Nitrates + Citrulline: When Efficiency Makes the Difference

The Difference Between Simply Enduring and Performing Better

In endurance sports, performance is not determined solely by training harder. As exercise duration and intensity increase, small physiological factors can make a significant difference in an athlete’s ability to sustain high intensities, delay fatigue, and optimize energy efficiency.

One of the ingredients that has attracted the greatest scientific interest in recent years within endurance sports is dietary nitrate supplementation, particularly in endurance disciplines.

However, there is something important to understand:

Not all nitrate products are created equal.

What Are Nitrates and Why Are They So Relevant in Endurance Sports?

Nitrates are naturally occurring compounds found in vegetables such as beetroot. When consumed in sufficient amounts, the body can convert them into Nitric Oxide (NO), a key molecule involved in multiple physiological processes related to athletic performance.

These include:

• Regulation of blood flow
• Oxygen delivery
• Muscle efficiency
• Exercise economy
• Energy production

In practical terms, this means the body may be able to perform the same workload at a lower physiological cost. And in endurance sports, that matters a great deal.

Why Can Nitrates Benefit Endurance Performance?

In endurance sports, victory often goes not to the athlete who produces the most energy, but to the one who wastes the least.

Current scientific evidence suggests that nitrate-based strategies may help:

• Improve exercise economy
• Enhance muscular efficiency
• Reduce oxygen cost during exercise
• Improve tolerance to high-intensity efforts
• Delay the onset of fatigue

This is why an increasing number of athletes use nitrates during:

• Competitions
• Demanding training sessions
• High-volume training blocks
• Sports where sustaining performance is critical

But This Is Where the Real Differences Begin

Most products on the market simply provide nitrates. While that can be effective, we now know that Nitric Oxide physiology is far more complex.

That is why, at Crown Sport Nutrition, we developed:

Nitrates 600 + Citrulline

A formulation designed to increase Nitric Oxide availability through a dual-pathway physiological strategy.

What Does “Dual Nitric Oxide Pathway” Mean?

Nitrates 600 + Citrulline combines:

• 600 mg of nitrates
• 6,000 mg of Citrulline Malate

in a convenient shot gel format specifically developed for athletic performance.

The key advantage is that both ingredients increase Nitric Oxide production through different yet complementary mechanisms.

Pathway 1 · Nitrates → Nitric Oxide (Oxygen-Independent Pathway)

Nitrates derived from beetroot extract are first converted into nitrites by bacteria naturally present in the mouth.

Under conditions of local hypoxia and muscular acidosis—common during intense exercise—these nitrites can then be converted into Nitric Oxide.

This makes the nitrate pathway particularly active precisely when it is needed most: during periods of high physiological demand.

Pathway 2 · Citrulline → Arginine → Nitric Oxide (Oxygen-Dependent Pathway)

Citrulline Malate follows a different mechanism.

Within the body, citrulline is converted into arginine, which subsequently contributes to Nitric Oxide production through an oxygen-dependent pathway.

In addition, citrulline offers superior bioavailability compared to direct arginine supplementation, as it bypasses

The Result: A More Complete and Advanced Nitric Oxide Strategy

This dual-pathway approach is designed to optimize Nitric Oxide availability throughout exercise.

Why Can This Make a Real Difference?

Because performance is not simply about producing more energy.

It is also about:

• How efficiently oxygen reaches the muscles
• How blood flow responds during exercise
• The physiological cost of maintaining a given pace
• How quickly fatigue accumulates

This is where an advanced Nitric Oxide strategy may become particularly relevant.

The strongest evidence currently exists in endurance sports such as:

• Running
• Trail Running
• Cycling
• Triathlon

While growing evidence is also emerging in:

• Football (Soccer)
• Tennis
• Team Sports
• Intermittent Sports

Proprietary Science: Beyond Marketing Claims

At Crown Sport Nutrition, we have always followed a simple philosophy:

“Science First. Then Trust.”

That is why Nitrates 600 + Citrulline is supported by proprietary scientific research developed in collaboration with the University of Greenwich.

The study, currently under review, compared:

• Placebo
• Nitrates alone
• Nitrates combined with Citrulline Malate

The main findings included:

• Improved oxygen consumption efficiency, resulting in greater performance at the same metabolic demand
• Improved maximal aerobic speed
• Increased time to exhaustion
• Improved lactate profile during exercise, consistent with enhanced metabolic efficiency

Furthermore, the combination of nitrates + citrulline malate produced the most consistent and pronounced effects compared with nitrates alone.

This Is Not Just Another Beetroot Gel

When it comes to real-world performance, the difference rarely comes down to a single ingredient.

It comes down to:

• Formulation
• Effective dosages
• Bioavailability
• Physiological strategy
• Scientific validation

Nitrates 600 + Citrulline

Two pathways. One objective: helping you perform more efficiently.