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09.11.2019

The temporary muscle-building effect of the citrulline-glutathione combination

If bodybuilders or fitness enthusiasts use a daily supplement with citrulline and glutathione, they build up more muscle mass. Well, at least for a few weeks. Then the effect ebbs away. We read that in a human study that appeared in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2018.

Study
Exercise scientists, affiliated with Baylor University in the US, divided 75 resistance-trained males aged 18-35 into 3 groups.

For a period of 8 weeks, during which all subjects ate and trained in an identical way, a first group took a placebo every day. A second group took 2 grams of citrullin malate daily, and a third group took 2 grams of citrullin malate daily plus 200 milligrams of reduced glutahione.

The supplements came from the factories of the Japanese Kyowa Hakko Bio Corporation, the sponsor of the study. Kyowa Hakko markets reduced glutahione as Setria.

Results
Citrulline supplementation and supplementation with the combination of citrullin malate and glutathione had no effect on strength or fat mass. The researchers did see that the subjects in the citrulline + glutathione group had built up significantly more lean body mass - say: muscle mass - than the subjects in the other groups.

However, this effect disappeared again in week 8.

That's weird.

The researchers suggest the possibility that something went wrong with the diet of the subjects in the citrulline + glutathione group.

Because we ourselves are defaitist nutritionalists, we think in a different direction. It is possible that supplementation has a positive effect for with a few weeks. Then some feed-back mechanism comes into effect, which reduces the endogenous biosynthesis of glutathione - and the effects of supplementation may be inverted.

Conclusion
"We conclude that, compared to placebo, supplementation of L-citrulline with reduced glutathione during resistance training increases lean mass in resistance-trained males", schrijven de onderzoekers. "However, after 8 weeks of resistance training there were no significant differences in any of the measured variables."

Source:
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Jun 27;15(1):30.

More:
Adding 200 mg glutathione makes L-citrulline a more effective NO booster 29.07.2015

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L-Citrulline

Female bodybuilders manage lots more reps with citrulline malate If female bodybuilders or fitness fanatics take 8 g citrulline malate an hour before a workout, they'll manage considerably more reps. And that should lead, at least you'd expect, to more muscle growth.	Strength athletes train better with citrulline malate Take 8 g citrulline malate before pumping iron and you'll manage more reps per set. The more sets you manage, the bigger the effect of supplementation.	Build muscles but eat little protein? Use L-citrulline If the results of this American human study are to be believed, L-citrulline has anabolic qualities in combination with a low-protein diet.