Best Citrulline for Muscle
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Last reviewed May 2026
Clinical dose: 3000–6000 mg
Why Citrulline for Muscle
Citrulline plays a supporting role in muscle. L-Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid that converts to L-arginine in the kidneys, raising plasma arginine and nitric oxide levels more effectively than oral arginine supplementation (arginine undergoes significant first-pass metabolism). Well-tolerated with no established UL.
What dose to look for
Clinical studies typically use 3000–6000 mg of citrulline. 3-6g/day for NO-mediated blood flow and exercise performance. Citrulline malate studies often use 6-8g (which contains ~3-4.5g pure citrulline). Products below this range may not deliver meaningful results.
What the research says
Citrulline has moderate clinical evidence for muscle benefits. Several trials show it raises nitric oxide more effectively than oral arginine for blood flow Learn more
Clinical research on L-Citrulline
MODERATE — Growing RCT base for exercise performance via nitric oxide pathway · 6–8 g/day (L-citrulline) or 8–10 g/day (citrulline malate 2:1)
- •2019 meta-analysis of 12 RCTs found citrulline supplementation significantly improved high-intensity strength and power exercise performance, with greater effects at doses ≥6 g. PubMed
- •2010 RCT found citrulline malate 8 g increased repetitions to failure by 52.92% across 8 sets of bench press and significantly reduced muscle soreness at 24 and 48 hours post-exercise. PubMed
- •Mechanism: L-citrulline is converted to L-arginine in the kidneys, raising plasma arginine more effectively than direct arginine supplementation (which undergoes significant first-pass hepatic metabolism). Increased arginine drives nitric oxide production, improving blood flow to working muscles.