The Effectiveness of Citrulline and its Natural Food Sources: A Guide to Optimal Consumption
Citrulline, an amino acid derived from natural food sources, has gained considerable attention for its potential health benefits. From boosting athletic performance to supporting cardiovascular health, citrulline has emerged as a popular dietary supplement. In this article, we will explore the effectiveness of citrulline, its natural food sources, and provide guidelines on how and when to take it for optimal results.
Understanding Citrulline:
Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid, meaning that our bodies can produce it internally. It plays a crucial role in the urea cycle, where it aids in removing ammonia, a toxic byproduct of protein metabolism, from the body. Additionally, citrulline is a precursor to another amino acid called arginine, which has various physiological functions, including vasodilation and nitric oxide production.
Athletic Performance and Citrulline:
One of the primary reasons people turn to citrulline as a dietary supplement is its potential to enhance athletic performance. Studies have shown that citrulline supplementation can lead to improved endurance, reduced fatigue, and increased muscle strength. It is believed that citrulline promotes blood flow and enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscles, thereby supporting athletic performance.
Natural Food Sources of Citrulline:
While citrulline supplements are available in the market, it is also possible to obtain citrulline from natural food sources. Watermelon is particularly rich in citrulline, with the highest concentration found in the rind. Other fruits like cucumbers and cantaloupes also contain citrulline, although in smaller amounts. Incorporating these fruits into your diet can be an excellent way to obtain citrulline naturally.
Timing and Dosage Recommendations:
When it comes to consuming citrulline for optimal results, timing and dosage play essential roles. For pre-workout supplementation, it is generally recommended to take citrulline between 6,000-8,000 milligrams (mg) approximately 60 minutes before exercise. This timing allows citrulline to be absorbed and utilized by the body during physical activity. For general health and wellness purposes, citrulline can be taken at any time of the day. The recommended dosage for daily consumption ranges from 1,000-3,000 mg, depending on individual needs and health goals. It is important to note that individual responses may vary, and it is always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplementation regimen. Combining Citrulline with Other Supplements: Citrulline can be used in combination with other supplements to amplify its effects. For instance, it is often paired with arginine, which can enhance nitric oxide production and further promote vasodilation. Additionally, citrulline works synergistically with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to support muscle recovery and growth.
Conclusion:
Citrulline, a natural amino acid found in certain foods, offers numerous potential benefits, particularly in the realm of athletic performance and cardiovascular health. While citrulline supplements are readily available, incorporating citrulline-rich foods like watermelon, cucumbers, and cantaloupes into your diet can provide a natural source of this amino acid. Remember to follow recommended dosages and consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice. By understanding how and when to consume citrulline, you can maximize its effectiveness and enjoy the potential benefits it offers.
reference
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Effects of Citrulline Malate and Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Blood Flow, Energy Metabolism, and Performance During Maximum Effort Leg Extension Exercise
Trexler ET, Keith DS, Schwartz TA, Ryan ED, Stoner L, Persky AM, Smith-Ryan AE.
J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Sep;33(9):2321-2329. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003286. PMID: 31343548.
Arginine and citrulline supplementation in sports and exercise: ergogenic nutrients? Sureda A, Pons A. Med Sport Sci. 2012;59:18-28. doi: 10.1159/000341937. Epub 2012 Oct 15. PMID: 23075551. Effects of Citrulline Malate and Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Blood Flow, Energy Metabolism, and Performance During Maximum Effort Leg Extension Exercise Trexler ET, Keith DS, Schwartz TA, Ryan ED, Stoner L, Persky AM, Smith-Ryan AE. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Sep;33(9):2321-2329. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003286. PMID: 31343548. The effect of nitric-oxide-related supplements on human performance Bescós R, Sureda A, Tur JA, Pons A. Sports Med. 2012 Feb 1;42(2):99-117. doi: 10.2165/11596860-000000000-00000. PMID: 22260513. L-Arginine and L-Citrulline Supplementation Have Different Programming Effect on Regulatory T-Cells Function of Infantile Rats Front. Immunol. 9:2911. Lee Y-C, Su Y-T, Liu T-Y, Tsai C-M, Chang C-H and Yu H-R (2018) doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02911 l-Citrulline Supplementation: Impact on Cardiometabolic Health. Nutrients Allerton TD, Proctor DN, Stephens JM, Dugas TR, Spielmann G, Irving BA. 2018 Jul 19;10(7):921. doi: 10.3390/nu10070921. PMID: 30029482; PMCID: PMC6073798. Acute Citrulline-Malate Supplementation and High-Intensity Cycling Performance Cunniffe B, Papageorgiou M, OʼBrien B, Davies NA, Grimble GK, Cardinale M. J Strength Cond Res. 2016 Sep;30(9):2638-47. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001338. PMID: 26808848. L-citrulline-malate influence over branched chain amino acid utilization during exercise Sureda A, Córdova A, Ferrer MD, Pérez G, Tur JA, Pons A. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010 Sep;110(2):341-51. doi: 10.1007/s00421-010-1509-4. Epub 2010 May 25. PMID: 20499249.
