L-Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid, meaning that it is made by the body and doesn’t need to be included in your diet. However, it has been found to be very effective with weight training for its ability to improve blood flow. For this reason, supplementing with it before and during training can help enhance your workout. As an athlete, you want the best bang for your buck, so which is better – pure L-Citrulline or Citrulline Malate? Before we make the decision, it’s important to understand how L-Citrulline works in our body and the benefits we can derive from it.
As L-Citrulline is ingested, it bypasses the liver and gut wall before being transformed into L-Arginine, making it a pre-cursor to L-Arginine. The major physiological impact of increased L-Arginine levels in the bloodstream is an increase in nitric oxide. This means vasodilation occurs at a faster rate, leading to improved blood flow to You might be wondering if supplementing withthe working muscles. This improved blood flow reduces fatigue in the muscle due to the presence of oxygen and nutrients transported in the blood. Additionally, the build-up of lactic acid, which causes a burning sensation in the working muscles and often prompts the end of a set, can be delayed with the use of L-Citrulline. These physiological factors explain how L-Citrulline stifles muscle fatigue to improve your performance in the gym.
You might be wondering if supplementing with L-Arginine instead of L-Citrulline would be more efficient, as L-Citrulline is converted to L-Arginine in the body. While that thought process does make sense on the surface, studies have found that 75% of supplemented L-Citrulline reaches the bloodstream as opposed to 40% of orally ingested L-Arginine – a 35% difference! Due to the fact that L-Citrulline bypasses the liver, it avoids being broken down by an enzyme found in the intestines and liver. L-Arginine is subject to this breakdown, leaving less of the amino acid available to the body.
The benefits of Citrulline are undeniable from both a performance and bioavailability perspective, but which form of L-Citrulline is best? Citrulline Malate is a popular choice used by manufacturers due to the fact that it is a cheaper option, but I highly recommend Pure Citrulline for these three reasons.
More Active Ingredient
Pure Citrulline provides 100% of the active ingredient, as the name suggests. Most supplement companies use Citrulline Malate, which is formulated in a 1:1 ratio with Malic Acid. This means that a dose of 6g of Citrulline Malate equates to only 3g of actual L-Citrulline, accompanied by 3g of Malic Acid. On the other hand, if you were to consume 6g of Pure Citrulline you will get the full 6g - twice as much L-Citrulline as opposed to the same serving size of Citrulline Malate.
Clearly, it’s cheaper for a supplement company to use Citrulline Malate because it only has half the active ingredient compared to Pure Citrulline. However, consuming the correct dosage is pivotal to benefiting from any supplement. If the product is under-dosed, there’s no point in taking the supplement at all.
Fermented Versus Synthetic
Pure Citrulline is fermented from vegetables rather than the more commonly used synthetic or animal byproduct alternatives. The methods used to source and process any supplement is extremely important for the health of the athlete. When companies are transparent with these factors, it gives the end user the opportunity to decide if the product is right for them and what they want to put into their body.
Avoiding overly processed products and synthetic ingredients helps to reduce inflammation within the body and improves the recovery process. There’s no doubt that my commitment to using only the most natural foods, ingredients, and supplements, including Pure Citrulline, has contributed to the steady improvements and maintenance I’ve seen with my own health.
Purity
When comparing puree citrulline to the Citrulline Malate alternatives, it’s easy to see the difference in purity. Pure Citrulline is non-GMO and gluten-free. It’s also excipient-free, meaning it contains no fillers or synthetic additions. These are often used to “glue” supplements together. It’s also certified to be free of potentially harmful BSE/TSE agents. For credibility, Pure Citrulline is registered as GRAS approved, meaning it is “generally recognized as safe” for consumption by the FDA. For more peace of mind, it is third-party tested to prove that the claimed level of purity is, in fact, the truth.
Summary
At first glance, it’s easy to think all supplements are the same. Pure Citrulline and Citrulline Malate are both L-Citrulline supplements, but it’s clear to see that there’s a vast difference between the two when it comes to quality. By educating yourself on these differences, you’ll be better equipped to make an informed decision – for your performance as well as your health! I would never be willing to consume anything which isn’t completely pure, therefore, I don’t expect anybody else to either.
