Nitric oxide is a molecule that’s produced naturally by the body, and it’s important for many aspects of health. There’s no denying that nitric oxide supplements are extremely popular. Consumers spend tens of millions of dollars on them every year in hopes of increasing endurance and building muscle and strength.
A gas naturally found in the body, nitric oxide is required for key physiological body functions. Its role is to help the 50 trillion cells in the body communicate with each other by transmitting signals throughout the entire body.
While they have captured the interest of athletes looking to improve training performance and muscular adaptations, nitric oxide products offer benefits to those outside athletic arenas as well. Nitric oxide is useful in treating a variety of health challenges, including insomnia, obesity, diabetes and libido. It is because of these benefits that nitric oxide boosters have garnered mass appeal.
Nitric Oxide Benefits
Depending on the requirement, nitric oxide can act as a hormone, a neurotransmitter or an intracellular messenger. People who exercise regularly or perform rigorous physical activities need a higher amount of nitric oxide, as it allows for increased blood flow. This enhanced vasodilation can also aid aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, improve the body’s ability to convert oxygen into energy and improve muscle contractility.
Nitric oxide has benefits including, but not limited to, the following:
- Increases endurance and strength
- Reduces inflammation
- Improves sleep quality
- Regulates blood pressure and increased blood flow to the sexual organs by dilating arteries
- Enhances memory by transmitting information between nerve cells in the brain
- Assists the immune system with fighting off harmful bacteria
On the flip side, signs of nitric oxide deficiency include extreme fatigue and physical weakness. Low levels of nitric oxide put people at greater risk for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, impaired vision, depression and cognitive decline.
Antioxidants and Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide is an unstable molecule that degrades quickly in the bloodstream, so it must be constantly replenished. One way to increase its stability and limit its breakdown is by consuming antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize free radicals, which contribute to the short life of nitric oxide.
There are many antioxidants on the market, including dozens of formulas containing the very popular antioxidant Vitamin C. A couple of other popular antioxidants include:
CoQ10 (ubiquinol): CoQ10 is one of those encompassing dietary supplements with both general health benefits (e.g., anti-aging, antioxidant) as well as specific health applications (e.g., cardiovascular, diabetes, etc.) It is a fundamental component in energy production, immune response and protection against damage by free radicals. CoQ10 is part of the mitochondrial electron transport system and is synthesized in all cells. It is essential to the body’s production of energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This holds special importance for the heart, which is loaded with mitochondria and has the body’s highest concentration of CoQ10 because of the significant demands made upon it.
Aging reduces access to Co-Q10. The body’s declining capacity to extract and assimilate Co-Q10 in later years plays a role in the development of various cardiovascular conditions. Ubiquinol is the reduced form of CoQ10 and the most highly absorbed. Ubiquinol is directly used in human metabolism as a lipid-soluble antioxidant. While standard CoQ10 supplements can be converted into ubiquinol in the body, this conversion can be less efficient in some individuals, based on age, genetics, blood sugar status or level of oxidative stress.
Glutathione: Glutathione is an antioxidant that significantly reduces oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when there’s an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to fight them off. Excessive levels of oxidative stress may be a precursor to multiple diseases. These include diabetes, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Glutathione helps stave off the impact of oxidative stress, which may, in turn, reduce disease.
Nitric Oxide: Wide Ranging Appeal
Nitric oxide booster formulas are becoming increasingly innovative. Athletes and exercise enthusiasts take nitric oxide supplements to support increased blood flow and oxygen to the skeletal muscle for increased performance. Furthermore, nitric oxide also facilitates the removal of exercise-induced lactic acid build-up which reduces fatigue and recovery time. In fact, a wide range of demographics, including seniors, are using these products now because of their extreme efficacy. Many comprehensive nitric oxide formulas contain the following nutrients:
Arginine: A semi-essential amino acid that is a precursor to nitric oxide. Increasing dietary intake of arginine from food and supplements increases production of nitric oxide. Taking arginine supplements improves blood pressure and blood flow and reduces risk of cardiovascular disease. Scientists at the Scientific Institute of San Raffaele in Milan, Italy, evaluated the effects of arginine supplementation on nondiabetic patients with cardiovascular disease. According to this research, it was determined that arginine supplements increase nitric oxide production, reduce inflammation and improve cardiovascular function.
Beta alanine (3-amino propionic acid): A non-essential amino acid that is produced naturally by the body and is a component of carnosine, anserine and vitamin B5. It takes part in many metabolic processes. The most significant of these processes for athletes is the reduction of lactic acid accumulation in the muscles. During strenuous exercise, lactic acid is produced and broken down by your skeletal muscles. And, as many have experienced during a workout, the longer you exercise, the more difficult it becomes for your body to break lactic acid down in a timely manner. Lactic acid is largely responsible for that ‘burn’ you feel when you’ve been running, lifting weights or participating in another endurance sport. Beta-alanine combines with histamine to become a dipeptide molecule named carnosine. This molecule is stored in bulk in your muscles and brain tissue and is used to buffer lactic acid accumulation, which decreases discomfort and fatigue and improves athletic performance.
Citrulline: An amino acid produced by the body as a byproduct of synthesizing another amino acid, arginine. This is made possible by nitric oxide synthases, or NOS, a class of enzymes that synthesize nitric oxide from L-arginine, a form of arginine. The relationship between citrulline and nitric oxide impact the body in a variety of ways, including heart health and male sexual function.
Nitric oxide supplementation can help anyone, but it is especially beneficial for people over the age of 40 whose muscles, cells and tissues are no longer quick and efficient at producing and releasing nitric oxide to carry out different bodily processes.
Nitric oxide is an essential molecule required for overall health. As a vasodilator, nitric oxide signals the blood vessels to relax, allowing them to expand. This effect allows blood, nutrients, and oxygen to flow freely to every part of the body. For consumers looking to achieve and maintain optimal levels of nitric oxide in their bodies, nitric oxide products offer a safe and clinically validated option.