Myth master: fact or fiction: The more arginine you take, the better results you'll see

Flex, Sept, 2007 by Jim Stoppani

Arginine has skyrocketed to the forefront of the supplement world, giving the long-reigning king creatine a run for its money. Arginine's popularity is due to its ability to boost the body's nitric oxide levels. Yet, long before NO was flying off supplement shelves, bodybuilders used arginine to boost their natural growth hormone levels.

To drive up GH levels effectively, and see improvements in your physique, you need to take a pretty large amount of arginine--a minimum of five grams per dose. Most lifters weren't taking enough to get noticeable results, so arginine declined in popularity over the years. These days, many experts recommend upward of 10 g per dose as a way to overcome that threshold, leading many bodybuilders to believe that when it comes to taking arginine for GH, more is better.

VERDICT Fiction

SOLUTION Researchers from Syracuse University in New York uncovered the optimal dosing range for arginine to increase natural GH levels. When young men from 18 to 33 years old consumed varying doses of arginine, their peak blood values for GH were about 3 micrograms per liter for a placebo (0 g of arginine), 4 mcg/L for a 5-g dose, 6.5 mcg/L for a 9-g dose, and 5 mcg/L for a 13-g dose. The researchers noted that although the subjects tolerated 5-g and 9-g doses well, the 13-g dose caused most of them considerable gastrointestinal distress and didn't increase GH any more than the 9-g dose. In fact, the 9-g dose provided a better GH boost! So, to pump up GH levels, go with 5-10 g of arginine--and no more--about 30-60 minutes before workouts and before bedtime.

Although the Syracuse study used L-arginine, you can get the same effect by taking 5-10 g of arginine in the form of arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, arginine ketoisocaproate, arginine malate or arginine ethyl ester.

RELATED ARTICLE: ATTACK STACK

Beta-Ecdysterone Rhodiola

Stack these two powerhouses for lean, green muscle growth

* Beta-ecdysterone Plants produce this chemical to defend against insects. Research on beta-ecdysterone indicates that it can enhance lean muscle gains even during calorie restriction, which makes it great for those looking to maintain muscle while dieting. It works by stimulating pathways in muscle fibers that increase muscle protein synthesis. Studies also show that beta-ecdysterone can increase the amount of adenosine triphosphate in muscle cells. Having more ATP--the molecule that muscles use to energize contraction--means getting more reps with a given weight. *

* Rhodiola rosea This plant has a history of medicinal use, dating back to the ancient Greeks. Also known as arctic root, it is considered an adaptogen--it increases the body's resistance to a variety of chemical, biological and physical stressors. Taking it will help you better deal with intense workouts, which are essentially a stress on the body. This can, in turn, enhance the muscle growth that heavy training will impart. Rhodiola can also minimize the negative effects of exertion on your immune system and hormones: it keeps you from getting sick, so you won't miss workouts, and also prevents decreases in critical hormones such as testosterone, growth hormone and insulinlike growth factor-l, while blunting the catabolic hormone Cortisol. Similar to beta-ecdysterone, Rhodiola can also increase ATP levels in muscle.

Stack it like this Shoot for 2-3 milligrams of beta-ecdysterone per pound of bodyweight (400-600 mg for a 200-pound bodybuilder), taken in three to six doses daily with food. For Rhodiola rosea, try 100-300 mg of a standardized extract yielding a minimum of 3% rosavins and o.8-1% salidrosides (a 3:1 ratio of rosavins to salidrosides), and take it in two or three divided doses throughout the day with food.

--Jim Stoppani, PhD