What is Citrulline Malate?

Citrulline Malate (CM) is an amino acid compound which has gained attention due to its reported ability to delay the onset of fatigue during intense exercise. As such, CM is commonly found as an ingredient in pre-workout supplements. Let’s take a closer look at its components.

Citrulline

Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid, meaning that it can be synthesised (produced) within the body. The synthesis of citrulline primarily occurs in the enterocytes (cells) of the small intestine, via an enzymatic reaction of two other amino acids, glutamine and proline. Once formed, citrulline is involved in various metabolic pathways — most notably, the urea cycle — and is a precursor for the amino acid Arginine.

One of the key benefits of arginine is its role in Nitric Oxide (NO) production. NO is a vital signalling molecule, though principally, is a potent vasodilator modulating blood flow and oxygen delivery throughout the body. During aerobic exercise, skeletal muscle requires oxygen for energy production, therefore producing more NO leads to greater supply of oxygen to working muscles, and higher aerobic capacity, meaning you can push yourself to higher exercise intensities.

Now, you may be thinking “why don’t we just supplement with arginine or NO?”. Well, citrulline has a longer half-life than arginine and NO, meaning that it circulates for longer once in our system, and is actually more effective at increasing levels of arginine than arginine supplements themselves. Think of citrulline supplementation as a stepping stone to boosting your body’s NO production.

We also mentioned that citrulline plays a part in the urea cycle — the metabolic process of converting ammonia to urea, which is then excreted as a waste product. Citrulline helps reduce ammonia accumulation within skeletal muscle, which works to reduce muscular fatigue and extend exercise duration.

Malate

Malate is an essential intermediate of the Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle, which is the generator of two-thirds of the body’s energy by utilising fats and carbohydrates consumed through the diet. In the TCA cycle, malate is dehydrogenised (stripped of its hydrogen atoms), which, in the process, generates NADH2. This co-enzyme can then go on to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the energy needed for muscle contraction.

Fundamentally, making sure your body has a sufficient amount of malate will keep the TCA cycle working smoothly and ensure your muscles have enough useable energy to keep you moving.

The discovery of citrulline and malate combined offering enhanced benefits to muscle function has led to the wide-spread use of CM as an ergogenic (performance-enhancing) aid.

Benefits of Citrulline Malate

It’s all well and good understanding the nitty gritty about what goes on in our cells, but the question is, does it really work and what will it do for me? Luckily, research has the answers.

Can delay muscle fatigue

During one cross-over study, resistance-trained males completed 5 sets of leg press, hack squat, and leg extension at 60% of one-rep max (the maximum weight you can lift for one repetition) until failure. Following the consumption of CM, the number of reps performed was significantly higher across all exercises compared to the placebo group. Being able to perform more reps equates to more Time Under Tension, which translates to superior muscle building.

Similar effects have been observed in females, with CM supplementation increasing the number of reps completed of various upper- and lower- body resistance exercises, compared to the placebo. Not only this, but the women in this study reported lower ratings of perceived exertion after consuming CM. Imagine exercising for longer AND it feel easier!

If dumbbells aren’t your style, CM can also improve calisthenic exercise performance, such as chin-ups and pull-ups, as well as boosting explosive power during a cycling Wingate performance test. Collectively, the evidence points to CM being beneficial for those engaging in muscular endurance-based exercise by delaying muscular fatigue.

Improves oxygen delivery to muscles

As we know, supplemental CM increases NO production, subsequently enhancing oxygen delivery to tissues.So, it’s no surprise that CM could be useful for those engaging in aerobic exercises, like running and cycling.

A few years ago, a research group put this to the test using a high-intensity cycling protocol, after participants had consumed either CM or placebo for the previous 7 days. In this case, CM increased the distance covered in a given time, improved capacity for oxidative metabolism, and lowered arterial blood pressure.So, if your goal is to improve endurance performance, a CM supplement might be worth a try.

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