What Is Citrulline Malate?
Citrulline
is an amino acid that is produced when the amino acid ornithine combines with
carbamoyl phosphate. This happens during the urea cycle, a way that the body
disposes of nitrogen waste. The excess citrulline from supplementation is
thought to put the urea cycle into overdrive, sucking up the ammonia (made of
three nitrogen molecules) produced by working muscles before it can produce
fatigue.
Citrulline
is also a by-product of the body's conversion of the amino acid arginine into
nitric oxide (NO). Excess citrulline, a number of studies have shown, increases
the amount of arginine in the blood, leading to increased NO production. More
NO, you may have heard, means increased blood flow to muscles during exercise,
which allows them to last longer under duress—and produce bigger muscle pumps
to weightlifters.
L-citrulline
is a naturally occurring amino acid found in food, such as watermelons, and also made in the body. Our bodies change
L-citrulline into another amino acid called L-arginine and also to nitric
oxide. L-citrulline might help increase the supply of ingredients the body
needs to making certain proteins.
SOURCES-
watermelons,legumes,meat,fish,nuts, or can be purchased as a supplement
Benefits of L-Citrulline
The benefit of greater amounts of NO would then mean improved blood flow which could increase nutrient delivery and waste product clearance from working muscles (e.g. plasma lactate and ammonium).
This would therefore improve
muscle function and capacity to sustain activity; and
subsequently reduce
fatigue.
Malate | How does it work?
So that explains how citrulline assists our ability to beat
fatigue; but what about the other bit which is attached?
Malate facilitates a process called anaplerosis which is the act
of replenishing component parts of the tricarboxyic acid cycle- also known as
the Kreb cycle. This is a key component of aerobic respiration and how we gain energy from
the use of oxygen.
Malate will influence certain anaplerotic reactions and reduce
the block of the oxidative energy pathway caused by excess ammonia. It then
uses lactic acid formed as a byproduct of exercise to form more pyruvate. With
more efficiency of aerobic metabolism, we are then able to create more
adenosine triphosphate (ATP-
energy!)- Hence reducing fatigue!
In fact, upon testing, significantly more aerobically produced
ATP is generated when CM is provided, showing an enhancement of oxidative
processes. This study also showed significantly faster phosphocreatine level
recovery following exercise and levels of both muscle PH and power were both
sustained at a higher level- indicating a decreased rate of ATP formed through
anaerobic metabolism.
Other plasma and muscle changes following exercise with CM
supplementation include higher levels of insulin; more efficient use of branch
chain amino acids during exercise; and facilitation of greater increases of
growth hormone.
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