Also Known As:
|
Variations:
|
Related
Items: |
Type:
Amino Acid |
|
WHAT IS IT?
Arginine is an amino acid which has several roles in the body, such
as assisting in the repair of muscle cells, strengthening the immune
system, and promoting the secretion of several hormones, including
growth hormone. This is a primary hormone relating to the production and
repair of muscle tissue.
Arginine is a suitable supplement for anyone wanting to gain muscle size and
strength without excess fat. Sprinters, rugby players, bodybuilders and
all athletes involved in strength- and power-based sports will benefit
from arginine supplementation. This particular amino acid is found in
many combination products especially creatine based ones.
HOW DOES WORK?
The effect of arginine on growth hormone levels is of most interest
to people wanting to lose fat and build muscle, such as athletes and
those involved in physique development. It is well known that Growth Hormone is one of
the most powerful hormones in the human body. GH is a primary anabolic
hormone that promotes both the
growth of lean muscle tissue and the loss of fat. As you age, growth
hormone levels drop, which is one reason you lose muscle and gain fat as
you age. When you are born you have very high levels of growth hormone
that are somewhat lower when the sex hormones of puberty kick in, and then GH
declines further the older we get. Dr. Daniel Rudman first discovered the benefits of growth
hormone over 10 years ago. Publishing his findings in the prestigious New
England Journal of Medicine, Rudman showed that just 6 months of
growth hormone treatment increased lean muscle by almost 9%.
Because Arginine stimulates the natural production of growth hormone,
arginine is a far safer and more cost effective alternative to growth
hormone treatment. In a controlled trial, when arginine and other amino
acids were combined with weight training, a greater decrease in body fat
was obtained after only five weeks than when the same exercise was
combined with a placebo. This has bee written about and well documented
in Colgan's Optimum Sports Nutrition.
Although some of the research has used large doses of arginine, more
recent trials suggest that arginine pyroglutamate (arginine bound to
pyroglutamic acid) is more likely to cross the blood brain barrier and
produce greater elevations in growth hormone levels.
Arginine is also needed to increase protein synthesis, which can in
turn increase muscle growth. Arginine’s effect on increasing protein
synthesis also means that it improves wound healing - all in all, great
news for athletes and especially bodybuilders.
HOW MUCH AND WHEN?
Arginine is most effective when taken with one or more of the amino
acids listed below. Many users over the age of 30 also
report an increase in energy levels and feelings of well-being.
Research shows that arginine pyroglutamate combined with lysine
(hydrochloride especially) elevates growth hormone levels by several hundred
percent for a period of up to eight hours. Glutamine is also a
highly effective amino acid for promoting the release of growth hormone.
Research at Louisiana State University shows that just 2 grams of L-Glutamine
elevates growth hormone levels by more than 400%. Combining all
three is likely to yield the greatest results in terms of muscle growth
and fat loss.
A product containing Argine, Lysine, Glutamine and Creatine would be a very
powerful ergogenic muscle building aid for any athletic endeavor.
|
