One supplement that’s beginning to become more and more popular in the health and wellness industry is citrulline. Citrulline malate is one of the ingredients found in our pre-workout, Stammpede. Citrulline Malate is a form of citrulline. It refers to the combination of citrulline and malate -- a compound that plays an important role in energy production and improving physical stamina. (1)
What is Citrulline Malate?
Citrulline by itself is an amino acid that’s naturally produced in the body and also found in foods. It was first discovered in watermelon.
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However, citrulline isn’t the only amino acid found in our Stammpede. You can find several amino acids in our pre-workout - another one of them being leucine.
While citrulline is a nonessential amino acid (meaning your body can produce it on its own), you can increase the citrulline levels in your body by consuming it via certain foods or supplement form. Increasing the levels of citrulline in your body may help maximize the benefits from it. But before we get into all the benefits of citrulline malate, let's go over what it actually does.
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What Does Citrulline Malate Do?
While citrulline is an amino acid, it’s not used to build proteins. (2) Citrulline is one of the 3 amino acids in the urea cycle along with arginine and ornithine. The urea cycle is responsible for removing harmful compounds in your body - specifically ammonia. The final step of the cycle is removing urine from the body. Citrulline does this by increasing ornithine and arginine.
(Source: Microbiology & Notes)
After ingestion, citrulline is converted into arginine in the kidneys, which increases arginine plasma levels over a period of time. Arginine supports the function of blood flow. It’s even been shown to help individuals with heart disease or clogged arteries because of its ability to increase vasodilation.
What are the main benefits of Citrulline?
Increased Vasodilation
Citrulline may increase vasodilation, which is the mechanism in which your arteries or veins widen. This can help a few functions in your body such as lowering blood pressure and increasing blood flow. (3)
Increased Workload
While more research has to be done, citrulline has shown promising results to increase exercise capacity. One study took 30 heart failure patients and gave some citrulline and arginine. The subjects who supplemented with these amino acids were able to exercise on a treadmill for longer periods of time compared to the subjects who didn’t. (4)
Decreased Erectile Dysfunction
Along with increasing the rise of growth hormone after exercise, citrulline has also been shown to improve erections in men with erectile dysfunction (ED). This is probably due to its ability to increase blood flow. One study took 24 men and had them supplement with citrulline. Some reported longer, harder erections while some even reported having an increased sex drive and being more satisfied. (6)
Decreased Fatigue
If you’re looking for a supplement to help your workouts last longer, citrulline can help. One study showed that men who supplemented with citrulline actually reduced their fatigue levels and increased their ATP levels. This amino acid actually increases the production of creatine phosphate, which is a form of energy reserve in the muscles. (5)
What Foods Contain Citrulline?
Some of the top foods that contain citrulline include watermelon, cucumber, pumpkins, muskmelons, squash, gourds and chocolate. When it comes to doses, you’d have to drink quite a bit of watermelon juice to notice any benefits. The minimum dose for bodybuilders and individuals suffering from ED is about 3 grams. One scoop of our Stammpede contains 6,000mg.
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