Nitric Oxide, L-Arginine Benefits and Side Effects
Not that long ago, nitric oxide was known mainly as an air pollutant that came from car engines.
About 20 years ago, scientists discovered that it’s a critical signaling chemical in blood vessels that regulate blood flow. Healthy nitric oxide production is critical for any process in the body requiring blood flow.
Nitric oxide promotes wound healing following cuts, abrasions and injuries to muscles, tendons and ligaments. It also prevents atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), erectile dysfunction and diabetes.
So-called nitric oxide boosters marketed to fitness enthusiasts are supposed to increase muscle blood flow and promote muscle hypertrophy. L-arginine, used to produce nitric oxide synthase (an enzyme involved in making nitric oxide), is the most important ingredient in these supplements.
A review of literature by German scientists concluded that supplementing L-arginine improved the function of the endothelium – the cells lining the blood vessels that secrete nitric oxide. Scientists cite several studies showing improved blood vessel function in people with heart and blood vessel disease.
But the question that many people are asking is simply this: Do nitric oxide boosters help your weight training? The answer is too ironic – and it is “no” – which is also an abbreviation for “nitric oxide” (NO).
There aren’t any well-controlled studies that have shown that L-arginine or NO-boosting products increase muscle mass. [sources: European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, The Journal of the American Medical Association, FitnessRX]
Possibly related
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07-18-07 at 10:15 pm
Body Builders don’t use it to gain muscle mass… Well directly anyway. They use it to increase blood flow by dilating the blood vessels. This helps the body work at its best giving Body Builders the extra edge they need to push themselves a little further.
01-23-08 at 8:20 pm
Jon is right, I write this response from experience. I’m a fiftyone year old man with long term circulation problems. I’ve been taking L-Arginine in the AKG formula for several months now. Nitric Oxide, L-Arginine will relax the blood vessels which will increase the blood flow to muscles, organs, legs, brain etc. Greater oxgenated blood flow increases workout value. To really increase muscle mass, supplement L-Arginine intake with a Whey Protein product which also has arginine as an amino acid ingedient. You will be surprised at the speed of muscle production. Your health will improve as a by product. This combinatin works, I’m a loyal witness. The only side effects I’ve noticed is more energy and a better quality of life. I am not a doctor or health care provider, just a regular guy.
04-10-09 at 7:41 pm
n.o. is supposed to open the vessels, resulting in increased nutrient delvery to the muscles. from using this, i believe it to be true; there are known side efffects of arginine overdose: cramping, diarrhea, weakness. if the product is good, it will have a high arginine to nitric oxide conversion rate. symptoms of excessive nitric oxide are extremely low blood pressure, resulting in sleepyness, headaches, neckaches( blood vessels close to keep the brain from being overwhelmed by blood) and death (people have dies in their sleep from deathly low blood pressure) i belive the product have virtue in so far as we watch for these signs and thereby know when to back off alittle. i have used it and gotten the pump (at 8 grams a day) i found the pump and muscle size increases to have vanished in a few days off (pump possibly due to water holding) nevertheless, i noticed enhanced recovery time.
06-08-09 at 12:10 pm
If this doesnt work to increase muscle mass can anyone tell me of an effective supplement that will mainly increaase muscle mass and help gain weight
06-08-09 at 12:50 pm
There are no legal supplements that can help you increase muscle size and gain weight. The best thing you can do to accomplish this goal is to eat a balanced diet that provides your body with enough calories to grow. Obviously, you need to lift weights to stimulate your muscles, so you need to follow a good exercise program that focuses on compound movements – i.e., barbell bench presses, squats, etc. Do not waste your time on isolation exercises that target small muscle groups. Rest is also very important. Make sure that you give your body plenty of rest to recover and rebuild itself after each exercise session.
07-08-09 at 7:40 am
Sorry iFit, you are mistaken. Along with the excercise there are many supplements including test boosters, creatine, glutamine etc. that will help your muscles recover faster and become larger and more dense over the same period of time and same excercises. The most important supplement with body building is a high quality protien. Be sure to get a MINIMUM of 1 gram per lb of body weight. Lift heavier fewer times for power(Muscle size), lift lighter more times for strenght and endurance (Muscle more dense). Please visit a repuatble site like Bodybuilding.com for better info than either myself or iFit could give you. Personally my favorite protiens are Optimum nutrition Casin at night and Isoflex during the day. Be sure to add glutamine to protiens that are lacking. Creatine will aid muscle mass but may cause water weight and fat if you are not training. My favorite test booster is Cryotest I have tried 3 or 4 this is the only one I noticed working. Hope this helps.
