Arginine + vitamin C: stack these two to make more nitric oxide that's longer lasting for optimal gains

Flex, March, 2008 by Jim Stoppani

* Arginine This amino acid is known in bodybuilding circles as the nitric oxide booster. In the body, arginine gets readily converted to NO. As you likely know, one of the benefits of NO most crucial to bodybuilders is its ability to dilate (expand) blood vessels. This dilation delivers more blood to muscles, bringing along more oxygen, nutrients (like amino acids and glucose), anabolic hormones and water. This can provide more energy to your muscles for a workout, greater muscle pump, and enhanced recovery and muscle growth after training.

* Vitamin C It isn't commonly viewed as a mass-building supplement, but it's time to rethink the benefits of vitamin C. Research from Athens University Medical School (Greece) reported that when vitamin C was taken with L-arginine, it resulted in significantly greater levels of NO in subjects than when arginine was taken alone. It appears that the antioxidant effects of vitamin C protect NO by mopping up free radicals and preventing them from degrading NO. This means that vitamin C may bolster the benefits of arginine by helping to keep the levels of NO produced by the supplement maximized for a longer period of time.

* Stack it like this Take 3-5 grams of arginine in the form of L-arginine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, arginine malate or arginine ethyl ester on an empty stomach about 30-60 minutes before workouts along with 500-1,000 milligrams of vitamin C. Consider having a second dose of these two supplements immediately after workouts, just before your postworkout shake and one dose in the morning before breakfast.

--Jim Stoppani, PhD FLEX