Arginine

Arginine is a category of products that contain the amino acid arginine, which holds an important place in the nutrition of athletes. First of all, it is the precursor of nitric oxide. As you may know, nitric oxide widens the blood vessels, thereby regulating blood supply to the muscles. This promotes the supply of oxygen and nutrients to muscles during exercise. As a result, the athlete can observe this effect on an improved performance and recovery time. In this regard, it is important to mention that arginine is among the basic building blocks of creatine, which is also linked with performance boosting effects. However, this is not all what arginine is used for in the body. It also participates in the urea cycle, in the process of which excess ammonia is removed. The levels of ammonia can rise, for example, during high intensity sports activity, which is often associated with increased fatigue. Thanks to this, it can help the body with natural detoxification and, ultimately, delay the decline of performance.

Our body can make arginine on its own. However, during illness, excessive physical exertion or stress, the required intake of this amino acid from other sources increases. For this reason, it is also referred to as semi-essential. This is where the dietary supplements from this category come in play, as they can effectively help with its intake.