08-19-09 at 7:39 am
I read an article (months ago) that L-arginine can cause/aggravate herpes? Is this true? I occasionally use Creatine Monohydrate and whenever I use CM, I absolutely notice a marked increase in both muscle volume AND physical endurance/strength. The only problem I have discovered while using CM is that I will have a little bloatiness and a slight, dull ache around my side….so I decided to discontinue using CM.
08-27-09 at 8:22 pm
I am a weightlifter and i supplement with nitric oxide. It isnt to make your muscles bigger its to help the muscles you already have perform better. I take it i know that it does help i weigh only 186lbs but i can benchpress 315lbs about 10x. I supplement with high quality protein, glutamine, creatine, and nitric oxide. I am a power lifter NO explode gives me an edge.
09-20-09 at 3:38 pm
I am thinking about using ForceFactor Nitric Oxide, but concerned because I have High Blood Pressure and take medication to control it. I read that NO raises your blood pressure. Has anyone had any experiences in raised blood pressure from usage? I’m a personal trainer but plagued with “bad” genes.
09-20-09 at 9:14 pm
Nitric oxide supplements in general, regardless of the brand, can raise blood pressure. If you have a high blood pressure, do not take nitric oxide supplements, unless your doctor says otherwise.
09-30-09 at 5:10 pm
coming from a doctor: no will dilate the blood vessels making blood flow easier, this will in the very short run temporarily lower the bp of the individual. the body naturally corrects for this by increasing flow. yes it raises the blood pressure but only after it has fallen naturally. This causes an increased blood flow and blood volume, (more space needs more blood) this will start as more fluid and quickly be replaced by hemoglobin cells and nutrients. This can be bad ONLY if u have a pre-existing heart condition or unnaturally low bp. do not take more than the recommended dose b.c vessels in the brain could collapse (causing stroke) if one were to OD…this would require an entire bottle in an average adult
10-22-09 at 9:33 am
Just ran into several sites discussing the advantages of NO for assisting body building. Well, at 72, body-building is not my first priority, but the use of NO as a vaso-dilator I find possibly useful as I have CVD. Would the use of NO work for enhancing L-lysine use for removing arterial plagues as specified in the Pauling-Rath program? Can NO be used than later discontinued without complications?
One of the inhibiting factors in minimizing the effectiveness of L-lysine is the degree of blood flow in the arterial system. That is, the greater the blood flow with it’s increased oxygen content, the more readily can L-lysine and the other supplements work to remove the plaque and diminish atherosclerosis. Since those with atherosclerosis have DECREASED blood flow to the arteries and hence to the body generally, NO would seem to be a natural boon in the Pauling treatment.
However, I have an unmedicated stent in one heart artery and am on the usual cardiac drugs prescribed by a cardiologist. Can NO be used without jeopardizing my ongoing health or interfering with my heart medications? Will drug dosages have to be amended or eliminated in order to use NO? Of course, if Pauling_Rath works, I can ultimately dump the heart medication.
11-09-09 at 9:32 pm
I am thinking bout using it…i tested my friends powdered form NO today and it had great effects of helping me push it to the limit and feel good but i have been looking for long term side effects of any kind…is there enough study to provide this results or is this just a game of chance in hoping no long term effects show up later???
02-02-10 at 5:55 pm
I am taking Gaspari SuperPump 250-a NO supplement-i have noticed an incredible change for the better in mental focus and overall energy levels before and after workouts. This is directly correlated with the vitamin b and b12 levels. I have also become more vascular and I like that. However, this product should be called Super Dump-a much noted change for the worse in bowel movements.
03-12-10 at 8:01 pm
49 and lifting for 15 years. 5′10″ 225lbs. NO has always been a huge benefit on lifting days. I don’t take it every day, just on lifting days and I do notice that my resting blood pressure does go down. My vascular size has increased and that may have happened anyway without NO. Recovery has always been good, but even better on NO. I always get a better pump on NO , but there are so many factors that can affect day to day lifting outside of supplements. Stress, sleep, diet, mindset, injury and hydration can all play a role in your performance. I take whey protein with creatine, glutamine and all the other good stuff. I also take vitamin C,E, Omega three, and B vites. Unless your taking steroids at my age, gains are baby steps and thats the way it is. Risk of injury is always a forethought. Isolation is the key to less injury.
03-19-10 at 6:30 pm
No matter what anyone tells you the best way to “gain” muscle mass is simple: Go to the gym and don’t mess around! Do the power lifts WITH proper form and augment them with substantial lifts for each muscle group, AND vary your workouts every 2-5 weeks (2 weeks for powerlifting, 5 weeks for aerobic, light lifting being max, min).
Contrary to what one may believe, “Reputable” and “Bodybuilding” do NOT go hand-in-hand. Bodybuilding websites are geared towards selling products.
