What Can L-citrulline Really Do?
As one of the three dietary amino acids in the urea cycle, l-citrulline offers several benefits when it comes to supporting l-arginine.
You may find most l-arginine supplements also contain l-citrulline. Even if you already know about the benefits of l-arginine, a lot of people also ask what l-citrulline is and why it’s necessary and what l-citrulline benefits there are that will help improve their health.
Let’s start by talking about what l-citrulline is, exactly. L-citrulline is named after the Latin word for watermelon, “citrullus”, because that is where scientists first discovered and isolated l-citrulline as an amino acid.
It is created from l-arginine as the result of the chemical reaction l-arginine undergoes to make Nitric Oxide.
L-citrulline, in turn, gets converted to l-arginine, which is then converted to Nitric Oxide.
This is how l-citrulline works as a companion to l-arginine, by increasing the production of nitric oxide for more sustained benefits and results.
Not only is your body using the l-arginine from the supplement, it can use l-citrulline to make more l-arginine and extend the process that offers your blood vessels and heart significant benefits. To put it simply, l-citrulline benefits anyone who takes it in conjunction with l-arginine, since it acts as a sort of “back up generator” for nitric oxide.
What else does l-citrulline do?
Because l-citrulline is great at fighting off lactic acid build-up, it helps reduce fatigue and increase endurance during strenuous activity or workouts.
L-citrulline is a key ingredient for support the health of your heart, but also a key to helping you get more out of your workouts.
Where Can You Get l-citrulline?
L-citrulline can be produced from supplementing with l-arginine and found in certain foods, but if you’re looking to get significant benefits from l-citrulline, taking a supplement is your best option.
When taking l-citrulline alone, an appropriate amount would be anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 milligrams in one serving. However, if you’re getting your l-citrulline from an l-arginine supplement, the doctor recommended serving is 1,000 milligrams to pair with 5,000 milligrams of l-arginine.
To learn more about l-arginine supplements that contain l-citrulline, read up on our top ten list!
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