l-Citrulline supplementation improves O2 uptake kinetics and high-intensity exercise performance in humans. Bailey SJ, Blackwell JR, Lord T, Vanhatalo A, Winyard PG, Jones AM. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2015 Aug 15;119(4):385-95. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00192.2014. Epub 2015 May 28. PMID: 26023227. The Effects of Oral l-Arginine and l-Citrulline Supplementation on Blood Pressure. Khalaf D, Krüger M, Wehland M, Infanger M, Grimm D. Nutrients. 2019 Jul 22;11(7):1679. doi: 10.3390/nu11071679. PMID: 31336573; PMCID: PMC6683098. Influence of L-citrulline and watermelon supplementation on vascular function and exercise performance. Figueroa A, Wong A, Jaime SJ, Gonzales JU. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2017 Jan;20(1):92-98. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000000340. PMID: 27749691. [Ureido-¹⁵N]citrulline UPLC-MS/MS nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity assay: development, validation, and applications to assess NOS uncoupling and human platelets NOS activity. Böhmer A, Gambaryan S, Flentje M, Jordan J, Tsikas D. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2014 Aug 15;965:173-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2014.06.025. Epub 2014 Jun 28. PMID: 25033468. Long-Term Combined Effects of Citrulline and Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Extract Supplementation on Recovery Status in Trained Male Triathletes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial José Burgos, Aitor Viribay, Julio Calleja-González, Diego Fernández-Lázaro, Jurgi Olasagasti-Ibargoien, Jesús Seco-Calvo, Juan Mielgo-Ayuso Biology (Basel) 2022 Jan; 11(1): 75. Published online 2022 Jan 4. doi: 10.3390/biology11010075 PMCID: PMC8772988 Effect of food sources of nitrate, polyphenols, L-arginine and L-citrulline on endurance exercise performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials Noah M. A. d’Unienville, Henry T. Blake, Alison M. Coates, Alison M. Hill, Maximillian J. Nelson, Jonathan D. Buckley J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021; 18: 76. Published online 2021 Dec 29. doi: 10.1186/s12970-021-00472-y PMCID: PMC8715640 Central and peripheral effects of L-citrulline on thermal physiology and nitric oxide regeneration in broilers Victoria Anthony Uyanga, Lei Liu, Jingpeng Zhao, Xiaojuan Wang, Hongchao Jiao, Hai Lin Poult Sci. 2022 Mar; 101(3): 101669. Published online 2021 Dec 23. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101669 PMCID: PMC8804195 Acute L-Citrulline Supplementation Increases Nitric Oxide Bioavailability but Not Inspiratory Muscle Oxygenation and Respiratory Performance Anastasios A. Theodorou, Panagiotis T. Zinelis, Vassiliki J. Malliou, Panagiotis N. Chatzinikolaou, Nikos V. Margaritelis, Dimitris Mandalidis, Nickos D. Geladas, Vassilis Paschalis Nutrients. 2021 Oct; 13(10): 3311. Published online 2021 Sep 22. doi: 10.3390/nu13103311 PMCID: PMC8537281 A critical review of citrulline malate supplementation and exercise performance Lewis A. Gough, S. Andy Sparks, Lars R. McNaughton, Matthew F. Higgins, Josh W. Newbury, Eric Trexler, Mark A. Faghy, Craig A. Bridge Eur J Appl Physiol. 2021; 121(12): 3283–3295. Published online 2021 Aug 21. doi: 10.1007/s00421-021-04774-6 PMCID: PMC8571142 L-Citrulline Influences the Body Temperature, Heat Shock Response and Nitric Oxide Regeneration of Broilers Under Thermoneutral and Heat Stress Condition Victoria A. Uyanga, Minghui Wang, Tian Tong, Jingpeng Zhao, Xiaojuan Wang, Hongchao Jiao, Okanlawon M. Onagbesan, Hai Lin Front Physiol. 2021; 12: 671691. Published online 2021 Aug 11. