L-Citrulline Malate 2:1, 300g

Description

L-citrulline malate in a true 2 to 1 ratio, 300 grams in the tub, with the citrulline and malate split printed rather than implied. At 8 grams a serving, which is the amount the training studies used, the tub holds about 37 servings. The ratio is the part of an l-citrulline malate label that decides what you are buying, and a great many products never state it at all.

The numbers on the tub

What 2 to 1 means on an l-citrulline malate label

Two parts citrulline to one part malic acid by weight. So 8 grams of the 2:1 material supplies about 5.3 grams of citrulline, with the rest being malate. A 1:1 version at the same scoop weight supplies 4 grams. Both are sold as citrulline malate.

That is why the ratio and the split are both on this listing. Without them a gram figure is unreadable, and the comparison against the pure citrulline on the performance page is impossible. Six grams of pure citrulline and 9 grams of 2:1 malate carry about the same citrulline.

The 1 gram problem in blends

Pre-workout formulas routinely list citrulline malate at 1 to 2 grams, a quarter or less of the studied amount, and often inside a blend total where the figure cannot be checked at all. A scoop that has to hold beta alanine, creatine and caffeine as well does not have room for 8 grams of anything.

Buying the single ingredient is how people reach the amount the trials used, which is the argument made in what a blend is legally allowed to leave out. It is also considerably cheaper per gram.

What the trials administered

The resistance training studies have mostly given 8 grams of citrulline malate about an hour before exercise and measured repetitions completed to failure, perceived exertion and muscle soreness over the following days. Cycling and endurance protocols used similar or slightly lower amounts. That describes the published doses and measurements and is not a claim about this tub.

Why an l-citrulline malate tub is 300 grams

Because 8 gram servings go through a tub quickly. At the amount the studies used, 300 grams is about 37 servings, so this is five weeks of training days rather than a quarter of a year. A citrulline product sold in a 100 gram pouch is a fortnight at the research dose, and its price per gram tends to look better than its price per month.

Servings per container and cost per serving are printed on every listing for that reason. An l-citrulline malate tub stating only its net weight has left the most useful arithmetic for you to do, and most buyers reasonably do not bother.

Why malate is in it at all

Malic acid is a Krebs cycle intermediate and the original rationale for pairing the two came from that biochemistry. Whether the malate contributes anything beyond solubility and sourness is not settled in the published work, which is precisely why the pure citrulline version is stocked alongside this one.

Taste and mixing

L-citrulline malate is genuinely sour, which surprises people the first time. It dissolves completely in cold water and works better in a flavoured drink than in plain water. Eight grams is a heaped scoop, so use the scoop rather than guessing with a spoon.

Testing

An independent laboratory confirms the identity of every lot of l-citrulline malate, verifies the ratio and assays purity on every lot, with heavy metals and microbials screened alongside. A lot that comes back at 1:1 when the label says 2:1 is withdrawn, since the ratio is the specification. For the doses studied across this category, see the NIH fact sheet on supplements for exercise and athletic performance.