Key result
One month of daily nitrate and citrulline supplementation in healthy older adults significantly reduced mean blood pressure by 3.3 mmHg and increased maximal cycling power output by 5.2%.
Why the study?
It remains unclear whether older adults who experience decreased nitric oxide bioavailability benefit from chronic nitric oxide precursor supplementation.
Does chronic nitrate and citrulline supplementation improve vascular function and exercise performance in healthy older adults?
RCT (n=24)
Double-blind
Randomized
No
Does chronic nitrate and citrulline supplementation improve vascular function and exercise performance in healthy older adults?
Mean Difference: -3.3
p-value: p=0.047
Chronic nitrate and citrulline supplementation in healthy older individuals reduces resting blood pressure and improves cycling performance.
Supports BP reduction and power gains via chronic supplementation in healthy older adults; extends acute data to 1-month RCT evidence.
Increased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability may improve exercise performance and vascular function. It remains unclear whether older adults who experience a decreased NO bioavailability may benefit from chronic NO precursor supplementation. This randomised, double-blind, trial aims to assess the effect of chronic NO precursor intake on vascular function and exercise performance in older adults (60-70 years old). Twenty-four healthy older adults (12 females) performed vascular function assessment and both local (knee extensions) and whole-body (incremental cycling) exercise tests to exhaustion before and after one month of daily intake of a placebo (PLA) or a nitrate-rich salad and citrulline (N+C, 520mg nitrate and 6g citrulline) drink. Arterial blood pressure (BP) and stiffness, post-ischemic, hypercapnic and hypoxic vascular responses were evaluated. Prefrontal cortex and quadriceps oxygenation was monitored by near-infrared spectroscopy. N+C supplementation reduced mean BP (-3.3mmHg; p=0.047) without altering other parameters of vascular function and oxygenation kinetics. N+C supplementation reduced heart rate and oxygen consumption during submaximal cycling and increased maximal power output by 5.2% (p<0.05), but had no effect on knee extension exercise performance. These results suggest that chronic NO precursor supplementation in healthy older individuals can reduce resting BP and increase cycling performance by improving cardiorespiratory responses.
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Roux‐Mallouf et al. (2019) conducted an RCT in Healthy older adults (n=24). Nitrate and citrulline vs. Placebo was evaluated on Mean blood pressure (MD -3.3 mmHg, p=0.047). One month of daily nitrate and citrulline supplementation in healthy older adults significantly reduced mean blood pressure by 3.3 mmHg and increased maximal cycling power output by 5.2%.
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