The Effect of a Single Dose of Citrulline on the Physical Performance of Soccer-Specific Exercise in Adult Elite Soccer Players (A Pilot Randomized Double-Blind Trial)

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single intake of citrulline at 3 g and 6 g doses in adult elite soccer players performing sport-specific exercise. Materials and Methods: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study analyzed 18 soccer players from the top divisions of three European countries. Participants were randomized into three groups of six each and performed a field-based soccer-specific test for 18 min. Comparative analysis of heart rate, fatigue and post-exercise recovery was conducted. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in most of the analyzed parameters, nor at any of the time points for lactate concentration. Players’ RPE exercise test score did not reveal any differences . Conclusions: Neither a single intake of 3 g nor of 6 g of citrulline malate affected physical performance, subjective feelings of fatigue or post-exercise recovery in adult elite soccer players who performed a soccer-specific test.

Effects of 3 days of citrulline malate supplementation on short‐duration repeated sprint running performance in male team sport athletes

“…In the present study, like most studies in this field, assessment of these proposed mechanisms is limited and indirect at best. Blood lactate concentrations and heart rate, as surrogates of energy metabolism and cardiovascular responses, respectively, were not affected by CM supplementation, which is consistent with previous findings for lactate concentration (Bezuglov et al., 2022; Chappell et al., 2020; Farney et al., 2019; Rhim et al., 2020; Trexler, Keith, et al., 2019; Wax et al., 2015; Wax et al., 2016) and heart rate (Farney et al., 2019; Glenn et al., 2017; Wax et al., 2015; Wax et al., 2016). These measures are considered as indicators of the intensity of exercise and whole‐body physiological stress, but do not provide any mechanistic insight into ergogenicity of CM.…”

“…The ergogenic effects of CM supplementation have been equivocal to date. A series of studies have reported no effects of CM on short‐duration exercise performance (Bezuglov et al., 2022; Chappell et al., 2020, 2018; Cunniffe et al., 2016; Farney et al., 2019; Gonzalez et al., 2018; Trexler, Keith, et al., 2019; Wax et al., 2015), while others have documented ergogenic effects (Glenn et al., 2017; Pérez‐Guisado & Jakeman, 2010; Wax et al., 2016). For example, CM (8 g dextrose + 8 g CM) supplemented 1 h before a resistance exercise protocol in 15 trained females resulted in an improvement in upper‐ and lower‐body performance measured by number of repetitions performed (Glenn et al., 2017).…”

“…L‐citrulline is a popular ingredient in multi‐ingredient pre‐workout supplement formulations (Jagim et al., 2019). For more than a decade, CM has been purported to be an ergogenic aid during various types of exercise, such as resistance exercise (Chappell et al., 2020, 2018; Da Silva et al., 2017; Farney et al., 2019; Glenn et al., 2016, 2017; Gonzalez et al., 2018; Hwang et al., 2018; Pérez‐Guisado & Jakeman, 2010; Trexler, Keith, et al., 2019; Wax et al., 2015, 2016), cycling (Cunniffe et al., 2016; Glenn et al., 2016), and running (Bezuglov et al., 2022). However, assessing physical fitness and performance in tests that are representative of the physiological demands of the sport is essential (Charron et al., 2020).…”

Acute Citrulline Malate Supplementation Does Not Improve Anaerobic Capacity in Healthy Young Adults: A Pilot Study

“…Our data suggests no improvement in anaerobic performance following CM ingestion. This is in agreement with Bezugulov et al who had 18 elite adult soccer players consume a single dose of either 3g or 6g CM 1-hour prior to performing a field-based soccer test 24 . No differences were found in physical performance between groups or when compared to PLA.…”