L-Citrulline vs L-Arginine For Pre-Workout Supplementation

L-Citrulline and L-Arginine are good pre-workout and provide for muscular gains.

Introduction to Pre-Workout Supplementation:

Athletes everywhere have used supplements to enhance and improve their workouts ever since the nutritional industry was in its infancy. There are a number of things that should be considered when choosing such a product. The first of these considerations is energy. Obviously, in order to power through an intense workout you need a lot of energy. Of course, you also want this energy to come from a natural source since having to deal with side effects like an energy crash an hour or so later is just not worth it.

Another benefit sought from pre-workout supplementation is an ability to support muscular gains. This way, you will also put yourself in the best position to recover faster from your workouts and to translate the hard effort into real benefits. Some of the best supplements to be used before a workout are L-Arginine and L-Citrulline.

L-Arginine Benefits:

L-Arginine is an amino acid that has a number of positive benefits associated with its supplementation. These benefits include the ability to help the body produce and synthesize proteins. Proteins are essential in the process of muscular repair and growth. It is also thought to stimulate the production of growth hormone like natural sterols. These are also quite effective in helping the muscles rebuild and grow larger after an intense workout.

This supplement is also thought to help remove cortisol and other waste products in the body. Cortisol is chiefly responsible for stress levels throughout the body. Therefore, its removal can lead to a more focused and intense workout, potentially even helping one to remain more energetic throughout.

L-Citrulline Benefits:

One of the most popular benefits associated with L-Citrulline is its ability to help reduce body fat levels. It is also incredibly helpful in maintaining your natural energy production, which can often drop off considerably during a hard workout. Another excellent benefit is that it acts as a vasodilator. This has the effect of helping to open and expand blood vessels. This may be also why it can lead to a reduction in blood pressure levels.

For weight and strength training athletes, this supplement also helps in the release of nitric acid. This chemical helps to build proteins and re-form muscles that have been torn down from intense training. Citrulline acts in the urea cycle to remove lactic acid from the body which is produced as working muscles become fatigued. Couple this together with the ability of the supplement to enhance ATP (energy) production and it easy to see how this can lead to a much improved workout.

Citrulline vs Arginine Pre Workout

Overall in the question of L-Citrulline vs L-Arginine, both of these supplements can certainly be helpful as a before workout addition. Instead of being forced to choose one or the other, why not stack them together and take both?

What is the Best Time of the Day to Exercise?

time of the day to workout

Is There a Best Time to Exercise?

Exercising is certainly one of those things that we all should be doing on a regular basis. Yet the studies show that most of us are not, or at least not as regularly as we should. There are those who say that whatever time you actually workout and feel good about doing so is the best. Others say that basing your exercising times around your circadian rhythms is the best option. Let’s take a look at some of the research.

Exercise and Circadian Rhythms:

The circadian cycles within the human body regulate our temperature, blood pressure, alertness, metabolism, and a whole host of other factors. But research also suggests that we can train and even reset these rhythms. So, if we decide to exercise in the morning (or whenever), the body and the circadian cycles will reset and adjust. This resetting is actually what we do every day when using an alarm clock. After all, not everyone has a body that is ready to wake up when it is still basically dark outside in order to get to work on time.

The Research:

Current research does indeed suggest a “best” time for working out. This is normally the late afternoon. The main reasoning behind this is that the body temperature is at the highest. Other factors include strength and endurance being greater at this time than any other in the day. Also, we are most alert and since the muscles are already warm and flexible it is easier to warm up and injuries are much less likely.

Despite these findings, research also shows that people who exercise in the morning are more consistent in their efforts. There is also some evidence to show that exercise improves sleep quality, which is a nice extra benefit.

Some Pre-Workout Supplements to Consider:

One of the best ways to make sure that you are ready for your workout and get all you can out of them is to use a pre-workout supplement.

Whey protein can be very effective. It contains branched chain amino acids that are responsible for increased energy and quicker muscular recover. It is also great to take immediately after finishing your workout to further speed up the recovery process.

Citrulline Malate is another very effective pre-workout supplement. This is an amino acid and also a key intermediary in the production of cellular ATP (which is basically energy that is delivered directly to the muscles). This can also lead to better muscular pumps and being able to exercise at a stronger and higher level.