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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
Citrulline Malate vs Sodium Bicarbonate: Sodium Bicarbonate has the stronger overall evidence (7.5 vs 6/10); they're alternatives for improve endurance — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Sodium Bicarbonate wins 2 of 3 categories. Both are solid choices — the best pick depends on your specific goals.
Verdict
Probably helps
2 of 3 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
Verdict
Likely helps
3 of 4 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
Shared outcomes (1)
Outcomes where both Citrulline Malate and Sodium Bicarbonate have evidence — compare verdict strength side-by-side.
6-8g citrulline malate pre-workout
30-60 minutes before exercise, Empty stomach or with light carbs
Citrulline Malate 2:1 powder
0.2-0.3g per kg bodyweight (14-21g for 70kg person)
60-180 minutes before exercise, Split into multiple doses
Pharmaceutical-grade sodium bicarbonate powder or capsules
Acute (within session)
Acute
24-48 hours
Acute
Acute (1-3 hours)
Acute
Acute Effect of Citrulline Malate on Repetition Performance During Strength Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (2021) · Meta analysis · n=137
Meta-analysis of 8 double-blind placebo-controlled studies with 137 participants, most of them strength-trained men.
Impact of Chronic Nitrate and Citrulline Malate Supplementation on Performance and Recovery in Spanish Professional Female Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Nutrients (2025) · Rct · n=34
Plasma NO3- concentrations significantly increased from baseline in the NIT + CM group and remained elevated 24 h after the final dose, confirming sustained systemic exposure.
Effects of Acute Citrulline Malate Supplementation on CrossFit(®) Exercise Performance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Study
Nutrients (2024) · Crossover · n=21
The results indicated no significant difference in the number of rounds completed between the CM and placebo conditions (13.5 ± 5.2 vs. 13.8 ± 6.7 rounds, respectively; p = 0.587).
Sodium Bicarbonate Treatment and Clinical Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease with Metabolic Acidosis: A Meta-Analysis
Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN (2024) · Meta analysis · n=2037
Fourteen RCTs comprising 2037 patients demonstrated that sodium bicarbonate supplementation significantly improved eGFR (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.03 to 0.63; P = 0.03).
Nutritional Ergogenic Aids in Cycling: A Systematic Review
Nutrients (2024) · Systematic review · n=701
However, no statistically significant effects were identified for the remaining supplements, whether administered individually or in combination.
Effects of Different Dietary Supplements on Swimming Performance: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Nutrients (2024) · Meta analysis
L-arginine (Arg) demonstrated superior performance to the placebo (SMD = -1.66, 95% CI [-2.92, -0.44]), emerging as the most effective intervention for reducing 100 swimming time (SUCRA = 89.5%).
At 6 g, a single dose before resistance exercise did not change soreness over 72 hours in a double-blind crossover of 9 untrained men (PMID 29057836). At 8 g the three trials disagree. In a crossover of 41 men, soreness was 40% lower at 24 and 48 hours, and 14.63% reported stomach discomfort (PMID 20386132). In 19 resistance-trained adults doing German Volume Training, total soreness was lower than on placebo (PMID 30458655). In recreationally active adults on an isokinetic version of the same protocol, soreness was higher with citrulline malate over 72 hours (PMID 30097067). The effect at 8 g is set low for that reason. No trial compared doses. A meta-analysis of 13 trials, where 8 g was the most frequent dose, found less soreness at 24 hours but not at 48 or 72 hours (PMID 33308806).
The ISSN position stand (PMID 34503527) reviews single-dose trials at 0.2 to 0.5 g/kg: 0.2 g/kg appears to be the minimum dose that improves performance, 0.3 g/kg the optimum, and 0.4 or 0.5 g/kg add no benefit over 0.3 g/kg while causing more frequent and more severe side effects such as bloating, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, so the curve is flat above 0.3 g/kg while side effects rise. The benefit is mainly for high-intensity efforts of 30 seconds to 12 minutes. At 0.3 g/kg, a crossover trial in 14 trained cyclists improved 40 km time trial performance (PMID 39068627), and a meta-analysis found effects on anaerobic but not aerobic metabolism (PMID 33546730).
AI-estimated from published studies. Interpret as directional guidance.
Sodium Bicarbonate has a higher evidence score (7.5/10 vs 6/10) and wins in 2 of 3 categories.
For improve endurance, Sodium Bicarbonate has a higher relevance score (90 vs 75).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.