable to physiological differences or sample siz
J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2021 ↗“Something I found that makes my meds work way better is Citrulline 2g + Arginine 2g twice daily.”
Conclusion: The evidence from the included studies suggests unclear effects of maca on semen quality parameters in both men experiencing infertility and healthy men. However, the total number of RCTs and the total sample size were too small to draw firm conclusions.
Front Pharmacol, 2022 ↗“The better experiences were with gelatinized maca powder, 20g or so in a cup and my cock was hard as El Peñón de Gibraltar.”
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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