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Citrulline Malate vs L-Citrulline: The 57% Rule
The difference between citrulline malate and L-citrulline is mostly weight. Citrulline malate pairs citrulline with malic acid, and NIH puts it at about 57% citrulline by weight. So 1 gram of the salt gives roughly 566 mg of citrulline. Melonex lists the salt form, so its true citrulline is below the blend ceiling.
Written by the Melonex numbers deskUpdated · 4 min read
01The difference
What separates citrulline malate from L-citrulline?
Citrulline malate vs L-citrulline is a salt versus a single amino acid: the salt adds malic acid to the citrulline.
L-citrulline is the amino acid alone. Citrulline malate bonds it to malate, a Krebs-cycle compound the body already makes (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise).
The malate has weight but is not citrulline. NIH lists citrulline malate as about 56.64% citrulline by weight. One gram gives about 566 mg of citrulline (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise).
So a label that says "citrulline malate 1,000 mg" does not mean 1,000 mg of citrulline. The rule of thumb: multiply the salt weight by 0.57.
| Citrulline malate | Citrulline inside (about) |
|---|---|
| 500 mg | 283 mg |
| 1,000 mg | 566 mg |
| 3,000 mg | 1,699 mg |
| 8,000 mg | 4,531 mg |
02On the label
Which form does Melonex list?
Melonex lists the salt, written as L-Citrulline DL-Malate, as the first line of its 500 mg blend.
The blend is the whole 500 mg. Its first line is the salt. Federal rules put blend items in order of weight (21 CFR 101.36 (proprietary blends)), so this line is the heaviest.
Melonex does not print a ratio of citrulline to malate or a single weight. If it follows NIH's figure, the line holds up to 283 mg of citrulline per capsule. That is a ceiling, not a measured amount.
Salt ceiling, mg
The most this line can weigh in one capsule.
Citrulline, mg
The most pure citrulline, if the salt is 57% citrulline.
Amounts printed
The label gives no single line weight.
03Ceiling math
How does the 57% rule change the ceiling?
The 57% rule shrinks the citrulline ceiling from 500 mg of salt to about 283 mg of citrulline.
Compare that 283 mg with the research doses. The pooled blood pressure trials used 3 to 9 g of L-citrulline a day (Avicenna J Phytomed 2019, L-citrulline and BP meta-analysis). Even the salt ceiling is a small slice of those.
The bars show the capsule against the studied gram doses.
L-citrulline DL-malate
≤500 mgplace 1 of 3One capsule's ceiling is 17% of the low end of the studied dose. (Avicenna J Phytomed 2019, L-citrulline and BP meta-analysis)
Both arginine lines together
≤333 mglines 2 and 3 togetherOne capsule's ceiling is 8% of the low end of the studied dose. (Am Heart J 2011, L-arginine and BP meta-analysis)
L-arginine AKG
≤250 mgplace 2 of 3One capsule's ceiling is 8% of the low end of the studied dose. (J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2012, AAKG)
Coral bars: the most one capsule (and the 2-capsule label maximum) can hold, from the label order (21 CFR 101.36 (proprietary blends)). Real amounts are not printed and are likely lower. Teal bars: daily amounts used in studies; the pale extension shows a range. The weights on the label include the malate, alpha-ketoglutarate and HCl parts, so the pure amino acid is less again.
For the full path from label to ceiling, read the citrulline DL-malate page.
04Which was studied
Which form did the research use?
Blood pressure trials used oral L-citrulline, while exercise tests often used the malate salt.
The pooled blood pressure review covered 3 to 9 g a day of L-citrulline (Avicenna J Phytomed 2019, L-citrulline and BP meta-analysis). That is the amino acid, so its dose is not the salt dose.
The NIH sheet describes 8 g of citrulline malate taken before bench presses by 41 weightlifters. Six of the 41 reported stomach discomfort. NIH adds that research does not strongly back citrulline for performance (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise).
- Read which form each study used.
- Convert salt to citrulline before you compare doses.
- Treat any result as limited to its dose and group.
If you take blood pressure medicine, keep taking it and tell your doctor about any citrulline product.
05Before you buy
What does the 57% rule mean for a Melonex buyer?
It means the label's first line holds less pure citrulline than its weight suggests, and no trial tested the capsule.
A buyer can still choose Melonex for its short label and once-a-day routine. The honest framing is a modest 500 mg blend, not a gram-dose citrulline product. See the full label walkthrough and our note on the arginine salt weights.
The 3- and 6-bottle packs ship free per the seller's order page. Confirm prices at checkout.
Prices listed on the seller's order page; confirm at checkout. The 2-bottle kit costs $158, with $9.99 shipping. Ask your doctor about your medicines first. 60-day money-back guarantee per the seller.
Melonex is not a treatment; it is a dietary supplement. Ask your doctor or pharmacist first if you take blood-pressure medicine, nitrates for chest pain, an erectile-dysfunction drug such as sildenafil or tadalafil, a potassium-sparing diuretic (amiloride, spironolactone, triamterene), a blood thinner, or diabetes medicine, or if you have had a recent heart attack. Arginine and citrulline can add to these. Keep taking prescribed medicine. See side effects and interactions.
06FAQ
Melonex questions people ask
Is citrulline malate better than L-citrulline?
No source we read ranks one above the other. The forms differ in weight: the salt is about 57% citrulline (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise). NIH says research does not strongly support citrulline for exercise performance.
How much citrulline is in 1,000 mg of citrulline malate?
About 566 mg. NIH lists citrulline malate at roughly 56.64% citrulline by weight (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise). The remainder is malate, a compound the body already makes. The ratio on a given product may differ if the maker does not print it.
Does Melonex say how much citrulline it holds?
No. The label shows a 500 mg blend and no single weights. Its first line is L-Citrulline DL-Malate, so that line is at most 500 mg of salt, which would carry about 283 mg of citrulline at a 57% ratio.
Can citrulline malate cause stomach upset?
It was reported in one study. Six of 41 weightlifters had stomach discomfort after 8 g of citrulline malate (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise). A capsule is far below that dose. Tell your doctor about any lasting symptoms.
07Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the seller's materials and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, AHA, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read how we write and how we check reviews. This website is run by Melonexheart, which describes itself as a U.S. authorized Melonex merchant. It is not the manufacturer or the label's distributor, and we cannot independently verify the 'authorized' status. We are paid when you buy through our order links.
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