With busy work schedules, workplace stresses, and many other factors directing your life with this pace of days from hour to hour, sometimes you don't have time to watch your wellbeing. That's when a healthy diet, drinking enough water and supplying your body with the right supplements only come after you finish all your urgent assignments.

Ignoring your health needs means you're taking loans from your body which you'll need to pay off with "high fees" later. These fees mean not producing enough energy, facing sleepiness, and using your brain less effectively. Still, if your schedule is jam-packed and you can't find time to take care of your body, let supplements do that for you! Today we're going to uncover all the benefits and effects of L-Arginine - one of the most popular amino acids among healthy lifestyle seekers.

The role of amino acids in supporting your wellbeing

Amino acids are critical for human functions, as they constitute and regulate moods & immune responses. These nutrients help in glucose metabolism and provide proper brain function. They also play significant roles in muscle repair, detoxification, and keeping all body systems working.

Within our bodies, amino acids serve as building blocks and act as the raw materials needed for the body to function correctly. Amino acids are present in collagen to help our skin maintain elasticity and enzymes to help digest food more efficiently.

Twenty amino acids occur naturally in all living organisms. Eleven of them branch into side chains that form essential structural proteins such as keratin which help create hair and nails inside skin cells. Amino acid deficiencies can have severe consequences for your health. They include fatigue, impaired immunity from increased cold sensitivity, or poor organ functioning, which leads to kidney problems or liver diseases.

What is L-Arginine?

L-Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid, meaning your body needs it drastically under certain circumstances like disease or trauma. L-Arginine helps regulate nitric oxide production in the body, which signals blood vessels to relax and widen. This amino acid also participates in protein production, supplying your muscles, tissues, and bones with building material.

Meanwhile, L-Arginine helps your body create other amino acids like glutamine and creatine, essential to keep your body energized. It's trendy among athletes who use it to enhance muscle growth and perform better during workouts. Still, L-Arginine is way more than just a workout-boosting supplement! Let's discover which perks this amino acid may bring to your life.

Benefits of L-Arginine

Although L-Arginine isn't an essential amino acid, you can still take it to get a wide range of perks for your health, energy, and brain. Here they are:

L-Arginine boosts your energy & improves circulation

Are you feeling tired for no reason? Or feel heaviness in your limbs after a long workday? As you lose your natural supply of L-Arginine over time, you can become lethargic and just not as motivated. One great way you can counteract this lies in L-Arginine supplements.

This amino acid activates ATP energy-carrying cells on a cellular level which increases the production and transfer of energy from your mitochondria into your body tissues like muscle or organs. Is it the answer to your low energy problems? Exactly: with a better supply of ATP, you'll get a significant increase in blood flow to your limbs, supplying them with oxygen. It will help you reduce oxidative stress and make your body more vigorous.

L-Arginine may improve your workout performance

L-Arginine is one of the supplements and nutrients included in many pre-workout and energy drink mixes available today. Athletes worldwide are turning to L-Arginine to improve their endurance, stamina, and workouts. Supplementing this amino acid promotes nitrogen retention, which is crucial for gym-goers looking for extra intensity or wanting to work out for a long time.

If you plan to boost your workouts with L-Arginine, you should note a few more perks of this powerful amino acid. Consuming it leads to decreased lactic acid build-up and induces the release of hormones like adrenaline. In other words, it works as a motivation booster that will fire you up during the workout.

L-Arginine could speed up your body's recovery processes

Oh, that annoying sore in every part of your body when you return from the gym! Recovering your muscles after intense training could be really painful and may take a few days. Healing your body after traumas can be even harder, but not when you supply it with extra L-Arginine! It may help you stimulate the production and repair of muscle tissue after injury or an intense workout.

A study claims L-Arginine stimulates muscle repair by boosting protein synthesis. In turn, another research found it could be an effective treatment both to reduce symptoms and treat long-term health problems associated with strenuous workouts.

Muscular deterioration and a decrease in vascular flexibility below the skin are among the most painful damages affecting your body after a workout. A proper L-Arginine supply will help with body recovery, allowing blood vessels to extend and become more flexible. So take an L-Arginine if you want to get back on track in no time!

L-Arginine supports your memory & learning skills

Strong memory and everyday skills development are a vital part of your daily productivity. It's impossible to imagine any career growth if you skip your deadlines or struggle to master new skills. Though, if your body lacks L-Arginine, your brain capabilities could become limited. This amino acid is essential in boosting your brain since your body converts L-Arginine into nitric oxide that widens blood vessels and improves blood flow. That way, your brain cells receive more oxygen to perform better.

L-Arginine crosses the blood-brain barrier easily, which means it can pass through the lining of capillaries in the brain. So it helps deliver the substances responsible for carrying oxygen, nutrients, and glucose to your brain cells. That makes L-Arginine outstanding support for your memory & learning skills. Mashhad University research found that taking this amino acid as a supplement may normalize your memory markers & skyrocket your learning skills.

What's more, scientists have also discovered that consuming extra L-Arginine may protect your brain cells from destruction. That means you can take it as a prophylactic for Alzheimer's and dementia.