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.671691 PMCID: PMC8385788 The effects of citrulline supplementation on meta-inflammation and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Fatemeh Abbaszadeh, Samaneh Azizi, Majid Mobasseri, Mehrangiz Ebrahimi-Mameghani Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2021; 13: 52. Published online 2021 May 5. doi: 10.1186/s13098-021-00669-w PMCID: PMC8097832 EGFR Targeted Cetuximab-Valine-Citrulline (vc)-Doxorubicin Immunoconjugates- Loaded Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) Nanoparticles for Colorectal Tumor Therapy Zixuan Ye, Yue Zhang, Yuanfen Liu, Yanyan Liu, Jiasheng Tu, Yan Shen Int J Nanomedicine. 2021; 16: 2443–2459. Published online 2021 Mar 26. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S289228 PMCID: PMC8009551 Dietary L-citrulline supplementation modulates nitric oxide synthesis and anti-oxidant status of laying hens during summer season Victoria A. Uyanga, Hongchao Jiao, Jingpeng Zhao, Xiaojuan Wang, Hai Lin J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2020; 11: 103. Published online 2020 Oct 12. doi: 10.1186/s40104-020-00507-5 PMCID: PMC7549236 Short-Term Supplementation of Dietary Arginine and Citrulline Modulates Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata) Immune Status Lourenço Ramos-Pinto, Rita Azeredo, Carlota Silva, Luís E. C. Conceição, Jorge Dias, Daniel Montero, Silvia Torrecillas, Tomé S. Silva, Benjamin Costas Front Immunol. 2020; 11: 1544. Published online 2020 Aug 5. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01544 PMCID: PMC7419597 Patients with COVID-19 present with low plasma citrulline concentrations that associate with systemic inflammation and gastrointestinal symptoms Mathieu Uzzan, Damien Soudan, Katell Peoc'h, Emmanuel Weiss, Olivier Corcos, Xavier Treton Dig Liver Dis. 2020 Oct; 52(10): 1104–1105. Published online 2020 Jul 3. doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2020.06.042 PMCID: PMC7332957 Citrulline cooperatively exerts an anti-inflammatory effect on synovial cells with glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine Yoshie Yamagishi, Akimasa Someya, Isao Nagaoka Biomed Rep. 2020 Jul; 13(1): 37–42. Published online 2020 May 12. doi: 10.3892/br.2020.1304 PMCID: PMC7238408 Role of antibiotic use, plasma citrulline and blood microbiome in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with nivolumab Julia Ouaknine Krief, Pierre Helly de Tauriers, Coraline Dumenil, Nathalie Neveux, Jennifer Dumoulin, Violaine Giraud, Sylvie Labrune, Julie Tisserand, Catherine Julie, Jean-François Emile, Thierry Chinet, Etienne Giroux Leprieur J Immunother Cancer. 2019; 7: 176. Published online 2019 Jul 10. doi: 10.1186/s40425-019-0658-1 PMCID: PMC6621972 Effect of chronic nitrate and citrulline supplementation on vascular function and exercise performance in older individuals Thibault Le Roux-Mallouf, Felix Pelen, Angela Vallejo, Idir Halimaoui, Stéphane Doutreleau, Samuel Verges Aging (Albany NY) 2019 May 31; 11(10): 3315–3332. Published online 2019 May 29. doi: 10.18632/aging.101984 PMCID: PMC6555465 Reduced IgG titers against pertussis in rheumatoid arthritis: Evidence for a citrulline-biased immune response and medication effects Caitlyn L. Holmes, Chloe G. Peyton, Amy M. Bier, Tobias Z. Donlon, Fauzia Osman, Christie M. Bartels, Miriam A. Shelef PLoS One. 2019; 14(5): e0217221. Published online 2019 May 28. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217221 PMCID: PMC6538243 A combination of oral l-citrulline and l-arginine improved 10-min full-power cycling test performance in male collegiate soccer players: a randomized crossover trial Izumi Suzuki, Keishoku Sakuraba, Takumi Horiike, Takafumi Kishi, Junya Yabe, Takashi Suzuki, Masahiko Morita, Akihito Nishimura, Yoshio Suzuki Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019; 119(5): 1075–1084. Published online 2019 Feb 16. doi: 10.1007/s00421-019-04097-7 PMCID: PMC6469824 Inflammatory markers response to citrulline supplementation in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial Zahra Darabi, Mina Darand, Zahra Yari, Mehdi Hedayati, Amirhosein Faghihi, Shahram Agah, Azita Hekmatdoost BMC Res Notes. 