The primary benefits of a pre-workout are to experience better pumps and improved performance due to its stimulating effects. Therefore, pre-workouts are loaded with a variety of energy-boosting ingredients. If you are familiar with bodybuilding supplements and formulas, you’d have probably heard of L- Arginine. In case you haven’t, L- Arginine is a particular type of amino acid (protein) that you assist your body in developing new muscles. L- Arginine is produced by the body as well; however, to enhance your workout session significantly, they must be taken externally in your pre-workouts.
But how does L- Arginine work? Well, L- Arginine speeds up the protein synthesis in your body and boosts Nitric Oxide levels in your body. This rise in nitric-oxide levels stimulates your blood vessels to dilate, allowing greater blood flow and, eventually, higher energy levels. However, just like every other gym product, you’d still have to be cautious upon L-Arginine and take it in the right quantity.
Therefore, here we have discussed L-Arginine in detail, including its benefits, how much and when to take, and other related details.
Let’s dive into it!
Benefits of L-Arginine
L-Arginine is one of the most popular ingredients in all types of pre-workouts. It’s due to the fact that this ingredient comes with amazing health benefits such as:
L-Arginine effectively burns excessive body fats by stimulating Nitric oxide levels.
It also enhances cardiovascular flow and allowing additional nutrients and oxygen to reach the muscles during your workout session.
It also improves your overall stamina by eliminating lactic acid and CO2 in your body. On top of that, it also reduces the time that your body requires to recover.
It also allows and speeds up the growth of new muscles and tissues.
It improves your overall strength and endurance with enhances your performance during the workout session.
It also makes it possible for your body to recover faster after an intense workout by boosting up your immune system.
How much L-Arginine to take? The Recommended Dosage
L-Arginine works wonders when taken in the right doses. Although the recommended dose ranges from 2-18 grams per day, it’s ideal to start by 5-6 grams per serving on the initial level, and then increase the dosage accordingly. If you are taking L-Arginine for the very first time, you may begin to observe results easily by a single dose of 3-6 mg. Also, you may divide your daily dosage into 2-3 times a day, depending upon your workout schedule, as long as the dosage doesn’t exceed 18 mg a day.
L-Arginine also promotes Growth hormones that are very helpful to bodybuilders, since they increase muscle growth, improves cell repair, and metabolism. Therefore, you may take a high dosage (up to 8-10 grams) of L-Arginine before bed to enjoy the miraculous benefits of the Growth hormone.
With that, it also must be understood not to take L-Arginine along with meals or within half an hour before/after the meal, as it may disturb its absorption in the bloodstream. You must never mix it with other glycaemic drinks as well, such as flavored water or juices.
To avoid building a tolerance to the protein, L-Arginine must be taken in respective cycles. L-Arginine must be taken consecutively in small doses of 5-6 mg (2-3 times a day) for approximately 2-3 months. After this period, L-Arginine must be discontinued for at least two months, after which you may start the cycle again.
Taking L-Arginine in respective cycles by swapping them or taking a break from them once in a while will ensure that you don’t get dependent upon it for your workouts. In addition to this, this particular strategy will also help to eliminate any possibilities of long term side effects.
Possible side-effects of L-Arginine
Fortunately, the side effects of L-Arginine are minimal if taken responsibly. For those using it only in minute amount, you may only experience mild diarrhea, which again is very rare. However, if you are going over the limit and using it frequently, you may experience:
Nausea
Abdominal pain
Bloating
Gout
Allergic response
Worsening of Asthma
Worsening of Herpes
When to take L-Arginine?
It doesn’t make much difference if your real goal is to gain extra lean muscles, lose excess fats in your body or to get better pumps, the most important part is to take it at the right time so that you could enjoy the maximum benefits. The ideal time to take L-Arginine is 30 minutes before hitting the gym, as this would allow enough time for the supplement to dissolve in your bloodstream and start showing results. If you take L-Arginine right before your workout session, the supplement won’t be able to dissolve in your body. Similarly, if you take it hours before going to the gym, the effects would most probably fade away by then.
It’s ideal for taking L-Arginine half an hour or one hour before beginning the exercise. This gives it ample time to be dissolved in your bloodstream, and elevate the nitric oxide levels in the body for improved endurance. Not just that, you may also take L-Arginine even after workouts as its super effective to reduce soreness and completely get rid of the muscle fatigue. As we’ve already mentioned above, it’s best to take two scoops of arginine powder and mix it up with the right quantity of water. Drink it around 30 minutes before you go to bed (make sure to go empty stomach). This will promote Growth hormone that will provide you with the ultimate benefits during your sleep.
Conclusion
Doubtlessly, L-Arginine is a must for every workout enthusiast out there! If you are looking forward to bring a significant change in your performance, then L-Arginine is what you need! And believe me, taking L-Arginine in appropriate doses can work wonders for your body. They wouldn’t just boost your energy levels during training, but you will definitely fall in love with working out!
Even though L-Arginine doesn’t readily absorb in the bloodstream, but if taken in the manner, you will certainly be amazed by its incredible benefits. And always remember, not to overdose at any cost!
We hope our guide would have been useful to provide you with the necessary details regarding L-Arginine in pre-workouts. Conclusively, we hope now you would be having a clearer idea of the right quantity and ideal way to take L-arginine in your Pre-workouts. They will definitely take your fitness sessions to the next level!
