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Better NO boosters contain a combination of L-arginine and L-citrulline
Sports supplements with amino acids designed to boost the concentration of nitrogen monoxide [NO] work better if they contain not just L-arginine or L-citrulline but a combination of the two. Researchers at the Japanese manufacturers Kyowa Hakko Bio discovered this when they did an experiment on rabbits.
L-Arginine
L-Arginine is a non-essential amino acid that is one of the building blocks for NO in the body. NO widens the blood vessels so that more oxygen, glucose and amino acids can be transported to the muscle cells. It also seems that muscle cells grow faster the higher the concentration of NO.
Despite this, L-arginine supplementation doesn't have spectacular effects in athletes, probably because the liver breaks L-arginine down fast. Some supplements manufacturers get round this problem by using L-arginine's metabolite, L-citrulline, in their products instead. The liver cannot break down L-citrulline, but enzymes in the body can convert L-citrulline into L-arginine.
Study
In 2005 the Japanese published an animal study in which they showed that a combination of L-arginine and L-citrulline offered the animals' blood vessels better protection against atherosclerosis than L-arginine alone or L-citrulline alone. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Sep 20;102(38):13681-6.] In the animal study that this posting is about the researchers took things a step further.
They gave rabbits water containing a hefty dose of L-arginine. The human equivalent would be about 12 grams.
A second group of rabbits was given an identical dose of L-citrulline, and a third group was given a mixture containing equal amounts of L-arginine and L-citrulline. The human equivalent of the doses that the third group of rabbits got would be about 6 grams L-arginine and 6 grams L-citrulline. Obscenely high, indeed, but the Japanese were after proof of principle.
Sports supplements with amino acids designed to boost the concentration of nitrogen monoxide [NO] work better if they contain not just L-arginine or L-citrulline but a combination of the two. Researchers at the Japanese manufacturers Kyowa Hakko Bio discovered this when they did an experiment on rabbits.
 L-Arginine |
 L-Citrulline |
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L-Arginine is a non-essential amino acid that is one of the building blocks for NO in the body. NO widens the blood vessels so that more oxygen, glucose and amino acids can be transported to the muscle cells. It also seems that muscle cells grow faster the higher the concentration of NO.
Despite this, L-arginine supplementation doesn't have spectacular effects in athletes, probably because the liver breaks L-arginine down fast. Some supplements manufacturers get round this problem by using L-arginine's metabolite, L-citrulline, in their products instead. The liver cannot break down L-citrulline, but enzymes in the body can convert L-citrulline into L-arginine.
Study
In 2005 the Japanese published an animal study in which they showed that a combination of L-arginine and L-citrulline offered the animals' blood vessels better protection against atherosclerosis than L-arginine alone or L-citrulline alone. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Sep 20;102(38):13681-6.] In the animal study that this posting is about the researchers took things a step further.
They gave rabbits water containing a hefty dose of L-arginine. The human equivalent would be about 12 grams.
A second group of rabbits was given an identical dose of L-citrulline, and a third group was given a mixture containing equal amounts of L-arginine and L-citrulline. The human equivalent of the doses that the third group of rabbits got would be about 6 grams L-arginine and 6 grams L-citrulline. Obscenely high, indeed, but the Japanese were after proof of principle.
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