2019; 12: 89. Published online 2019 Feb 15. doi: 10.1186/s13104-019-4130-6 PMCID: PMC6376741 Effectiveness of citrulline and N-carbamoyl glutamate as arginine precursors on reproductive performance in mammals: A systematic review Jorge Y. P. Palencia, Alysson Saraiva, Márvio Lobão Teixeira Abreu, Marcio G. Zangeronimo, Allan P. Schinckel, Cesar Augusto Pospissil Garbossa PLoS One. 2018; 13(12): e0209569. Published online 2018 Dec 20. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209569 PMCID: PMC6301651 The Effect of Branched-Chain Amino Acids, Citrulline, and Arginine on High-Intensity Interval Performance in Young Swimmers Chun-Fang Hsueh, Huey-June Wu, Tzu-Shiou Tsai, Ching-Lin Wu, Chen-Kang Chang Nutrients. 2018 Dec; 10(12): 1979. Published online 2018 Dec 14. doi: 10.3390/nu10121979 PMCID: PMC6315994 Citrulline malate supplementation does not improve German Volume Training performance or reduce muscle soreness in moderately trained males and females Andrew J. Chappell, Daniel M. Allwood, Rebecca Johns, Samantha Brown, Kiran Sultana, Annie Anand, Trevor Simper J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018; 15: 42. Published online 2018 Aug 10. doi: 10.1186/s12970-018-0245-8 PMCID: PMC6086018 l‐Citrulline Supplementation‐Increased Skeletal Muscle PGC‐1α Expression Is Associated with Exercise Performance and Increased Skeletal Muscle Weight Myra O. 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Published online 2017 Oct 18. doi: 10.3390/nu9101132 PMCID: PMC5691748 Simultaneous determination of arginine, citrulline, and asymmetric dimethylarginine in plasma by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography P. V. L. N Srinivasa Rao, Aparna R. Bitla J Lab Physicians. 2017 Oct-Dec; 9(4): 243–248. doi: 10.4103/JLP.JLP_70_16 PMCID: PMC5607751 Biochemical, physiological, and performance response of a functional watermelon juice enriched in L-citrulline during a half-marathon race Ascensión Martínez-Sánchez, Domingo J. Ramos-Campo, Bárbara Fernández-Lobato, Jacobo A. Rubio-Arias, Fernando Alacid, Encarna Aguayo Food Nutr Res. 2017; 61(1): 1330098. Published online 2017 Jun 13. doi: 10.1080/16546628.2017.1330098 PMCID: PMC5475291 The Supplementation of Branched-Chain Amino Acids, Arginine, and Citrulline Improves Endurance Exercise Performance in Two Consecutive Days I-Shiung Cheng, Yi-Wen Wang, I-Fan Chen, Gi-Sheng Hsu, Chun-Fang Hsueh, Chen-Kang Chang J Sports Sci Med. 2016 Sep; 15(3): 509–515. Published online 2016 Aug 5. PMCID: PMC4974864 Oral L-citrulline supplementation enhances cycling time trial performance in healthy trained men: Double-blind randomized placebo-controlled 2-way crossover study Takashi Suzuki, Masahiko Morita, Yoshinori Kobayashi, Ayako Kamimura J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2016; 13: 6. Published online 2016 Feb 19. doi: 10.1186/s12970-016-0117-z PMCID: PMC4759860 Oral L-citrulline supplementation enhances cycling time trial performance in healthy well-trained males Takashi Suzuki, Masahiko Morita, Yoshinori Kobayashi, Ayako Kamimura J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015; 12(Suppl 1): P52. Published online 2015 Sep 21. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-12-S1-P52 PMCID: PMC4595501 Arginine and Citrulline and the Immune Response in Sepsis Karolina A.P. Wijnands, Tessy M.R. Castermans, Merel P.J. Hommen, Dennis M. Meesters, Martijn Poeze Nutrients. 2015 Mar; 7(3): 1426–1463. Published online 2015 Feb 18. doi: 10.3390/nu7031426 PMCID: PMC4377861 Analysis of L-citrulline and L-arginine in Ficus deltoidea leaf extracts by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography Armaghan Shafaei, Abdalrahim F. A. Aisha, Mohammad Jamshed Ahmad Siddiqui, Zhari Ismail Pharmacognosy Res. 2015 Jan-Mar; 7(1): 32–37. doi: 10.4103/0974-8490.147196 PMCID: PMC4285646 Streptococcus pyogenes Arginine and Citrulline Catabolism Promotes Infection and Modulates Innate Immunity Zachary T. Cusumano, Michael E. Watson, Jr,, Michael G. 