L-Citrulline vs Whey Protein for performance
Short answer: For performance, users rate them about the same: 98% report improvement with L-Citrulline (45 reports) and 100% with Whey Protein (51 reports).
L-Citrulline has 14 meta-analyses and 101 randomized trials on PubMed; Whey Protein has 97 and 691.
Based on 231 reports about L-Citrulline and 305 about Whey Protein. Not medical advice.
| L-Citrulline Supplement | Whey Protein Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 77%helped99 reports · medium confidence | 83%helped128 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 14 / 101 | 97 / 691 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Performance % reporting improvement | 98% (45) | 100% (51) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 98% (48) | — |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | 100% (31) |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | 95% (22) | — |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 100% (11) | 100% (2) |
| Common side effects | cold sore, dizziness, headache, increased urination | stomach issues, acne, constipation, throat tightness |
| Typical dose reported | 8 g / 3x/week | 30 g / 2x 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.”
Analysis revealed that chronic and without professional guidance use of whey protein supplementation may cause some adverse effects specially on kidney and liver function. Presented data support a need for future studies co-relating the use of different types of whey protein with and without exercise to better see the impact on human physical health.
Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2021 ↗“Coffee with cream, has to be a cream or fake creamer with a whey protein, doesn't. It gives me a gentle but potent energy boost with no headache and no jitters.”
Related comparisons
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