Evidence mapPaperPMID 41006371Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2025

Acute effects of combined supplementation of L-arginine and citrulline malate on aerobic, anaerobic, and CrossFit exercise performance.

Saranya Selvaraj, Leonidas Petridis, Hanna Majtényi, Henrietta Bartha, Ákos Tóth, Katinka Utczás, Margita Szilágyi-Utczás, Rachel Kimble, Reza Zare, Arash Akbari and 1 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Saranya SelvarajDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka.
Leonidas PetridisResearch Centre for Sport Physiology, Hungarian University of Sport Science, Budapest, 1123, Hungary. petridis.leonidas@tf.hu.
Hanna MajtényiResearch Centre for Sport Physiology, Hungarian University of Sport Science, Budapest, 1123, Hungary.
Henrietta BarthaResearch Centre for Sport Physiology, Hungarian University of Sport Science, Budapest, 1123, Hungary.
Ákos TóthResearch Centre for Sport Physiology, Hungarian University of Sport Science, Budapest, 1123, Hungary.
Katinka UtczásResearch Centre for Sport Physiology, Hungarian University of Sport Science, Budapest, 1123, Hungary.
Margita Szilágyi-UtczásCentre for Sports Nutrition Science, Hungarian University of Sport Science, Budapest, 1123, Hungary.
Rachel KimbleDivision of Sport, Exercise and Health, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Blantyre, G720LH, UK.
Reza ZareSRH Campus Hamburg, SRH University of Applied Sciences Heidelberg, 20095, Hamburg, Germany.
Arash Akbari, Damavand, Tehran Province, Iran.
Katie M HeinrichDepartment of Kinesiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of combined L-arginine (Arg) and citrulline-malate (CM) supplementation on aerobic, anaerobic, and high-intensity interval training in healthy, trained men. Both Arg and CM are widely marketed for their potential ergogenic effects, as Arg serves as a precursor to nitric oxide (NO), which may support vasodilation, muscle contractility, and exercise performance. Arg and CM are hypothesized to exert synergistic effects due to their complementary roles in NO synthesis. Citrulline can potentially enhance and prolong Arg availability, thereby amplifying NO-mediated vasodilation, nutrient delivery, and muscle performance during exercise. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 46 healthy, trained men aged 24.8 ± 5.0 years were divided into 3 exercise groups subjected to consuming 0.15 g/kg bodyweight of Arg and 0.1 g/kg bodyweight of CM prior. The participants were then randomly divided into three groups based on the exercise protocol:: the Wingate Anaerobic Test (n = 16), a 20 min CrossFit workout 'Cindy' (n = 16) consisting of continuous rounds of pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats to measure functional fitness and muscular endurance, or the Harvard Step Test (n = 14) a measurement of cardiovascular endurance and recovery. This design allowed for the evaluation of supplementation effects across multiple exercise modalities. The results revealed no significant improvement in performance with supplementation in comparison to placebo, except for a shorter time to reach peak power in the Wingate test. Findings suggest that the combined acute supplementation of Arg and CM, at the given dosages, may not provide substantial benefits for aerobic and anaerobic or CrossFit performance in active individuals. Future research with larger sample sizes and higher dosages, potentially adjusted for muscle mass, is recommended to determine whether chronic supplementation might yield greater ergogenic effects.

Indexed as

ArginineCitrullineDietary SupplementsExerciseMalatesAdultDouble-Blind MethodHumansMalePhysical EnduranceYoung AdultArginineCitrullinecitrulline malateMalatesCitrulline malateCrossFitDietary-supplementL-arginineSport-performance

Identifiers

PMID41006371
PMCPMC12475454

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.