INCREASE ENDURANCE, BLOOD FLOW, AND PUMPS WITH CITRULLINE
CITRULLINE, ALSO KNOWN AS L-CITRULLINE, IS A NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID THAT’S NATURALLY FOUND IN SOME FOODS, SUCH AS WATERMELON. IT CAN ALSO BE PRODUCED BY THE BODY WHEN NEEDED. CITRULLINE IS OFTEN FOUND IN PRE-WORKOUTS BECAUSE IT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES NITRIC OXIDE LEVELS.
NITRIC OXIDE IS A MOLECULE THAT CAUSES VASODILATION (EXPANSION) OF YOUR BLOOD VESSELS. THIS ALLOWS YOUR BODY TO SHUTTLE BLOOD, NUTRIENTS, AND OXYGEN TO YOUR MUSCLES AT A FASTER RATE. NOT ONLY DOES THIS BOOST PERFORMANCE AND PUMPS, BUT IT ALSO BENEFITS YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM.
BEFORE CITRULLINE CAN BE USED FOR NITRIC OXIDE PRODUCTION, IT MUST BE CONVERTED INTO ANOTHER AMINO ACID CALLED ARGININE (L-ARGININE) IN THE KIDNEYS. SOME EVIDENCE EVEN SUGGESTS THAT CITRULLINE IS MORE EFFECTIVE AT BOOSTING PLASMA ARGININE LEVELS THAN ARGININE ITSELF BECAUSE ARGININE FALLS VICTIM TO THE FIRST-PASS EFFECT.
THIS MEANS THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF ARGININE IS METABOLIZED IN THE STOMACH BEFORE IT CAN BE ABSORBED INTO THE BLOODSTREAM AND USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES. TO COUNTERACT THIS, YOU CAN SUPPLEMENT WITH CITRULLINE INSTEAD.
BEYOND ENHANCING NITRIC OXIDE LEVELS, CITRULLINE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO INCREASE MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS THROUGH STIMULATING AN IMPORTANT SIGNALING PATHWAY INVOLVED IN MUSCLE GROWTH. FURTHERMORE, CITRULLINE PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN THE UREA CYCLE, WHICH REMOVES HARMFUL AMMONIA FROM THE BODY.
SUPPLEMENTING WITH CITRULLINE MAY:
- INCREASE MUSCULAR PUMPS
- ENHANCE EXERCISE PERFORMANCE
- PROMOTE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
- IMPROVE RECOVERY