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Arginine and citrulline supplementation in sports and exercise: ergogenic nutrients? Sureda A, Pons A. Med Sport Sci. 2012;59:18-28. doi: 10.1159/000341937. Epub 2012 Oct 15. PMID: 23075551. Effects of Citrulline Malate and Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Blood Flow, Energy Metabolism, and Performance During Maximum Effort Leg Extension Exercise Trexler ET, Keith DS, Schwartz TA, Ryan ED, Stoner L, Persky AM, Smith-Ryan AE. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Sep;33(9):2321-2329. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003286. PMID: 31343548. The effect of nitric-oxide-related supplements on human performance Bescós R, Sureda A, Tur JA, Pons A. Sports Med. 2012 Feb 1;42(2):99-117. doi: 10.2165/11596860-000000000-00000. PMID: 22260513. L-Arginine and L-Citrulline Supplementation Have Different Programming Effect on Regulatory T-Cells Function of Infantile Rats Front. Immunol. 9:2911. Lee Y-C, Su Y-T, Liu T-Y, Tsai C-M, Chang C-H and Yu H-R (2018) doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02911 l-Citrulline Supplementation: Impact on Cardiometabolic Health. Nutrients Allerton TD, Proctor DN, Stephens JM, Dugas TR, Spielmann G, Irving BA. 2018 Jul 19;10(7):921. doi: 10.3390/nu10070921. PMID: 30029482; PMCID: PMC6073798. Acute Citrulline-Malate Supplementation and High-Intensity Cycling Performance Cunniffe B, Papageorgiou M, OʼBrien B, Davies NA, Grimble GK, Cardinale M. J Strength Cond Res. 2016 Sep;30(9):2638-47. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001338. PMID: 26808848. L-citrulline-malate influence over branched chain amino acid utilization during exercise Sureda A, Córdova A, Ferrer MD, Pérez G, Tur JA, Pons A. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010 Sep;110(2):341-51. doi: 10.1007/s00421-010-1509-4. Epub 2010 May 25. PMID: 20499249.
l-Citrulline supplementation improves O2 uptake kinetics and high-intensity exercise performance in humans. Bailey SJ, Blackwell JR, Lord T, Vanhatalo A, Winyard PG, Jones AM. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2015 Aug 15;119(4):385-95. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00192.2014. Epub 2015 May 28. PMID: 26023227. The Effects of Oral l-Arginine and l-Citrulline Supplementation on Blood Pressure. Khalaf D, Krüger M, Wehland M, Infanger M, Grimm D. Nutrients. 2019 Jul 22;11(7):1679. doi: 10.3390/nu11071679. PMID: 31336573; PMCID: PMC6683098. Influence of L-citrulline and watermelon supplementation on vascular function and exercise performance. Figueroa A, Wong A, Jaime SJ, Gonzales JU. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2017 Jan;20(1):92-98. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000000340. PMID: 27749691. [Ureido-¹⁵N]citrulline UPLC-MS/MS nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity assay: development, validation, and applications to assess NOS uncoupling and human platelets NOS activity. Böhmer A, Gambaryan S, Flentje M, Jordan J, Tsikas D. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2014 Aug 15;965:173-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2014.06.025. Epub 2014 Jun 28. PMID: 25033468. Long-Term Combined Effects of Citrulline and Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Extract Supplementation on Recovery Status in Trained Male Triathletes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial José Burgos, Aitor Viribay, Julio Calleja-González, Diego Fernández-Lázaro, Jurgi Olasagasti-Ibargoien, Jesús Seco-Calvo, Juan Mielgo-Ayuso Biology (Basel) 2022 Jan; 11(1): 75. Published online 2022 Jan 4. doi: 10.3390/biology11010075 PMCID: PMC8772988 Effect of food sources of nitrate, polyphenols, L-arginine and L-citrulline