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The Effect of a Single Dose of Citrulline on the Physical Performance of Soccer-Specific Exercise in Adult Elite Soccer Players (A Pilot Randomized Double-Blind Trial)
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single intake of citrulline at 3 g and 6 g doses in adult elite soccer players performing sport-specific exercise. Materials and Methods: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study analyzed 18 soccer players from the top divisions of three European countries. Participants were randomized into three groups of six each and performed a field-based soccer-specific test for 18 min. Comparative analysis of heart rate, fatigue and post-exercise recovery was conducted. Results: There were no statistically signifi- cant differences in most of the analyzed parameters, nor at any of the time points for lactate concen- tration. Players’ RPE exercise test score did not reveal any differences . Conclusions: Neither a single intake of 3 g nor of 6 g of citrulline malate affected physical performance, subjective feelings of fatigue or post-exercise recovery in adult elite soccer players who performed a soccer-specific test.