Pre-Workout

Citrulline Malate

Effective Dosage

• In humans, supplementation of 6 g of CM a day for 15 days led to a significant reduction in sensation of fatigue, an increase in the rate of oxidative ATP production during exercise, and an increase in post exercise recovery. [1]

Mechanisms of Action

• Citrulline malate is a non-essential amino acid part of the ureogenesis cycle. Excess availability of CM enables the acceleration of this cycle, thereby facilitating the clearance of ammonium from the blood and tissues, which is a major fatigue factor. CM does so by stimulating glycolysis while blocking the aerobic utilization of pyruvate and recycling itself in the direction of gluconeogenesis. This results in less lactic acid accumulation and fatigue. [2]

Performance Components

• Citrulline malate increases nitric oxide production and reduces muscular fatigue through the reduction of lactic acid and ammonia in blood and tissue. [1]
• Citrulline malate has been shown to significantly increase performance during upper and lower body multiple bout resistance exercise performance. [3]
• Improves oxidative metabolism and exercise performance in healthy adults and enhances post exercise muscle protein synthesis. [1][4]

Beta-Alanine

Effective Dosage 

• On a total gram per day basis, beta-alanine dosing ranges from 2.4 to 6.4 g per day. [5][7] Other studies have broken down beta-alanine supplementation into 4 equal doses of 1.6 g per dosage. [6][8] 

Mechanism of Action

• Beta-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid synthesized in the liver and taken up into skeletal muscle to yield carnosine, a histidine containing dipeptide. Carnosine acts as an intracellular hydrogen ion buffer to high intensity exercise, antioxidant and regulates muscle contractility. [5] However, it cannot be synthesized in skeletal muscle without Beta-Alanine acting as the rate limiting precursor. In isolated muscle, the absence of carnosine as a buffering agent leads to fatigue due to increased acidosis. Therefore, high levels of skeletal muscle carnosine is positively associated with anaerobic exercise performance. [7]

Performance Components

• Beta-Alanine improves muscle buffering capacity leading to improved resistance training quality by increasing the number of repetitions that can be performed at a given intensity of training. [6]
• Beta-alanine delays the onset of fatigue by reducing muscle acidosis. [6]
• Increases peak power output in high intensity exercise. [6][8]

Caffeine

Mechanism of Action

• Caffeine is rapidly absorbed through the body’s gastrointestinal tract and moves through the cellular membranes in a highly efficient manner. It is metabolized by the liver and through enzymatic actions resulting in the three metabolites paraxanthine, theophylline, and theobromine. [9] Caffeine appears in the bloodstream as quickly as 15-45 minutes after consumption with peak concentrations evident 60 minutes post consumption. Caffeine crosses the blood brain barrier with little difficulty resulting in a primary site of action in the central nervous system (CNS) by altering specific signaling pathways. Caffeine use during exercise acts to decrease the body's reliance on glycogen utilization and increases its dependence on free fatty acid mobilization. Additionally, caffeine supplementation increases serum beta-endorphin concentrations and leads to decreased pain perception. [9] The body then excretes caffeine and its metabolites through the kidneys. Due to caffeine’s half life, circulating concentrations decrease by 50-75% within 3-6 hours after consumption. [9]

Performance Components

• Increases lipolysis and the body’s dependance on free fatty acid mobilization. [9][10]
• Increases energy expenditure through its thermogenic stimulation. [9]
• Enhances cognitive performance through increased vigilance and alertness. [9]

Rhodiola

Effective Dosage

• Rhodiola supplementation of 200-680 mg/day has been shown to improve physical performance while a dosage between 100-576 mg/day may reduce mental fatigue. [11]

Mechanism of Action

• Rhodiola is a medicinal plant which contains adaptogenic and biologically active substances in its root, including flavonoids and phenolic glycosides. An adaptogen is a natural herbal substance that helps the body adapt and resist damage caused by stress. The adaptogenic properties of rhodiola are attributed to its regulation of the hypothalamus pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and key mediators in the body’s stress response such as cortisol. [12]

Performance Components

• Shown to reduce oxidative stress in blood, liver and skeletal muscle [11] (animal study).
• Increases cognitive and neural performance [11] (in healthy males).
• Increases overall health in mentally fatigued populations. [11]

