What is citrulline and how does it work?
Jan 19, 2010Anthony KatgertAthletes, Libido, Vasodilation, Heart & cardiovascular health, Lifestyle & fitness, Webshop news, Hormones, Amino acids
What is citrulline and how does it work?
Citrulline has an invigorating effect on the muscles, physical well-being and therefore also on performance. Citrulline is both a precursor for the essential amino acids arginine and ornithine and therefore a precursor for nitrogen (NO), which acts on both the genitals and those muscles, where it aids in the elimination of lactic acid and makes the muscles more sensitive to the muscle-building / muscle-repairing hormone testosterone.Citrulline increases energy production, resists fatigue and speeds up recovery. Stamina (currently simply Citrulline) contains the patented Citral M™. in a special 2:1 compound of citrulline and malate.
Citrulline has an important influence on the aerobic capacity of athletes, because it increases the production of ATP (the universal carrier of energy), which increases resistance to fatigue.
Stamina promotes the reuse of lactic acid from the muscles by making it ATP again and removing toxic by-products such as ammonium. With Stamina, the athlete can push his or her limits by, for example, increasing the training time or intensity as can be done with creatine, but without the side effects associated with creatine such as acidification.
Citrulline, the anaerobic creatine
Creatine works by supporting the anaerobic energy balance in the muscle by administering phosphate. Only this anaerobic energy management is limited. Limited in the sense that this household can generate and regenerate a limited amount of energy. That's where citrulline malate does its job. Studies have shown that citrulline malate increases aerobic ATP production by as much as 34%. This results in a significant reduction in fatigue. This is because citrulline malate partially removes the amount of lactic acid (lactate) present and, on the other hand, reuses it during the breakdown of glycogen as fuel for muscle energy.synergism with creatine
If the available amount of creatine phosphate (CP) is exhausted and the amount of creatine in the muscles still needs to be addressed, citrulline malate can increase the production of creatine phosphate by 20%. This means a faster recovery between training sessions or competitions
Ammonium
Ammonium is a toxic by-product, which is created by muscle work. Ammonium is created when amino acids are burned and BCAAs in particular are then used during heavy work. Ammonium is eliminated by the liver through the urea cycle. Ammonium is highly toxic to both the body and muscles. Ammonium buildup in the muscles immediately sets in fatigue. Muscle loss (catabolism) is lurking because ammonium is not quickly removed.Citrulline stimulates the urea cycle, so that the athlete's body quickly neutralizes ammonium and removes it via urine and sweat.
Citrulline versus arginine
Recent studies confirm that citrulline has a greater effect on the available NO (nitrogen oxide) in the blood than arginine. It is therefore more beneficial to use citrulline than L-arginine or AAKG supplements. There are already countless NO supplements for endurance and strength athletes on the market, which often contain arginine. Although arginine is a direct precursor to NO, arginine supplements are only moderately effective because 40% of arginine is directly scavenged by the liver. Higher doses only increase the activity in the liver to break down this amino acid and convert it to ornithine and urine via the kidneys. High doses of arginine also have harmful side effects: the resistance is lowered and it puts a heavy burden on the gastrointestinal tract. Citrulline offers a solution. Citrulline acts as an arginine depot, because it is gradually converted into arginine and thus into NO.what does NO do with muscle cells
Studies with NO show that muscles need this free (benign) radical to build muscle mass. This is done by activating the stem cells, which then develop into muscle cells. More muscle development makes muscles stronger and less vulnerable to injury. The increased activation of stem cells is because NO makes them more sensitive to the muscle-building message that testosterone has to convey to the muscle cells.
Don't feel like taking a supplement?
Citrulline is naturally present in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), from which the name is also derived. That makes watermelons an excellent snack on (hot) training days.
