L-Citrulline vs Tongkat Ali for libido
Short answer: For libido, more users report improvement with L-Citrulline — 97% of 37 reports, versus 77% of 199 for Tongkat Ali.
L-Citrulline has 14 meta-analyses and 101 randomized trials on PubMed; Tongkat Ali has 7 and 6.
Based on 181 reports about L-Citrulline and 704 about Tongkat Ali. Not medical advice.
| L-Citrulline Supplement | Tongkat Ali Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| User score | 57 | 40 |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Positive of reports that state an outcome | 76% | 44% |
| Reports | 181 | 704 |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | BResearch: Moderate |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 14 / 101 | 7 / 6 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Weight loss % reporting improvement | — | 78% (9) |
| Appetite % reporting improvement | — | 60% (5) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 67% (3) | 77% (22) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 100% (7) | 68% (98) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | — | 31% (32) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | 69% (32) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | 68% (93) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | 97% (30) | 92% (50) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | 100% (12) |
| Pain & inflammation % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | 0% (16) |
| Digestion % reporting improvement | — | 0% (3) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 97% (37) | 77% (199) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | 50% (2) | 66% (127) |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | 94% (16) | 33% (3) |
| Skin & hair % reporting improvement | — | 33% (6) |
| Common side effects | dizziness, headache, eye bags, tooth damage | fatigue, joint pain, insomnia, nausea |
| Typical dose reported | 8 g / 3x/week | 300 mg / 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.”
longifolia supplementation for enhancing testosterone production. Although more research is required before its use in clinical practice, this may represent a safe and promising therapeutic option, particularly in hypogonadal men.
Medicina (Kaunas), 2022 ↗“I decided to go cold turkey and quit (although I did take a natural supplement, Tongkat Ali, to boost). I am absolutely shocked by my results.”
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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