What are the benefits of l-citrulline?

Introduction

L-citrulline is a non-essential amino acid that serves as a precursor to L-arginine and nitric oxide (NO). It has gained attention for its potential benefits in various physiological functions, including vascular health, exercise performance, and muscle protein synthesis. This synthesis aims to consolidate the findings from multiple research papers to highlight the benefits of L-citrulline.

Key Insights

Improvement in Exercise Performance
- L-citrulline supplementation has been shown to improve cycling performance, including time trial completion times and perceived exertion levels in trained athletes .
- It enhances oxygen uptake kinetics and exercise tolerance during high-intensity activities.
Vascular Health and Blood Pressure
- L-citrulline is effective in increasing nitric oxide production, which helps in vasodilation and lowering blood pressure .
- It has shown promise as a blood pressure-lowering intervention in adults with pre-hypertension or hypertension.
Muscle Protein Synthesis and Recovery
- L-citrulline supplementation supports muscle protein synthesis, which can be beneficial in conditions like sarcopenia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) .
- It helps in maintaining muscle force and reducing muscle soreness after high-intensity exercise.
Antioxidant Effects
- L-citrulline enhances antioxidant markers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) following high-intensity interval exercise, indicating a reduction in oxidative stress.
Fetal Development and Prenatal Health
- Maternal L-citrulline supplementation can prevent programmed hypertension in offspring and improve fetal growth in models of intrauterine growth restriction .
Metabolic Health
- Preliminary evidence suggests that L-citrulline may benefit metabolic health by improving vascular and non-vascular pathways, particularly in older populations.

Conclusion

L-citrulline offers multiple benefits, including enhanced exercise performance, improved vascular health, and muscle protein synthesis. It also shows potential in reducing oxidative stress and supporting fetal development. These benefits make L-citrulline a valuable supplement for various health and performance-related applications.

What are the benefits of l-citrulline?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

L-Citrulline Supports Vascular and Muscular Benefits of Exercise Training in Older Adults.

L-Citrulline supplementation combined with exercise training may enhance the vascular and muscular benefits of exercise in older adults.

One Week of L-Citrulline Supplementation Improves Performance in Trained Cyclists.

L-citrulline supplementation may modestly improve endurance cycling performance in trained athletes, but does not prevent fatigue during supramaximal sprint repeat tasks.

Oral L-citrulline supplementation enhances cycling time trial performance in healthy trained men: Double-blind randomized placebo-controlled 2-way crossover study

Oral L-citrulline supplementation improves cycling time trial performance in healthy trained men by 1.5% compared to placebo.

l-Citrulline supplementation improves O2 uptake kinetics and high-intensity exercise performance in humans.

Short-term l-citrulline supplementation improves blood pressure, pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics, and exercise performance in healthy adults, while l-arginine supplementation does not.

Consumption of Watermelon Juice Enriched in l-Citrulline and Pomegranate Ellagitannins Enhanced Metabolism during Physical Exercise.

Watermelon juice enriched with l-citrulline and pomegranate ellagitannins enhances metabolism during physical exercise, maintaining force and reducing perceived exertion and muscle soreness.

l-Citrulline Supplementation: Impact on Cardiometabolic Health

L-citrulline supplementation shows promise as a blood pressure lowering intervention and may benefit muscle and metabolic health in susceptible/older populations.

L-Citrulline Supplementation Enhances Fetal Growth and Protein Synthesis in Rats with Intrauterine Growth Restriction.

L-citrulline supplementation enhances fetal growth and protein synthesis in rats with intrauterine growth restriction caused by maternal dietary protein restriction.

Maternal Citrulline Supplementation Prevents Prenatal NG-Nitro-l-Arginine-Methyl Ester (l-NAME)-Induced Programmed Hypertension in Rats1

Maternal citrulline supplementation during pregnancy can prevent prenatal nitric oxide deficiency-induced hypertension in rats, potentially improving fetal development and preventing programmed hypertension.

Effects of l-citrulline supplementation on nitric oxide and antioxidant markers after high-intensity interval exercise in young men: a randomised controlled trial

L-Citrulline supplementation (single 12g dose pre-exercise) improves antioxidant markers after high-intensity interval exercise in young men.

Citrulline, Biomarker of Enterocyte Functional Mass and Dietary Supplement. Metabolism, Transport, and Current Evidence for Clinical Use

L-citrulline is a biomarker for monitoring intestinal integrity and a dietary supplement that may slightly improve muscle strength or protein balance.

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