on endurance exercise performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials Noah M. A. d’Unienville, Henry T. Blake, Alison M. Coates, Alison M. Hill, Maximillian J. Nelson, Jonathan D. Buckley J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021; 18: 76. Published online 2021 Dec 29. doi: 10.1186/s12970-021-00472-y PMCID: PMC8715640 Central and peripheral effects of L-citrulline on thermal physiology and nitric oxide regeneration in broilers Victoria Anthony Uyanga, Lei Liu, Jingpeng Zhao, Xiaojuan Wang, Hongchao Jiao, Hai Lin Poult Sci. 2022 Mar; 101(3): 101669. Published online 2021 Dec 23. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101669 PMCID: PMC8804195 Acute L-Citrulline Supplementation Increases Nitric Oxide Bioavailability but Not Inspiratory Muscle Oxygenation and Respiratory Performance Anastasios A. Theodorou, Panagiotis T. Zinelis, Vassiliki J. Malliou, Panagiotis N. Chatzinikolaou, Nikos V. Margaritelis, Dimitris Mandalidis, Nickos D. Geladas, Vassilis Paschalis Nutrients. 2021 Oct; 13(10): 3311. Published online 2021 Sep 22. doi: 10.3390/nu13103311 PMCID: PMC8537281 A critical review of citrulline malate supplementation and exercise performance Lewis A. Gough, S. Andy Sparks, Lars R. McNaughton, Matthew F. Higgins, Josh W. Newbury, Eric Trexler, Mark A. Faghy, Craig A. Bridge Eur J Appl Physiol. 2021; 121(12): 3283–3295. Published online 2021 Aug 21. doi: 10.1007/s00421-021-04774-6 PMCID: PMC8571142 L-Citrulline Influences the Body Temperature, Heat Shock Response and Nitric Oxide Regeneration of Broilers Under Thermoneutral and Heat Stress Condition Victoria A. Uyanga, Minghui Wang, Tian Tong, Jingpeng Zhao, Xiaojuan Wang, Hongchao Jiao, Okanlawon M. Onagbesan, Hai Lin Front Physiol. 2021; 12: 671691. Published online 2021 Aug 11. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.671691 PMCID: PMC8385788 The effects of citrulline supplementation on meta-inflammation and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Fatemeh Abbaszadeh, Samaneh Azizi, Majid Mobasseri, Mehrangiz Ebrahimi-Mameghani Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2021; 13: 52. Published online 2021 May 5. doi: 10.1186/s13098-021-00669-w PMCID: PMC8097832 EGFR Targeted Cetuximab-Valine-Citrulline (vc)-Doxorubicin Immunoconjugates- Loaded Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) Nanoparticles for Colorectal Tumor Therapy Zixuan Ye, Yue Zhang, Yuanfen Liu, Yanyan Liu, Jiasheng Tu, Yan Shen Int J Nanomedicine. 2021; 16: 2443–2459. Published online 2021 Mar 26. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S289228 PMCID: PMC8009551 Dietary L-citrulline supplementation modulates nitric oxide synthesis and anti-oxidant status of laying hens during summer season Victoria A. Uyanga, Hongchao Jiao, Jingpeng Zhao, Xiaojuan Wang, Hai Lin J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2020; 11: 103. Published online 2020 Oct 12. doi: 10.1186/s40104-020-00507-5 PMCID: PMC7549236 Short-Term Supplementation of Dietary Arginine and Citrulline Modulates Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata) Immune Status Lourenço Ramos-Pinto, Rita Azeredo, Carlota Silva, Luís E. C. Conceição, Jorge Dias, Daniel Montero, Silvia Torrecillas, Tomé S. Silva, Benjamin Costas Front Immunol. 2020; 11: 1544. Published online 2020 Aug 5. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01544 PMCID: PMC7419597 Patients with COVID-19 present with low plasma citrulline concentrations that associate with systemic inflammation and gastrointestinal symptoms Mathieu Uzzan, Damien Soudan, Katell Peoc'h, Emmanuel Weiss, Olivier Corcos, Xavier Treton Dig Liver Dis. 2020 Oct; 52(10): 1104–1105. Published online 2020 Jul 3. doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2020.06.042 PMCID: PMC7332957 Citrulline cooperatively exerts an anti-inflammatory effect on synovial cells with glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine Yoshie Yamagishi, Akimasa Someya, Isao Nagaoka Biomed Rep. 2020 Jul; 13(1): 37–42. Published online 2020 May 12. doi: 10.3892/br.2020.1304 PMCID: PMC7238408 Role of antibiotic use, plasma citrulline and blood microbiome in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with nivolumab Julia Ouaknine Krief, Pierre Helly de Tauriers, Coraline Dumenil, Nathalie Neveux, Jennifer Dumoulin, Violaine Giraud, Sylvie Labrune, Julie Tisserand, Catherine Julie, Jean-François Emile, Thierry Chinet, Etienne Giroux Leprieur J Immunother Cancer. 