Long-Term Effect of Combined Citrulline and Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Extract Supplementation

Athletes Clinical Trial

Official title:

Long-term Effect of Combined Citrulline and Nitrate-rich Beetroot Extract Supplementation on Recovery Status in Trained Male Triathletes

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05143879
• Other study ID #: ULE-020-2020
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 1, 2018
• Est. completion date: October 1, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: November 2021
• Source: Burgos Nutrition
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Citrulline (CIT) and nitrate-rich beetroot extract (BEET) are widely studied ergogenic aids. However, both supplements have been studied in sort-term and isolated. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the effects of combining both supplements on exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and hormone status have not been investigated to date. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to determine the effect and degree of potentiation of the long-term (9 weeks) mixture of 3 g/day of CIT plus 2.1 g/day of BEET (300 mg/day of NIT) supplementation on EIMD markers (urea, creatinine, AST, ALT, GGT, LDH and CK) and anabolic/catabolic hormone status (testosterone, cortisol and Testosterone cortisol ratio (T/C)) in male trained triathletes. This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial where participants (n = 32) were randomized into 4 different groups: placebo group (PLG; n = 8), CIT group (CITG; 3 g/day of CIT; n = 8), BEET group (BEETG; 2.1 g/day of BEET (300 mg/day of NIT) ; n = 8) and CIT-NIT group (CIT-BEETG; 3 g/day of CIT plus 2.1 g/day of BEET (300 mg/day of NIT); n = 8). Blood samples were collected from all participants at baseline (T1) and after 9 weeks of supplementation (T2).

Description:

Triathlon is an endurance sport in which athletes compete sequentially in swimming, cycling and running. Prolonged and strenuous training combined with insufficient recovery can produce muscular and metabolic stress, resulting in structural and functional damage to the musculoskeletal system leading to a fatigue status, which results in decreased athletic performance. As a consequence of this type of combined exercise, there are also alterations in biochemical markers of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) as well as anabolic/catabolic hormones. Therefore, their analysis is useful in determining the balance between training loads and recovery. In this sense, it is essential to include different strategies to reduce or prevent EIMD, which delay or reduce muscle fatigue and improve sports performance. One of these strategies is the use of different ergogenic aids such as L-citrulline (CIT) and nitrates (NIT) which have been proposed as both substances produce an increase in nitric oxide (NO).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 32
• Est. completion date: October 1, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: August 30, 2018
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 25 Years to 35 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Males between 25 and 35 years old

• Triathletes

• With at least 5 years of experience

• Without any disease

• Non smokers

• Non drinkers of alcohol

• Not to take any other medications or stimulant substances during the study

• 2 weeks without taking other nutritional supplements

Exclusion Criteria:

• Exclusion criteria:

• Men under 25 and over 35 years of age.

• Non triathletes

• Less than 5 years of experience

• With any disease

• Smokers

• Alcohol drinkers

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Athletes
• Citrulline
• Nitrate

Intervention

Dietary Supplement:
• Citrulline
3 g/day during 9 weeks
• Nitrate
300 mg/day during 9 weeks
• Nitrate plus Citrulline
3 g/day of citrulline and 300 mg/day of nitrate during 9 weeks
• Placebo
3 g/day during 9 weeks

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Spain	University of Leon	León	Castilla Y León

Sponsors (4)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Burgos Nutrition	Universidad de León, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), University of Valladolid

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Spain, 

References & Publications (20)

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da Silva DK, Jacinto JL, de Andrade WB, Roveratti MC, Estoche JM, Balvedi MCW, de Oliveira DB, da Silva RA, Aguiar AF. Citrulline Malate Does Not Improve Muscle Recovery after Resistance Exercise in Untrained Young Adult Men. Nutrients. 2017 Oct 18;9(10). — View Citation

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Milton-Laskibar I, Martínez JA, Portillo MP. Current Knowledge on Beetroot Bioactive Compounds: Role of Nitrate and Betalains in Health and Disease. Foods. 2021 Jun 7;10(6). pii: 1314. doi: 10.3390/foods10061314. Review. — View Citation

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Pérez-Guisado J, Jakeman PM. Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 May;24(5):1215-22. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181cb28e0. — View Citation

Rammos C, Luedike P, Hendgen-Cotta U, Rassaf T. Potential of dietary nitrate in angiogenesis. World J Cardiol. 2015 Oct 26;7(10):652-7. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v7.i10.652. Review. — View Citation

Richards JC, Racine ML, Hearon CM Jr, Kunkel M, Luckasen GJ, Larson DG, Allen JD, Dinenno FA. Acute ingestion of dietary nitrate increases muscle blood flow via local vasodilation during handgrip exercise in young adults. Physiol Rep. 2018 Jan;6(2). doi: — View Citation

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Wylie LJ, Park JW, Vanhatalo A, Kadach S, Black MI, Stoyanov Z, Schechter AN, Jones AM, Piknova B. Human skeletal muscle nitrate store: influence of dietary nitrate supplementation and exercise. J Physiol. 2019 Dec;597(23):5565-5576. doi: 10.1113/JP278076 — View Citation

* Note: There are 20 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Cortisol	µg/dL	9 weeks
Primary	Testosterone	ng/mL	9 weeks
Primary	Testosterone to cortisol ratio	ng/mL	9 weeks
Primary	Urea	mg/dl	9 weeks
Primary	Creatinine	mg/dl	9 weeks
Primary	AST	U/L	9 weeks
Primary	ALT	U/L	9 weeks
Primary	GGT	U/L	9 weeks
Primary	LDH	U/L	9 weeks
Primary	CK	U/L	9 weeks