L-Citrulline
Of 2,616 on-market l-citrulline products in the January 2026 DSLD dump, the median declared dose is 2,892 mg, and 53.0% list unspecified/undisclosed form as the primary form.
Form share
Of 2,609 products with an identifiable primary form, here is the share held by each form of L-Citrulline on the market today.
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| Form | Quality tier | n | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| unspecified/undisclosed form | Unrated | 1,384 | 53.0% |
| Citrulline Malate (2:1) | Unrated | 1,037 | 39.7% |
| L-Citrulline Aspartate | Unrated | 128 | 4.9% |
| Citrulline Nitrate | Unrated | 36 | 1.4% |
| L-Citrulline Hydrochloride | Unrated | 15 | 0.6% |
| Citrulline Malate (1:1) | Unrated | 9 | 0.3% |
Form share over time
Entry-year breakdown of the top forms, 2012–2025.
Dose distribution
Deciles of declared dose per serving (mg), among 1,957 products with a disclosed amount.
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- 15.5% of products fall below the fairy-dust threshold (600 mg, 20% of the studied low dose).
- 24.5% of products don't disclose an amount because L-Citrulline is declared inside a proprietary blend.
Where does your dose rank?
Enter a per-serving dose (mg) to see exactly how it compares to the 1,957 on-market l-citrulline products with a disclosed amount. The chart above groups doses into deciles; this looks up the exact percentile for one number.
By dosage form
By target group
Top brands
Search interest over time
How often people search for l-citrulline on Google, US only, the last 5 years. This is public interest, not DSLD label data — a spike here doesn't necessarily line up with anything on this page, and Google's own index (100 = that term's peak popularity in the chosen window) is relative, not an absolute search-volume count.
Or see this search directly on trends.google.com.
Forms explained
Label discloses only "Citrulline" with no salt or source form.
Elemental fraction: 72.3% (Provisional: 2:1 citrulline:malic acid (2 x 175.19 / 484.47); the 2:1 salt is the common commercial grade but roughly a quarter of labels that state a ratio print 1:1 (see citrulline--malate-1-1). Bare 'Citrulline Malate' rows are assumed 2:1)
The form used in the cited exercise trials (6-8g), but no study comparing citrulline malate with free L-citrulline at matched citrulline dose was found. The Trexler meta-analysis itself flags the form of citrulline as an unexplored moderator.
Source: Perez-Guisado J, Jakeman PM 2010, J Strength Cond Res 24(5):1215-22, PMID 20386132; Bendahan D et al. 2002, Br J Sports Med 36(4):282-9, PMID 12145119; Trexler ET et al. 2019, PMID 30895562
Elemental fraction: 56.6% (1:1 citrulline:malic acid (175.19 / 309.28), selected only when the 1:1 ratio is in the ingredient name)
Same ingredient as the 2:1 grade at a lower citrulline content; no efficacy comparison between ratios was found.
Elemental fraction: 56.8% (C6H13N3O3 x C4H7NO4, 1:1 assumed (175.19 / 308.29); ratio not stated on labels)
No head-to-head human bioavailability or efficacy comparison of this form was located in PubMed searches.
Elemental fraction: 82.8% (C6H13N3O3 x HCl, 1:1 (175.19 / 211.65))
No head-to-head human bioavailability or efficacy comparison of this form was located in PubMed searches.
Elemental fraction: 73.5% (C6H13N3O3 x HNO3, 1:1 assumed (175.19 / 238.20))
No head-to-head human bioavailability or efficacy comparison of this form was located in PubMed searches.
Reference values
- RDA (adult): not established — Non-essential amino acid made endogenously (from ornithine/glutamine; precursor of arginine); no RDA/AI exists.
- Tolerable Upper Intake Level (adult): not established — Not established. Studies have used 3g twice daily x1 week (Schwedhelm E et al. 2008, PMID 17662090, n=20 healthy volunteers) and single doses of 8g citrulline malate (Perez-Guisado J, Jakeman PM 2010, J Strength Cond Res 24(5):1215-22, PMID 20386132; stomach discomfort in 14.6% of 41 men). Not a UL.
- Studied clinical dose range: 3000–8000 mg
- Trexler ET et al. 2019, Sports Med 49(5):707-718, PMID 30895562 -- systematic review and meta-analysis of acute citrulline supplementation and high-intensity strength/power performance: 12 studies (13 samples, n=198), inclusion required a citrulline dose of at least 3g taken 30+ minutes before testing; pooled SMD 0.20 (95% CI 0.01-0.39), a small effect. High end: Perez-Guisado J, Jakeman PM 2010, PMID 20386132 -- randomized double-blind crossover, 41 men, a single 8g dose of citrulline malate increased bench-press repetitions to fatigue and reduced next-day soreness. Also Bendahan D et al. 2002, Br J Sports Med 36(4):282-9, PMID 12145119 -- 18 men with fatigue, 6g/day citrulline malate x15 days; 34% higher rate of oxidative ATP production in exercising muscle (uncontrolled before/after design).
- Note: The 8g figure is citrulline malate weight (citrulline is roughly 57-72% of the salt depending on the malate ratio); the 3g minimum refers to citrulline. Labels frequently declare the malate ratio in raw_form (2:1 or 1:1); the matcher does not parse it, so see the two citrulline malate forms in forms.yaml. Citrulline aspartate, nitrate, silicate and alpha-ketoglutarate also appear on labels.