Is Arginine a bodybuilding scam?

[rikishi]

Arginine is the amino acid known to be the most potent insulin secretagogue, meaning that it causes insulin release from the pancreas (4). Now this is of critical importance, because insulin itself stimulates vasodilation and blood flow (2), and this occurs via elevations in nitric oxide synthesis (27).

So arginine stimulates insulin, and insulin stimulates nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes vasodilation and increased blood flow. Hmmm… Combining this info with what the scientific literature tells us, we can see that much of arginine’s vasodilatory effect can be attributed to insulin secretion!

In fact, one study examined the extent of this very effect, and the results are shocking. Researchers infused the standard 30 grams of arginine with or without blocking insulin release from the pancreas (15). As usual, the massive arginine infusion increased blood flow. But, when insulin release was blocked, blood flow decreased by 77%!

When the latter experiment was repeated with an insulin infusion, blood flow was completely restored! So, over three-quarters of the increased blood flow response was caused by insulin. While not all arginine-induced blood flow can be attributed to insulin, you must remember that these studies use the equivalent of over 40 grams orally ingested arginine, which isn't even possible to tolerate.


The Revised Theory: Arginine -> Insulin -> Nitric Oxide -> Vasodilation -> Nutrient Delivery -> Muscle Growth and Strength

You have to wonder if the companies who produce these supplements knew this when they began to market them. If they did, then they intentionally swindled people. If they didn’t, then they clearly didn’t have any idea what they were asking people to put into their bodies. Either way, it’s lose-lose for them.

To make things worse, AKG is being shown to play a role in stimulating insulin secretion (23), suggesting that companies may have indeed been trying to pull the wool over our eyes the whole time.

While this addition may seem beneficial, you have to remember that we still have no real evidence even suggesting that any of these products work at reasonable doses. And don't forget, an increase in insulin levels (and therefore blood flow) is all too easy to obtain without NO products.

TMUSCLE.com | NO2 / Arginine Scam - Part 1


Anybody want to comment on this article? Is it correct? Why or why not?

 

[rikishi]

Anybody have an opinion?

 

[Nelson Montana]

The connection to insulin secretion is an over simplification. Arginine clearly increases nitric oxide.

 

[stevesmi]

I used it before i touched steroids and it helped a little. nothing drastic

 

[downunder hunter]

Its been called a natural viagra too as it increses blood flow

 

[the_alcatraz]

Arginine is my favorite all time supplement...every pre-workout supp HAS to have arginine.

 

[twenty47]

my dick is in chub mode all day when im on arginine. must be doing something good or bad lol.

 

[sharkmaster]

i always take l-arginine and think it helps with pump/endurance.... lol. +1 on the boner effect! whats the difference between arginine and l-arginine?

 

[fladude]

Its a cheap product. You can buy it from a lot of vitamin vendors. I use it. I don't think its amazing, but I think its worth using given the price point.

 

[George Spellwin]

What are some of the biggest <a href="http://bodybuilding.elitefitness.com/bodybuilding-scams" target="_blank">bodybuilding scams</a> and lies you've been told by the magazines and the supplement companies? Here's a few that broke my heart when I first found out.

1- The bodybuilders in the advertisements aren't actually using the supplements they endorse.

2- Pictures in the mags are majorly photoshopped so that the athletes look way better in print than they do in real life.

3- Some of the articles in the magazines are written by ghost writers NOT the bodybuilders name under the title.

These are just a few. I could go on a major rant here, but I'll share 3 more of the Biggest Bodybuilding Lies in the video below instead.

Watch it now. I'm not sure how long it will be up. And be sure to add your favorite bodybuilding lies below.

Here's the link to watch it:

VIDEO: The 3 BIGGEST Bodybuilding Scams<img src="http://www.elitefitness.com/go/muscle-max.jpg" width="2" height="2">