For years Creatine has been
considered the big daddy of
safe, legal and non-hormonal
performance enhancers And
rightfully so. Throughout
its existence the sports nutrition
world has been subjected to
many products hyped by marketers
and manufacturers as the next
big thing in legal ergogenic
aids. In my time alone I have
seen the likes of Boron, Sasparilla
Root, Pyruvate, Ribose, Methoxyisoflavone,
and too many other items to
list, talking the talk claiming
to be the next big thing in
performance enhancement, but
to no avail! Creatine came
on the scene, talking the
talk, saying it would take
the sports nutrition world
by storm and that s exactly
what it did!
NEW
KID ON THE BLOCK
Every once in a while our
presence is graced with greatness.
The new kid on the block arrives
on the scene with a lot of
hype, promising to become
big man on campus . And the
new kid claims the crown by
delivering beyond our wildest
expectations. I would describe
it as greatness in its purest
form. Well there is a new
kid in town in the sports
nutrition world. And people
are beginning to talk. The
comparisons are being made
- about this potentially tremendous
ergogenic aid. Will he take
the sports nutrition world
by storm? And can he live
up to the hype? Having an
eye for talent, I think so.
I believe it has the potential
to be the next big thing in
helping to redefine human
athletic performance. This
new arrival to the sports
nutrition world is Citrulline
Malate, remember the name
because it is the sports nutrition
worlds equivalent to Lebron
James of the NBA.
SO WHAT IS THE WORD?
The word is that in order
to take athletic performance
to the next level all you
have to do is eat a buch of
watermelons and apples. No
I am not BSing you! Well maybe
a little, but that is not
as far out of reach as it
sounds Listen up! Citrulline
Malate is a compound consisting
of Citrulline a nonessential
amino acid that is primarily
found in melons, and malate,
an apple derivative. Of course
to get enough Citrulline and
Malate to realize its performance
enhancing benefits you would
have to eat so many watermelons
and apples you would sick,
but you see my point. For
the past 20 years Citrulline
Malate has been used in Europe
to treat fatigue, muscle weakness
and Dementia. Dementia is
a mental disorder that affects
your ability to think, speak
and move. Citrulline Malate
has been used with great success
by European clinicians as
a natural antiastheic, with
reported results of increased
energy and overall
feelings of well-being.
I first became interested
in Citrulline Malate about
5 years ago when I read an
abstract of a study performed
on basketball players showing
Citrulline Malate to significantly
improve aerobic performance.1
I immediately looked to have
this stuff custom manufactured
because of these findings
after all I am always looking
for new ways to increase my
own athletic performance.
Unfortunately at the time,
the cost of manufacturing
this compound was way too
expensive, but fortunately
through new manufacturing
technologies, this wonder
nutrient is available for
the first time to us athletes
outside of European labs!
WHAT
DOES CITRULLINE MALATE DO?
Citrulline, although a non-essential
amino acid, is not widely
abundant in our daily diet.
However, it plays a vital
role in many important biological
processes.
1. INCREASED NO PRODUCTION
- Of specific interest to
all of us athletes in the
trenches is its role of regulating
Nitric Oxide (NO). I mention
this first only because the
sport nutrition industry has
been recently flooded with
NO potentiating products comprised
of L-Arginine and / or other
Arginine salts, which until
this day have been the most
cost effective manner in improving
NO function. It is well known
in the scientific community
that L-Arginine is a substrate
for production of Nitric Oxide2,
as well as catalyst for other
metabolic reactions including
its effects on insulin, various
hormones and creatine synthesis.3
(The NO synthase (NOS) enzymes
convert Arginine into Citrulline
and NO)
So what is NO
and what can it do for you?
Nitric oxide is the cell-signaling
molecule that has a part in
regulating blood flow, oxygen
delivery, glucose uptake,
muscle firepower, and muscle
growth. Obviously the ability
to control these physiological
effects can be of tremendous
value to athletes.
Unfortunately I think many
of the companies currently
marketing NO products are
missing the boat by not including
Citrulline Malate in the current
crop of NO supplements. You
see, many of Citrulline s
functions stem primarily from
its ability to increase plasma
levels of Arginine endogenously
(in the human body).4 And
what is really so exciting
about Citrulline is that it
seems to increase plasma Arginine
levels better than taking
the amino acid Arginine itself.5
You read correctly! Research
has shown that supplementation
of Citrulline raises Arginine
levels more effectively than
taking the same dose of straight
Arginine. Keep in mind that
Citrulline Malate s NO enhancing
properties are just one of
the unique benefits this nutrient
offers to athletes. And if
the enhanced pumps and improved
nutrient delivery properties
are the reason you are using
Arginine based NO products,
you need to pay attention
to Citrulline Malate.
2. Reduces Lactic Acid and
Ammonia - Here is something
else you need to know about
Citrulline it is an intermediate
in the Urea Cycle. The Urea
Cycle is a system in the liver
of carrier molecules and enzymes
that convert nitrogenous wastes
into urea and eliminates them
from the body. The production
and removal of urea is essential
for the elimination of ammonia
and toxic nitrogen metabolites.
Ammonia is extremely toxic
to all cells and excessive
levels may even be fatal.
