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Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "

29.03.2022

Does it make sense to combine beet root and citrulline?

Yes, that does make sense. At least if you want to increase your endurance performance. For other applications, the added value of the citrulline-beetroot-combination may be less.

Study
Researchers from the University of Leon in Spain divided 32 male triathletes into 2 groups. During the experiment, which lasted 9 weeks, the subjects in the first group took a placebo [PLG] daily.

The subjects in the second group took 3 grams of citrulline [CITG] daily, while the subjects in the third group took 2.1 grams of beetroot extract daily - containing 100 milligrams of nitrate [BRG].

The subjects in the fourth group took both 3 grams of citrulline and 2.1 grams of beetroot per day [CIT-BRG].

Both supplements have been well studied, and many of the trials show that supplementation can be beneficial for athletes. Both supplements have a somewhat similar mechanism of action: they increase the concentration of nitric oxide in the body, making small blood vessels more flexible and improving the transport of oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells during exercise.

In such a case, the question of whether a combination works out well becomes even more interesting.

Results
Before and on the last day of the supplementation period, the researchers measured the explosive power of the triathletes with the high jump [HJUMP], they determined with what force the subjects could squeeze a dynamometer with their hands [DYN], they determined how many sit-ups the subjects were able to performed in a short time, and they determined the endurance [and VO2max] of the subjects using the Cooper test.

In the subjects who took the combination of citrulline and nitrate, explosive power and endurance increased - while this was not the case in the other groups.

The extra increase in explosive power in the combination group was not earth-shattering. The increase in stamina was more convincing.

Source:
Nutrients. 2021 Dec 23;14(1):40.

More:
Just over two grams of arginine-citrulline combi enough to make athletes faster and fitter 29.10.2019
By combining BCAAs, citrulline and arginine, swimmers perform better during interval training 20.12.2018
Better NO boosters contain a combination of L-arginine and L-citrulline 11.02.2015

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