citrulline malate vs protein

[wildgrl]

Hey guys.
Every so often a female client will ask about protein shakes pre/post workout. They aren't body builders, but rather fitness conscious woman.

Normally, I don't recommend supplements to people I don't know. (It's an ethics thing for me.) But I also know that if I don't say anything, they will start chugging down protein shakes (and the calories) because their husbands and boyfriends told them that protein shakes are the "beat-all-end-all" recovery drink.

My thought is to recommend Citrulline malate as a substitute recovery drink since it can be mixed with water, provides good recover effects, is almost zero calorie. Also the fact that this is the primary ingredient to most off-the-shelf athletic energy drinks that maybe this will be enough to persuade them?

So... what do you think? Citrulline malate vs. whey? Good compromise? (Remember... non-athletic females).

[Commander]

I don't citrulline malate would be high on anyone's list of supplements, let alone a non-athletic female.

I train very hard and all I personally use are BCAA (minimally due to expense), whey and creatine.

I posted a summary from BB.com below of what CM is/does (more to remind myself).

I just can't see why a non-athletic female would need it, especially post training as it's main benefits are pre-training for the aid in eliminating metabolic by-products that limit the amount of reps you can perform.

Sure you could take it afterward for the benefits of recovery for the ATP-CP system, but are they really hitting the weights so hard and heavy that they need to worry about their creatine stores?

Unless they are training particularly intense, I don't think they need to worry about a post workout recovery drink.

How about just a sensible diet?

------

Taken from BB.com

Citrulline Malate works by powering ATP (major energy source for muscles) production and by eliminating metabolic pollutants such as Lactic Acid and Ammonia from the blood.

Malate conditions the recycling of lactate and pyruvate and is part of the kreb cycle and can supply instant and sustained energy. While the Citrulline part of Citrulline Malate acts to increase NO and to eliminate performance inhibiting metabolic toxins, the Malate part keeps our energy cycle going.

Citrulline Malate stimulates phosphocreatine recovery after exercise, meaning faster recuperation between workouts, and muscles that are primed for growth and your next training session.

[wildgrl]

Originally Posted by Commander

Unless they are training particularly intense, I don't think they need to worry about a post workout recovery drink.

How about just a sensible diet?

I agree...hence the problem. They are being told otherwise by those that are closer too them (husbands & boyfriends and other friends) who from what I can tell are often sway'ed more by marketing. You know the claims: "drink this and your muscles will grow while you melt away fat". They fall for this crap. {sigh}

So I though...OK... fight fire with fire. Suggest a supplement that won't contradict their efforts and is popular enough to pacify the boyfriends?

My constant mantra is "the word supplement means - in addition to real food -- so start with real food and then see if supplements will help". What they hear is: "you don't need it", and I get rejected as being an anti-supplement person. I'm not.. i just don't blindly recommend them without a specific purpose, or a some way to measure results. Otherwise (in my head), it's just spending money and hoping for the best. To me that's not training - it's gambling. Worse in fact. Because they don't know if they ever win or not.

Hmm... Maybe CM isn't the best choice.

I dunno... maybe I should just look the other way. It just seems sad that they work so hard to remove adipose just to put it all back minutes after they get off the elliptical.

or as a co-worker pointed out "job security?". LOL

[Commander]

Originally Posted by wildgrl

I dunno... maybe I should just look the other way. It just seems sad that they work so hard to remove adipose just to put it all back minutes after they get off the elliptical.

I will say that sounds overly harsh, I don't think a small whey shake will be lead to "putting it all back minutes after they get off the elliptical."

If they are leaning towards whey, just let them go with it, it is a cheap supplement so it won't hurt their wallet.

I would educate them on portions though, remind them that they are not their husbands and thus don't need as much as their husband.

[Obsidian]

What about Xtend? Aminos and Citrulline Malate.

[bigbodybuild]

if they do not want the calories, they could use the plain unflavoured whey protein instead, this has no calories in it, you just basically mix it with water in the shaker and that is all it is, to get in the amino acids, whey is complete whereas Citrulline Malate is not.

[klosey]

i have no idea where the whole CM instead of protein is coming from your the 6th person ive seen mention it this month.. basically it starts recovery.. just like EAA supplements post workout do.. but you still need the protein within the anabolic window as thats the main blocks in the running... think of CM kinda like fast drying cement for a floor... the chemicals help the cement set faster..but without cement.. have no purpose...

short answer... use CM then protein... or just protein..

[Commander]

Originally Posted by bigbodybuild

if they do not want the calories, they could use the plain unflavoured whey protein instead, this has no calories in it, you just basically mix it with water in the shaker and that is all it is, to get in the amino acids, whey is complete whereas Citrulline Malate is not.

whey protein has calories. 4 calories per gram of protein just like any other protein. and typically there is 1 to 2 grams of carbs in a serving and a gram of fat as well.

[klosey]

Originally Posted by Commander

whey protein has calories. 4 calories per gram of protein just like any other protein. and typically there is 1 to 2 grams of carbs in a serving and a gram of fat as well.

wow i cant believe i missed that post! lol

[kaaijer]

I too can't see the connection between CM and whey. They are two entirely different supplements with their own purpose. Whey is one of the basics. CM is a fine pre-workout supplement for the hardcore athlete.