L-Citrulline

=**Warning:**= ===//“This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease”.//===

=**Definition:**= == =**Sources:**=
 * Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid, converted in the kidneys from recycled arginine or produced from the nitrogen contained in L-glutamine (examine).
 * Citrulline is a precursor to L-arginine, converted into L-arginine in the kidneys (WebMD)(Wikipedia).
 * Citrulline is one of the 3 active amino acids in the urea cycle, which converts ammonia (toxic) into urea (examine)(WebMD).
 * Watermelon is the largest natural source of citrulline (Wikipedia).
 * Other food sources include: muskmelons, bitter melons, squashs, gourds, cucumbers, and pumpkins (examine).
 * Sold in the form of citrulline malate as a dietary supplement (Wikipedia).

=**Recommendations:**= = = =**Usage:**= =**Side Effects:**= =Rankings:= -Effectiveness 2/5 : Citrulline supplementation purely for exercise performance needs more research. Available research is contradictory and very limited. -Safety 5/5 : There are no reports of side effects or any kind of safety concern in any clinical studies. -Cost 5/5 : The top selling brand on amazon costs $0.17 per serving. -Ease of use 4/5 : It sold as a supplement in the form of a capsule, but usually requires 2 capsules per serving.
 * Recommended dosage dependent on what supplemental usage is for.
 * 3 grams/day to promote circulatory health, relieve ED symptoms
 * 6-8 grams about an hour before exercise for sports performance
 * No RDA recommended dosage.
 * Studies supplementing with citrulline ranged from 3-9 grams as the dosage, 6 grams being the most common
 * Many testimonials for potential benefits, but current research is lacking
 * L-citrulline increases nitric oxide production (a vasodilator), which increases blood flow (WebMD)(Wikipedia).
 * may lower blood pressure
 * may ease symptoms of erectile dysfunction (Cormio, et al.)
 * Supplementation may aid in treatment of intestinal problems (WebMD).
 * Exercise benefits may include increase in training capacity, decrease onset of fatigue, and decrease muscle soreness (examine).
 * needs more evidence to support claims
 * In a double blind crossover study, citrulline malate supplementation participants significantly increased amount of bench press repetitions and experienced a 40% decrease in reported post-exercise muscle soreness compared to the placebo group (Perez-Guisado, et al.)
 * In a clinical study, participants supplemented with 3 grams of L-Citrulline 3 hours before testing or 9 grams over a 24 hour period prior to testing. Participants underwent a graded treadmill test, examining the time to exhaustion compared to a placebo group. The L-Citrulline supplementing group actually fatigued faster than the placebo group, finishing with a lower time to exhaustion (Hickner, et al.).
 * In another study, L-citrulline malate supplementation may have produced a higher increase in post-exercise growth hormone presence compared to the placebo group. Also, L-citrulline malate supplementation may enhance the use of BCAAs during exercise (Sureda, et al.)
 * ====No reported side effects thus far====
 * May cause side effects if taken with certain medications
 * Health practitioners recommend to stop taking if pregnant or breastfeeding
 * Individuals under the age of 18 should seek parental consent before supplementation.

Over all Ranking 16/20 :

 * Citrulline as an ergogenic aid needs to be researched more to be recommended for use. As stated previously, research is very limited and contradictory. It may have benefits, but it also may not. Studies do show evidence that citrulline supplementation may have health benefits for certain medical conditions, which also needs more research. Citrulline can be taken without concern of safety, and is relatively cheap, and could potentially be an ergogenic aid therefore requires more research to be conducted.

=**References:**=
 * =====Cormio, L., De Siati, M., Lorusso, F., Selvaggio, O., Mirabella, L., Sanquedolce, F., Carrieri, G. (2011). Oral L-citrulline supplementation improves erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction. //Urology// 2011 Jan;77(1):119-22. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2010.08.028 =====
 * Examine (2015). Retrieved from http://examine.com/supplements/Citrulline/#summary1-0
 * Hickner, R., Tanner, C., Evans, C., Clark, P., Haddock, A., Fortune, C., Geddis, H., Waugh, W., McCammon, M. (2006). L-citrulline reduces time to exaustion and insulin response to a graded exercise test. //Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise// 2006, 38(4):660-666 doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0000210197.02576.da
 * Sureda, A., Cordova, A., Ferrer, M., Perez, G., Tur, J., Pons, A. (2010). L-Citrulline-malate influence over branched chain amino acid utilization during exercise. //European Journal of Applied Phsysiology// (2010) 110:341-351 doi: 10.1007/s00421-010-1509-4
 * Perez-Guisado, J., Jakeman, P. (2010). Citrulline Malate Enhances Athletic Anaerobic Performance and Relieves Muscle Soreness. //Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research//: May 2010 - Volume 24 - Issue 5 - pp 1215-1222 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181cb28e0
 * WebMD (2015). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1245-l-citrulline.aspx?activeingredientid=1245&activeingredientname=l-citrulline
 * Wikipedia (2015). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrulline