Citrulline (L-citrulline and citrulline malate) and performance
What 6 graded rows on citrulline (l-citrulline and citrulline malate) agree on for performance, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Citrulline (L-citrulline and citrulline malate) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Citrulline (L-citrulline and citrulline malate) page, with its PubMed record.
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Citrulline (L-citrulline and citrulline malate) and performance
6 rows · 1,221 peopleMostly an improvement: 4 of 6 rows, and most of the people. 2 found no difference.
- CGrade C× 4
- DGrade D× 2
- Rows
- 6
- Trials
- 6
- At least: a review without a trial count
- People
- 1,221
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a meta-analysis of 644 people (2026) and found an improvement.
By our six checks (size, design, length, who was studied, year and grade), the two sides do not differ cleanly. The dose and how each outcome was measured are in the rows below.
The rows
4 improved · 2 no difference- CGrade COverall exercise performance (citrulline malate) · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 644 · 2026 · Participants in 30 randomized controlled trials
Varied; no dose-related difference found · Acute (single dose) and chronic protocols
Citrulline malate was linked to a small overall improvement in exercise performance (g = 0.16), with wide prediction intervals and limited statistical power. Perceived exertion did not change significantly. GRADE certainty was low to very low.
Row on the Citrulline (L-citrulline and citrulline malate) page · PubMed 42356270 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CPerceived exertion and muscle soreness after exercise · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 206 · 2020 · Participants in 13 studies
Most often 8 g citrulline malate · Not stated in the abstract
Citrulline lowered perceived exertion and muscle soreness at 24 hours after exercise, but not soreness at 72 hours or blood lactate.
Row on the Citrulline (L-citrulline and citrulline malate) page · PubMed 33308806 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CRepetitions to failure in strength training · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 137 · 2021 · Strength-trained men (101) and women (26) and untrained men (9) in 8 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies
6–8 g, 40–60 minutes before exercise · Single dose
Citrulline malate increased total repetitions by about 3 (6.4%) versus placebo, a small effect (SMD 0.196). Lower-body results showed a tendency for an effect; upper-body results were not significant.
Row on the Citrulline (L-citrulline and citrulline malate) page · PubMed 34010809 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DL-citrulline vs citrulline malate over 6 weeks of training · Improved
RCT · n 33 · 2025 · Resistance-trained men
8 g L-citrulline or 12 g citrulline malate daily · 6 weeks
Both forms increased upper-body repetitions to failure versus placebo, with no difference between them. One-rep-max strength did not differ between groups; post-exercise nitric oxide markers were higher with citrulline malate than placebo.
Row on the Citrulline (L-citrulline and citrulline malate) page · PubMed 40470618 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CEndurance: time to exhaustion and time to completion · No difference
Meta-analysis · n 158 · 2023 · Young healthy adults in 9 studies
Varied across studies · Acute ingestion
No significant difference from control in time to exhaustion (SMD 0.03) or time to completion (SMD -0.07).
Row on the Citrulline (L-citrulline and citrulline malate) page · PubMed 37155582 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DL-citrulline vs citrulline malate: strength and power in one session · No difference
Crossover RCT · n 43 · 2025 · Young trained men and women (21 women)
5.3 g citrulline, with or without 2.7 g malate, 45 minutes before exercise · Single doses
Neither form improved maximal strength, jump or ballistic performance, repetitions, bar velocity or perceived exertion compared with placebo.
Row on the Citrulline (L-citrulline and citrulline malate) page · PubMed 39662304 (opens PubMed)