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'S THE WORD?
The
word is that in order to take athletic performance to the next level all
you have to do is eat a bunch 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 probably get 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 antiasthenic, 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...
SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES
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 |
