Study type: Randomized controlled trialConfidence: Low

Citrulline Malate Does Not Improve Muscle Recovery after Resistance Exercise in Untrained Young Adult Men

da Silva DK, Jacinto JL, de Andrade WB, Roveratti MC, Estoche JM, Balvedi MCW, de Oliveira DB, da Silva RA, Aguiar AF

Year2017

Sample sizen=9

JournalNutrients

Authorsda Silva DK, Jacinto JL, de Andrade WB, Roveratti MC, Estoche JM, Balvedi MCW, de Oliveira DB, da Silva RA, Aguiar AF

Evidence is still limited and needs further study

Summary

An RCT in 9 untrained men (of 12 enrolled) examined whether a single 6 g pre-workout dose of citrulline malate affects muscle recovery markers at 24/48/72 h after high-intensity resistance exercise. No significant treatment effect was found for repetitions to failure, muscle soreness, creatine kinase, lactate, or EMG measures, leading the authors to conclude that a single dose does not improve recovery in untrained men.

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DOI: 10.3390/nu9101132

Key Findings

Key findings

Key point

1
Double-blind crossover trial in 9 untrained men (12 enrolled, 3 dropouts)
2
No significant treatment × time interaction for repetitions to failure, muscle soreness (VAS), creatine kinase, lactate, or EMG
3
Differs from citrulline-anaerobic-performance-rct in both population (untrained vs. trained) and outcome measured (72-hour recovery markers vs. in-session repetitions)

Related supplements

Citrulline
Improved muscular endurance (increased repetitions confirmed in research)
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Related Research

Related research

Randomized controlled trial

Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2010

An RCT examining a single 8 g dose of citrulline malate during bench press to exhaustion in trained males. Versus placebo, repetitions increased by an average of 52.92%, post-exercise muscle soreness (DOMS) fell by 40%, and perceived fatigue was significantly lower. It demonstrates a single-dose pre-workout effect, but the design is short-term with a relatively small sample.

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Articles featuring this study

Explainer
What is citrulline? How it boosts nitric oxide and exercise performance
Citrulline is an amino acid that serves as a nitric oxide (NO) precursor in the body, and it raises blood NO levels more effectively than arginine because it is absorbed better from the gut. An RCT found that a single 8 g dose of citrulline malate increased bench press repetitions by approximately 53% and reduced next-day muscle soreness by 40%.
Shingo Yoshizaki

Last checked: 2026-07-25