The Effect of Twelve Weeks of Blood Flow Restriction Training with Citrulline Malate Supplementation on serum NO and lactate levels in Young Male Athletes
Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran
10.22034/ren.2025.143651.1092
Abstract
Citrulline malate, a nitric oxide booster, has recently been introduced as an ergogenic supplement to improve athletic performance. This study aimed to determine the effect of twelve weeks of blood flow restriction (BFR) training combined with citrulline malate supplementation on nitric oxide (NO) and lactate levels in young male athletes. Forty young male athletes residing in Tabriz with a normal body mass index were randomly divided into four groups: BFR training-supplementation, BFR training-placebo, supplementation, and control-placebo. The BFR training groups performed exercises for twelve weeks with blood flow restriction pressure starting at 130 and increasing by 10 mmHg every four weeks until reaching 200 mmHg. Resistance training began with 30% of 1RM with 15 repetitions in the first set and 10 repetitions in the fourth set in the first week and increased to 50% of 1RM with 12 repetitions in the first set and 8 repetitions in the fourth set in the twelfth week. Citrulline malate supplementation was administered at a dose of eight grams per kilogram of body weight, 30 minutes to one hour before training. Twelve weeks of blood flow restriction training combined with citrulline malate supplementation had a significant effect on blood NO (p = 0.036) in young male athletes. However, it did not significantly affect blood lactate levels, fat mass, or lean body mass (P > 0.05). Blood flow restriction training combined with citrulline malate appears to have primarily improved nitric oxide levels with less impact on other physiological variables.
Fakhrpour, R. , Salamat Thomtri, M. and Azali Alamdari, K. (2025). The Effect of Twelve Weeks of Blood Flow Restriction Training with Citrulline Malate Supplementation on serum NO and lactate levels in Young Male Athletes. Research in Exercise Nutrition, (), -. doi: 10.22034/ren.2025.143651.1092
MLA
Fakhrpour, R. , , Salamat Thomtri, M. , and Azali Alamdari, K. . "The Effect of Twelve Weeks of Blood Flow Restriction Training with Citrulline Malate Supplementation on serum NO and lactate levels in Young Male Athletes", Research in Exercise Nutrition, , , 2025, -. doi: 10.22034/ren.2025.143651.1092
HARVARD
Fakhrpour, R., Salamat Thomtri, M., Azali Alamdari, K. (2025). 'The Effect of Twelve Weeks of Blood Flow Restriction Training with Citrulline Malate Supplementation on serum NO and lactate levels in Young Male Athletes', Research in Exercise Nutrition, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22034/ren.2025.143651.1092
CHICAGO
R. Fakhrpour , M. Salamat Thomtri and K. Azali Alamdari, "The Effect of Twelve Weeks of Blood Flow Restriction Training with Citrulline Malate Supplementation on serum NO and lactate levels in Young Male Athletes," Research in Exercise Nutrition, (2025): -, doi: 10.22034/ren.2025.143651.1092
VANCOUVER
Fakhrpour, R., Salamat Thomtri, M., Azali Alamdari, K. The Effect of Twelve Weeks of Blood Flow Restriction Training with Citrulline Malate Supplementation on serum NO and lactate levels in Young Male Athletes. Research in Exercise Nutrition, 2025; (): -. doi: 10.22034/ren.2025.143651.1092
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