2019; 7: 176. Published online 2019 Jul 10. doi: 10.1186/s40425-019-0658-1 PMCID: PMC6621972 Effect of chronic nitrate and citrulline supplementation on vascular function and exercise performance in older individuals Thibault Le Roux-Mallouf, Felix Pelen, Angela Vallejo, Idir Halimaoui, Stéphane Doutreleau, Samuel Verges Aging (Albany NY) 2019 May 31; 11(10): 3315–3332. Published online 2019 May 29. doi: 10.18632/aging.101984 PMCID: PMC6555465 Reduced IgG titers against pertussis in rheumatoid arthritis: Evidence for a citrulline-biased immune response and medication effects Caitlyn L. Holmes, Chloe G. Peyton, Amy M. Bier, Tobias Z. Donlon, Fauzia Osman, Christie M. Bartels, Miriam A. Shelef PLoS One. 2019; 14(5): e0217221. Published online 2019 May 28. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217221 PMCID: PMC6538243 A combination of oral l-citrulline and l-arginine improved 10-min full-power cycling test performance in male collegiate soccer players: a randomized crossover trial Izumi Suzuki, Keishoku Sakuraba, Takumi Horiike, Takafumi Kishi, Junya Yabe, Takashi Suzuki, Masahiko Morita, Akihito Nishimura, Yoshio Suzuki Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019; 119(5): 1075–1084. Published online 2019 Feb 16. doi: 10.1007/s00421-019-04097-7 PMCID: PMC6469824 Inflammatory markers response to citrulline supplementation in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial Zahra Darabi, Mina Darand, Zahra Yari, Mehdi Hedayati, Amirhosein Faghihi, Shahram Agah, Azita Hekmatdoost BMC Res Notes. 2019; 12: 89. Published online 2019 Feb 15. doi: 10.1186/s13104-019-4130-6 PMCID: PMC6376741 Effectiveness of citrulline and N-carbamoyl glutamate as arginine precursors on reproductive performance in mammals: A systematic review Jorge Y. P. Palencia, Alysson Saraiva, Márvio Lobão Teixeira Abreu, Marcio G. Zangeronimo, Allan P. Schinckel, Cesar Augusto Pospissil Garbossa PLoS One. 2018; 13(12): e0209569. Published online 2018 Dec 20. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209569 PMCID: PMC6301651 The Effect of Branched-Chain Amino Acids, Citrulline, and Arginine on High-Intensity Interval Performance in Young Swimmers Chun-Fang Hsueh, Huey-June Wu, Tzu-Shiou Tsai, Ching-Lin Wu, Chen-Kang Chang Nutrients. 2018 Dec; 10(12): 1979. Published online 2018 Dec 14. doi: 10.3390/nu10121979 PMCID: PMC6315994 Citrulline malate supplementation does not improve German Volume Training performance or reduce muscle soreness in moderately trained males and females Andrew J. Chappell, Daniel M. Allwood, Rebecca Johns, Samantha Brown, Kiran Sultana, Annie Anand, Trevor Simper J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018; 15: 42. Published online 2018 Aug 10. doi: 10.1186/s12970-018-0245-8 PMCID: PMC6086018 l‐Citrulline Supplementation‐Increased Skeletal Muscle PGC‐1α Expression Is Associated with Exercise Performance and Increased Skeletal Muscle Weight Myra O. Villareal, Toshiya Matsukawa, Hiroko Isoda Mol Nutr Food Res. 2018 Jul; 62(14): 1701043. Published online 2018 Jun 25. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201701043 PMCID: PMC6099278 Citrulline Improves Early Post-Ischemic Recovery or Rat Hearts In Vitro by Shifting Arginine Metabolism From Polyamine to Nitric Oxide Formation Marc Heidorn, Tim Frodermann, Andreas Böning, Rolf Schreckenberg, Klaus-Dieter Schlüter Clin Med Insights Cardiol. 