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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
Citrulline Malate vs Urolithin A: Urolithin A has the stronger overall evidence (6 vs 6/10); they're alternatives for athletic performance — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Urolithin A wins 1 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
Too few graded studies
1 of 1 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
6-8g citrulline malate pre-workout
30-60 minutes before exercise, Empty stomach or with light carbs
Citrulline Malate 2:1 powder
500-1000mg
Morning with food
Mitopure (highly pure, bioavailable form)
Acute (within session)
Acute
24-48 hours
Acute
4-8 weeks
8-16 weeks
8-16 weeks
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).
The effect of a high-polyphenol Mediterranean diet (Green-MED) combined with physical activity on age-related brain atrophy: the Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial Polyphenols Unprocessed Study (DIRECT PLUS)
The American journal of clinical nutrition (2022) · Rct · n=284
Among 284 participants (88% men; mean age: 51 y; BMI: 31.2 kg/m2; APOE-ε4 genotype = 15.7%), 224 (79%) completed the trial with eligible whole-brain MRIs.
Urolithin A induces mitophagy and prolongs lifespan
Nature Medicine (2016) · Preclinical
Extended lifespan in animal models
Effect of the mitophagy inducer urolithin A on age-related immune decline: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Nature aging (2025) · Rct · n=50
Exploratory single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrated UA-driven transcriptional shifts across immune populations, modulating pathways linked to inflammation and metabolism.
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).
Both doses come from the first-in-human trial in healthy sedentary older adults (PMID 32694802), where 4 weeks of 500 mg or 1,000 mg modulated plasma acylcarnitines and muscle mitochondrial gene expression, with a favourable safety profile at every dose tested. The abstract does not rank the two doses, so the curve is flat. A 4-month trial of 1,000 mg in 66 adults aged 65 to 90 (PMID 35050355) also lowered acylcarnitines and C-reactive protein, but found no gain in maximal ATP production, a direct measure of mitochondrial function. These are biomarkers, not clinical outcomes, and no dose above 1,000 mg was tested.
AI-estimated from published studies. Interpret as directional guidance.
Urolithin A has a higher evidence score (6/10 vs 6/10) and wins in 1 of 3 categories.
For athletic performance, Citrulline Malate has a higher relevance score (85 vs 65).
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.