Even in healthy athletes,
the build up of ammonia can
lead to extreme fatigue and
dementia.6 It also reduces
glycogen formation, and inhibits
the energy cycle. Obviously
this is what every athlete
wants to avoid! Unfortunately
all exercise, anaerobic and
aerobic exercise produces
tons of this stuff.7 Ammonia
also forms when bacteria in
the intestinal tract breaks
down protein. The point is
that the more ammonia in your
blood, the poorer your athletic
performance.8 Citrulline Malate
comes to the rescue once again
by aiding in the elimination
of amino acid byproducts of
protein metabolism. Researchers
also purpose that Citrulline
Malate may help to eliminate
the burn associated with lactic
acid build up as well as reduce
the negative effects of ammonia
and bacterial endo toxins
on performance. Demonstrations
also show Citrulline Malate
as having a protective effect
against acidosis and ammonnia
poisoning.12 The metabolic
actions of Citrulline Malate
clearly explain the antifatigue
properties in man and shows
great promise to its uses
as a performance enhancer
for athletes.
The Urea cycle splits Arginine
into Ornithine and Urea. The
urea is excreted as a waste
product. Citrulline is synthesized
from the Ornithine and carbamoyl
phosphate. Citrulline is then
converted back to Arginine.
3. Increases
ATP and Phosphocreatine Recovery
No doubt there is a lot to
get excited about when it
comes to the performance enhancing
potential of Citrulline Malate
and how it works. Another
study showed yet another way
Citrulline Malate can benefit
athletes by increasing aerobic
energy production.9 Studies
show subjects using Citrulline
Malate have an increase in
the rate of muscle ATP(Andenosine
Triphosphate, the major energy
source within the cell) production
during exercise and greater
phosphocreatine recovery after
exercise. So taking Citrulline
Malate may result in muscles
that can keep on going and
going completely smashing
the aerobic threshold! These
effects are more than likely
mediated by the malate portion
of the Citrulline Malate compound,
which is a Krebs Cycle intermediate.
The Krebs Cycle refers to
a portion of the metabolic
pathway of amino acids in
the conversion of sugars and
fats into ATP, and the role
of friendly bacteria (mitochondria)
in our cells. The Krebs Cycle
happens in the mitochondria,
where sugar and fat pour in
and are burned much like in
a blast furnace, with a number
of weak amino acids acting
as a conveyor belt. Impaired
ability to make ATP results
in premature fatigue and hitting
the wall , unable to continue
intense exercise. Getting
back to malate, it appears
that it is synergistic when
bonded to citrulline and this
peptide may work better than
supplementation of citrulline
alone.10 While citrulline
acts to increase NO and reduce
performance inhibiting metabolic
toxins, malate conditions
the recycling of lactate and
pyruvate, and takes part in
the kreb cycle supplying instant
and sustained energy.
Malate is oxidized to oxaloacetate.
Each complete turn of the
cycle results in the regeneration
of oxaloacetate for the next
turn of the cycle.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ATHLETES
IN THE TRENCHES?
The take home message is this.
It appears that we may finally
have another breakthrough
in the sports nutrition industry.
It is a breakthrough that
promises to be extremely versatile
in aiding athletes and fitness
enthusiast alike in reaching
the next level in athletic
performance. And one that
could very well be the next
big thing in our industry.
It appears that Citrulline
Malate may provide FULL-BLOWN
MUSCLE ENERGY that allows
individuals of all walks to
train harder and longer while
speeding recuperation from
exercise. Think about training
with the same intensity at
the end of your workout as
you had when you began. Think
about being able to break
training barriers and personal
records with more vigorous
workouts. Well that is certainly
within the realm of possibility
when using Citrulline Malate
and its performance enhancing
firepower.
We also cannot forget effects
on plasma Arginine and optimized
Nitric Oxide levels, which
should prove useful for a
wide variety of people with
vascular constrictive disorders,
not to mention giving you
mind blowing pumps in the
gym and turning you into SUPERMAN
in the bedroom! For you life
extentionists, Citrulline
has a cardioprotective effect13
so its applications extend
far beyond athletic performance.
All in all, it looks as if
Citrulline Malate, the new
kid on the block, is ready
to take his spot as the next
big thing in sports nutrition...stay
tuned, there is more to come!
1.) Janeira,
M. A., Maia, J. R., &
Santos, P. J. (1998). Citrulline
malate
effects on the aerobic-anaerobic
threshold and in post-exercise
blood lactate recovery. Medicine
and Science in Sports and
Exercise, 30(5), Supplement
abstract 880.
2.) Schmidt, H.H.HW. et al,
Cell 78:919-925, (1994)
3.) Barbul A. Arginine: biochemistry,
physiology, and therapeutic
implications.
JPEN. 1986; 10:227-238.
4.) Dhanakoti, S. N. et al,
Am. J. Physiol. 259:E437-E442,
(1990)
5.) Yearick, E.S. et al, (1967)
6.) ibid
7.) Brodan V, et al. Effects
of sodium glutamate infusion
on ammonia formation during
intense exercise in man. Nutr
Rep Int 1974;9:223-232
8.) Wilkerson JE, Batterson
DL, Horvath SM. Exercise induced
changes in blood ammonia levels
in humans. Eur J Apple Physiol
1977;37:255-263
9. ) Bendahan D, Mattei JP,
Ghattas B, Confort-Gouny S,
Le Guern ME, Cozzone PJ. Br
J Sports Med. 2002 Aug;36(4):282-9.
10.) Sem Hop Paris; 66(9):477-81,
1990
11.) Vanuxem et al. 19990
12.) A. Callis, B. Magnan
de Bornier, J.J. Serrano,
H. Bellet, and R. Saumade
13.) Methods and Findings,
22(7), 2000