2018; 12: 1179546818771908. Published online 2018 Apr 24. doi: 10.1177/1179546818771908 PMCID: PMC5987901 Citrulline Malate Does Not Improve Muscle Recovery after Resistance Exercise in Untrained Young Adult Men Douglas K. da Silva, Jeferson L. Jacinto, Walquiria B. de Andrade, Mirela C. Roveratti, José M. Estoche, Mario C. W. Balvedi, Douglas B. de Oliveira, Rubens A. da Silva, Andreo F. Aguiar Nutrients. 2017 Oct; 9(10): 1132. Published online 2017 Oct 18. doi: 10.3390/nu9101132 PMCID: PMC5691748 Simultaneous determination of arginine, citrulline, and asymmetric dimethylarginine in plasma by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography P. V. L. N Srinivasa Rao, Aparna R. Bitla J Lab Physicians. 2017 Oct-Dec; 9(4): 243–248. doi: 10.4103/JLP.JLP_70_16 PMCID: PMC5607751 Biochemical, physiological, and performance response of a functional watermelon juice enriched in L-citrulline during a half-marathon race Ascensión Martínez-Sánchez, Domingo J. Ramos-Campo, Bárbara Fernández-Lobato, Jacobo A. Rubio-Arias, Fernando Alacid, Encarna Aguayo Food Nutr Res. 2017; 61(1): 1330098. Published online 2017 Jun 13. doi: 10.1080/16546628.2017.1330098 PMCID: PMC5475291 The Supplementation of Branched-Chain Amino Acids, Arginine, and Citrulline Improves Endurance Exercise Performance in Two Consecutive Days I-Shiung Cheng, Yi-Wen Wang, I-Fan Chen, Gi-Sheng Hsu, Chun-Fang Hsueh, Chen-Kang Chang J Sports Sci Med. 2016 Sep; 15(3): 509–515. Published online 2016 Aug 5. PMCID: PMC4974864 Oral L-citrulline supplementation enhances cycling time trial performance in healthy trained men: Double-blind randomized placebo-controlled 2-way crossover study Takashi Suzuki, Masahiko Morita, Yoshinori Kobayashi, Ayako Kamimura J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2016; 13: 6. Published online 2016 Feb 19. doi: 10.1186/s12970-016-0117-z PMCID: PMC4759860 Oral L-citrulline supplementation enhances cycling time trial performance in healthy well-trained males Takashi Suzuki, Masahiko Morita, Yoshinori Kobayashi, Ayako Kamimura J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015; 12(Suppl 1): P52. Published online 2015 Sep 21. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-12-S1-P52 PMCID: PMC4595501 Arginine and Citrulline and the Immune Response in Sepsis Karolina A.P. Wijnands, Tessy M.R. Castermans, Merel P.J. Hommen, Dennis M. Meesters, Martijn Poeze Nutrients. 2015 Mar; 7(3): 1426–1463. Published online 2015 Feb 18. doi: 10.3390/nu7031426 PMCID: PMC4377861 Analysis of L-citrulline and L-arginine in Ficus deltoidea leaf extracts by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography Armaghan Shafaei, Abdalrahim F. A. Aisha, Mohammad Jamshed Ahmad Siddiqui, Zhari Ismail Pharmacognosy Res. 2015 Jan-Mar; 7(1): 32–37. doi: 10.4103/0974-8490.147196 PMCID: PMC4285646 Streptococcus pyogenes Arginine and Citrulline Catabolism Promotes Infection and Modulates Innate Immunity Zachary T. Cusumano, Michael E. Watson, Jr,, Michael G. Caparon Infect Immun. 2014 Jan; 82(1): 233–242. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00916-13 PMCID: PMC3911826 Identification and Quantitation of Asparagine and Citrulline Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Cheng Bai, Charles C. Reilly, Bruce W. Wood Anal Chem Insights. 2007; 2: 31–36. Published online 2007 Mar 28. PMCID: PMC2716812 Up regulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 expression in anti‐citrulline antibody and immunoglobulin M rheumatoid factor positive subjects precedes onset of inflammatory response and development of overt rheumatoid arthritis S Rantapää‐Dahlqvist, K Boman, A Tarkowski, G Hallmans Ann Rheum Dis. 2007 Jan; 66(1): 121–123. Published online 2006 Jun 1. doi: 10.1136/ard.2006.057331 PMCID: PMC1798414 Food Healing Science - AZSP Healing
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