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Citrulline Malate

Pre-workout NO precursor: 6-8 g taken 30-60 min pre-training reduces RPE and increases reps-to-failure on resistance work. | Compound

Aliases (3)
L-Citrulline DL-Malate · CitMal · 2:1 Citrulline Malate
TYPICAL DOSE
6 g citrulline malate
ROUTE
—
CYCLE
—
STORAGE
—
✎
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▸ Overview TL;DR

Pre-workout NO precursor: 6-8 g taken 30-60 min pre-training reduces RPE and increases reps-to-failure on resistance work. Strongest evidence for high-volume strength + endurance sessions. PRN tool for Dylan's hard MMA days, not daily.

▸ Mechanism of action
  • L-citrulline bypasses intestinal/hepatic clearance that limits oral arginine.
  • Converted in renal tubules to L-arginine → substrate for nitric oxide synthase (NOS) → NO release → vasodilation, increased blood flow to working muscle.
  • Malate (the dicarboxylic acid half) enters the TCA cycle as malate → fumarate → ATP regeneration support, especially under anaerobic stress.
  • Net effect: better muscle perfusion + reduced ammonia accumulation + faster ATP replenishment between sets.
▸ Pharmacokinetics No data
Pharmacokinetics data not available for this compound.
No half-life mentions found in the source notes.
▸ What to expect Generic
  1. 1
    Week 1
    Tolerability and dose-response.
  2. 2
    Week 2-4
    Early effect window.
  3. 3
    Week 4-8
    Peak benefit assessment.
  4. 4
    Week 8+
    Cycle decision point.
▸ Side effects + safety
  • Common (>10%): Mild GI discomfort at >10 g (malate-driven), flushing.
  • Less common (1-10%): Headache (rare, dose-dependent), low blood pressure if stacked with other vasodilators or antihypertensives.
  • Rare-serious (<1%): None of clinical concern in healthy adults.
  • Specific watch periods: First dose — assess GI tolerance and BP response; avoid stacking with sildenafil/tadalafil or nitrates.
▸References4 sources

Pérez-Guisado & Jakeman (2010), J Strength Cond Res

2010

bench-press rep increase with 8 g CitMal.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govView →

Gonzalez et al. (2017), Sports Medicine

2017

meta-analysis of citrulline + exercise performance.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govView →

Suzuki et al. (2016), J Int Soc Sports Nutr

2016

endurance cycling performance trial.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govView →

Examine.com — L-Citrulline

evidence summary + dose-response analysis.

examine.comView →
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