Arginine Increases Endurance and V02 Max

New evidence out of the University of Exeter, UK, shows that supplementing with Arginine significantly increases performance levels, increasing endurance and workout times.
Nitric oxide is produced by breaking down the amino acid Arginine into L-citruline via enzymes known collectively as Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS). Nitric oxide is actually a gas that works as a signalling molecule in the body and is an important messenger in many physiological and pathological functions, regulating the actions of the brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach and other organs. It also increases blood circulation, which is important to muscular growth.
Published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, the results of this recent study prove that supplementing with Arginine can increase your endurance and workout times by 20% which translates into a 1-2% improvement in race times.
The research found that when the dietary supplement was used, there was a striking increase in performance by altering the use of oxygen during exercise. This is important for endurance athletes as we would expect the supplement to bring a 1-2% improvement in race times. While this may seem small, this is a very meaningful improvement — particularly at elite levels where small gains can be the difference between winning and losing.
In a double-blind, crossover study, researchers examined nine fit males aged 19 to 38 years old. These guys were given either a 500 ml Arginine-enriched drink (6 g of L-Arginine) or a placebo drink and then put under a series of physical tests using moderate-to-severe intensity for one hour with the help of a cycling ergometer.
The Arginine group showed a significant increase in the NO2 plasma levels and a marked reduction in systolic blood pressure. During moderate exercise, oxygen uptake was reduced by 7% and during intense exercise, V02 amplitude was reduced, extending the time to exhaustion.
  • Improves severe-intensity exercise endurance by 20%
  • Significantly reduces systolic blood pressure
  • Reduces the oxygen cost of exercise
These results are significant to elite and endurance athletes, and bodybuilders who can expect longer training times, increased blood flow to the muscles and enhanced muscular growth.