L-DOPA (from Mucuna Pruriens)

Effective Dosage

• 100 mg of L-dopa is effective in increasing mood in healthy individuals. [13]

Mechanism of Action

• The amino acid L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is a metabolite of L-tyrosine and the precursor to dopamine. L-dopa crosses the blood brain barrier where it is synthesized to dopamine in the central and peripheral nervous systems. [14] Mucuna Pruriens are a naturally occurring herbal supplement containing adaptogenic properties and high levels of L-dopa. They are typically referred to as the dopa bean. [15] Together they act as a nootropic agent to lower stress, improve mood, reduce anxiety, improve focus and boost libido. [16]

Performance Components

• May improve cognitive function and mental alertness. [17][18]
• Boosts libido and motivation. [19]
• Decreases stress levels. [15]

1. Bendahan, D, Mattei, JP, Ghattas, B, Confort-Gouny, S, Le Guern, ME, and Cozzone, PJ. Citrulline/malate promotes aerobic energy production in human exercising muscle. Br J Sports Med 36: 282-289, 2002.

2. Pérez-Guisado J, Jakeman PM. Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(5):1215-1222. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181cb28e0

3. Glenn JM, Gray M, Wethington LN, Stone MS, Stewart RW Jr, Moyen NE. Acute citrulline malate supplementation improves upper- and lower-body submaximal weightlifting exercise performance in resistance-trained females. Eur J Nutr. 2017;56(2):775–84

4. Bailey SJ, Blackwell JR, Lord T, Vanhatalo A, Winyard PG, Jones AM. l-citrulline supplementation improves O2 uptake kinetics and high-intensity exercise performance in humans. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md.: 1985). 2015;119(4):385-395.

5. Culbertson JY, Kreider RB, Greenwood M, Cooke M. Effects of beta-alanine on muscle carnosine and exercise performance: a review of the current literature. Nutrients. 2010;2(1):75-98

6. Hobson RM, Saunders B, Ball G, Harris RC, Sale C. Effects of [beta]-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: A meta-analysis. Amino Acids. 2012;43(1):25-37.

7. Hoffman JR. CREATINE AND [beta]-ALANINE SUPPLEMENTATION IN STRENGTH/POWER ATHLETES. Current Topics in Nutraceuticals Research. 2010;8(1):19-31.

8. Kelly V. [Beta]-alanine: Performance effects, usage and side effects. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(5):311.

9. Goldstein ER, Ziegenfuss T, Kalman D, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: Caffeine and performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2010;7:5.

10. Ivy JL, Costill DL, Fink WJ, Lower RW: Influence of caffeine and carbohydrate feedings on endurance performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1979, 11:6-11.

11. Ishaque S, Shamseer L, Bukutu C, Vohra S. Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: A systematic review. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2012;12:70.

12. McLean W. Reviews of articles on medicinal herbs. Australian Journal of Herbal and Naturopathic Medicine. 2018;30(4):191.

13. Wittmann BC, D'Esposito M. Levodopa administration modulates striatal processing of punishment-associated items in healthy participants. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2015;232(1):135-144.

14. Gandhi KR, Saadabadi A. Levodopa (L-Dopa) [Updated 2020 Apr 23]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-.

15. Hang L, Basil AH, Lim K. Nutraceuticals in parkinson's disease. Neuromolecular Medicine. 2016;18(3):306-321.

16. Lampariello LR, Cortelazzo A, Guerranti R, Sticozzi C, Valacchi G. The Magic Velvet Bean of Mucuna pruriens. J Tradit Complement Med. 2012;2(4):331-339.

17. Knecht S, Breitenstein C, Bushuven S, et al. Levodopa: faster and better word learning in normal humans. Ann Neurol. 2004;56(1):20-26.

18. Bliwise DL, Trotti LM, Wilson AG, et al. Daytime alertness in Parkinson's disease: potentially dose-dependent, divergent effects by drug class. Mov Disord. 2012;27(9):1118-1124.

19. Shukla KK, Mahdi AA, Ahmad MK, Shankhwar SN, Rajender S, Jaiswar SP. Mucuna pruriens improves male fertility by its action on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. Fertil Steril. 2009;92(6):1934-1940.