If you have ANY pre-existing conditions, consult a physician. If you can’t afford to speak with your own due to insurance issues contact a sports physician on the internet. There are TONS willing to give out some free advice, for this very sort of topic, just to help us common folk understand the potential dangers of supplementing.
My best friend uses NO and he loves it. But he’ll openly admit it’s not something to use long term, and he actually preferred the results he got from Creatine (and he’s a certified fitness trainer, with his own private gym). He and I have both used varying supplements over the years to see what results we’d get (including: Andro NorAndro, Orange, Creatine, NO, Pyruvate, L-Argenine, Whey Protein, etc).
03-23-10 at 1:06 pm
I use NO and find it works very well for me. The pump is great, and the increase in energy and ability for my muscles to uptake nutrients is extremely beneficial. I use NO along with tribulus terrestris, a quality protein, and a solid diet and have noticed significant gains. If you use NO, understand that increased bloodflow and uptake means of toxins too. Smoking or drinking effects are increased. I agree with Joey and would go a step further as to say before you begin any regimen check with your doctor. Pre-existing or otherwise, some of the products out there can be very dangerous if you just start eating some pills. Use with caution, know your limits, and understand your goals and your goals will be attainable! Happy lifting!
03-25-10 at 11:17 am
Does anyone know if taking too much of this can cause you to hold water weight or add fat? I take my 2 servings of nitric oxide every day and then take NO-Xplode with it on days that I work out. Should I reduce my intake to burn more fat, or does it not matter?
04-08-10 at 8:09 am
I disagree with the article. I’ve never taken anything before supplement wise to help my workout, always did it naturally. To put it simply I either did a cardio or strength training work out. (And I looked like I was going to die after). I took the recommended dose of NO and not only did I do my cardio AND strength training workout, I had energy to spare after. Woke up the next morning, and I feel like a million bucks. Anyone serious about working out should definitely consider it, and its good for you too.
04-20-10 at 1:00 pm
Nitris Oxide is recommened for men lacking in sexual drive. Daily dosage is 2 tablets per day. Is that considered dangerous? What are the side affects?
04-30-10 at 9:14 pm
trevor, L-Argenine is a nitric oxide stimulator. You are taking L-Argenine to stimulate your body to release nitric oxide into your blood system. This enables your blood vessels to dialate like Viagra another nitrate. They are not recommended to be taken together as possible low blood pressure can be a side affect. I haven’t read anything about any bad side affects, but they always say taking way more than you need of anything isn’t good for you. Oh yah, It does increase your sex drive. It just allows more blood flow to the muscles, that one also.
05-18-10 at 3:21 am
I take N.O. Loaded when I lift weights, and after a month of taking it I started experiencing shortness of breath. I stopped taking it for 1 week and my breathing went back to normal. Then I took it again and the symptom went back. I want to know if N.O. is what is causing my shortness of breath. Does anybody in this discussion experience the same problem? Also, I take whey and casein protein supplements.
05-21-10 at 10:31 pm
which works better creatine or nitric oxide?
06-08-10 at 12:42 pm
I don’t know, I just took it for my first time and WOW. It feels like I just injected myself with a steroid, noted I only weigh about 135 so it takes less to hit me. N.O. Overdrive seems to work notably for me. I just worked out like a maniac and had to take a break because I thought I was going to overwork myself, like WOW I can’t believe how I feel right now. I just wonder how long I’ll be feeling like this, because I can’t keep working out like a maniac with-out breaks but I want to get my full workout out of it. This stuff gets a thumbs up from me, and as soon as I’m done working out it’s time for some muscle milk! It may be because I’m like 7% body fat that these supplements work for me, but they do!
06-23-10 at 10:27 am
@mark: i’ve had a similar experience but not on NO. just plain old B Complex. Took it out of my system then my shortness of breath disappeared.
07-16-10 at 11:58 am
I’ve taken NO sporadically and am pre-diabetic. When I don’t take it I get fatigued, weak, and even sleepy midworkout, and when I do take NO, I feel normal and strong. I’ve read it can help muscle cells accept glucose (or was it glycose or glycogen?) which would explain it being good for diabetes. I am almost certain NO is a free radical though (oxidizes the chemicals, cells in your body), so I don’t take a full dose, and I take it with a vitamin (anti-oxidant).
08-15-10 at 3:09 pm
excellent product stacked with anadrol and stanozalol gained 25 pounds in 3weeks. bench went up 15 kg.
08-16-10 at 1:39 pm
@ Jeff T, responding to trevor, while NO increases blood flow to the muscles, the “muscle” for the sex drive you refer to is corpus spongiosum, not muscle, after reading these comments, it is clear to me that more research is needed.