Citrulline Supplementation Improves Microvascular Function and Muscle Strength in Middle-Aged and Older Adults with...

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) develop vascular complications due to arginine deficiency-induced microvascular endothelial dysfunction, which is related to the loss of muscle strength (MS) associated with aging. Thus, increased nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation may improve MS. We investigated the impact of the NO precursor citrulline on microvascular function (endothelial and muscle reactivity) and MS in T2D patients.

Sixteen participants with T2D (53-72 years, nine females) were randomized to citrulline supplementation (CITS, 6 g/day) or placebo for 4 weeks prior to an 8-week washout period, followed by the opposite supplement for 4 weeks in a crossover trial. Endothelial function (log-transformed reactive hyperemia index, LnRHI), forearm muscle reactivity (near-infrared spectroscopy-derived tissue oxygen index (TOI) reperfusion indices), plasma arginine levels (ARG), and handgrip strength (HGS_rel) and calf MS (CMS_rel) adjusted for body weight were measured at baseline and 4 weeks for each condition.

CITS increased the LnRHI (∆0.11 ± 0.16 vs. ∆-0.08 ± 0.24, p < 0.05), TOI range (∆2.6 ± 3.3 vs. ∆-1.5 ± 4.8%, p < 0.01), TOI hyperemic response (∆1.2 ± 1.4 vs. ∆-0.6 ± 2.8%, p < 0.05), TOI 2 min area under the curve (∆154 ± 187 vs. ∆-41 ± 194%/s, p < 0.01), ARG (∆43 ± 28 vs. ∆1 ± 16μM/L, p < 0.001), CMS (∆1.5 ± 2.8 vs. ∆-0.3 ± 1.2 kg, p < 0.05), and CMS_rel (∆0.02 ± 0.03 vs. ∆-0.01 ± 0.02 kg/kg, p < 0.01) compared to placebo. The improvements in LnRHI and CMS_rel were correlated (r = 0.37, p < 0.05).

This study showed that CITS improves microvascular endothelial function, muscle microvascular reactivity, and calf muscle strength in middle-aged and older patients with T2D.