L-Arginine can strengthen & support your bones

Your body requires L-arginine to help give your bones the necessary materials to be strong and healthy. Supplying your bones with enough L-arginine will help maintain their density, helping you avoid possible injuries and bone loss.

Since it's involved in synthesizing nitric oxide, it has two significant benefits for your active lifestyle. First, L-Arginine increases the production of lysine and proline amino acids that aids in strengthening bones. It may also support your cartilage and joints, providing extra flexibility and strength. Suppose you have an active lifestyle or any intense strain on joints. In that case, you should take additional dosages of L-Arginine to help preserve your muscle health and joint function.

L-Arginine may help normalize your blood pressure

Have you ever felt difficulty breathing or severe headaches along with chest pain? These are the symptoms of high pressure, damaging your heart and brain. CDC survey shows that almost every second adult faces hypertension, while only 1 in 4 people takes measures to control blood pressure. And if we recall that high blood pressure is the main symptom of upcoming heart disease, then it's clear that you should normalize this marker.

Research suggests that L-arginine supplements can decrease high blood pressure by smoothing the muscle function of arteries when they become stiff. This amino acid may also prevent cell death and aid in anti-inflammatory responses vital for reducing neuropathic pain like migraines.

Ways to add more L-Arginine to your diet

Are you ready to rock your energy, brain performance, and health? Then it's time to add more L-Arginine to your daily intake. Basically, there are two categories of sources for L-arginine that include primary and secondary sources.

Primary L-Arginine sources

According to the research, around 30% of L-Arginine comes into your body from foods. Natural amino acid sources are animal products like meat, poultry, and fish. Turkey is especially rich in L-Arginine, with 16 grams per one medium breast. Vegetable sources like beans, nuts, seeds, and seaweed are also fantastic sources of this amino acid.

Food examples that can load your body with L-Arginine:

• spirulina
• chicken
• pumpkin seeds
• peanuts
• milk.

Secondary L-Arginine sources

If you don't have time to change your habits and add more L-Arginine-rich foods into your ration, then we have a splendid solution! The simplest way is to take L-arginine supplements, which you can find with other vitamin and mineral supplements at a pharmacist or nutrition store.

Either type of L-arginine supplement comes in pill or liquid form. The liquid can be mixed with water, juice, sports drinks, or any other beverage and is less likely than a pill to cause indigestion.

Some companies have created dairy products that contain this protein and are fortified with some other vitamins and minerals. You can also get protein powders & shakes fortified with L-Arginine.

L-Arginine: intake advice

Dosage & absroption

There are no strict recommendations regarding the L-Arginine intake. However, nutritionists say that 6 to 30 grams of this amino acid per day will be safe for adults. The L-Arginine dose is usually divided into three smaller doses a day. Try not to exceed the maximum recommended dosage since overdosing may cause adverse effects.

Depending on the type of L-Arginine you're taking, it may take up to 24-hours for your body to absorb it. If you want to see the full effects of taking l-arginine regularly, it could take up to a month or more.

Side effects

Possible side effects of L-Arginine supplements include bloating, nausea, and other unpleasant symptoms. With these side effects, it is essential to consult with a doctor as soon as possible if they appear.

Other potential side-effects range in severity, depending on your medical history or reactions to particular medications prescribed. Extreme side effects of taking L-Arginine can appear as a muscle weakness - your body loses balance when walking, and your eyesight becomes weak.

Supplements that are beneficial when taken together with L-Arginine

You can maximize the effects of L-Arginine supplements by consuming them together with other nutrients. Here are the most efficient mixes:

• Vitamin C + L-Arginine

Vitamin C can be an excellent pairing to this amino acid because vitamin C helps release L-Arginine from proteins. Thus, by mixing these two nutrients, you'll get faster amino acid absorption.

• B-vitamins + L-Arginine

Mixing B-vitamins with L-Arginine enhances its heart-strengthening properties, helping reduce your blood pressure. So if you need a more robust solution for your core body's organ, you know what to do!

• L-Lysine + L-Arginine

The combo of these amino acids will be a potent boost for your bones. They make bone-building cells more active, enhancing protein production and release.

• L-Citrulline + L-Arginine

Thy this powerful amino acid combo that can rock your energy! Taking them together helps your body produce nitric oxide more efficiently, activating more ATP energy-carrying cells.

Wrapping up

Among all amino acids, L-Arginine is probably one of the most effective ones for boosting your energy & supporting heart health. It also provides a lot of protection while you are exercising. Numerous studies have confirmed over the years that L-Arginine supplementation is a great way to ensure a better recovery when consumed in conjunction with high-intensity training.

L-Arginine is a natural nutrient so you can get it from everyday foods like high-protein dairy products, beans, pistachios, and soybeans. You can use L-Arginine to boost your immune system, improve circulation and relieve post-exertion discomfort often experienced after workouts. With the help of amino acids such as L-Arginine, many activities become significantly easier!

Besides, if you'd like to improve your endurance and increase your strength, L-Arginine will help you supply your body with more protein. The best time to take it is around breakfast when your body is hungry for fuel of any kind and starts releasing oxygen radicals that cause fatigue and stress. Give your body and brain the power they need to keep you productive through the day!

Resources:

• L-Arginine-B Vitamin Combination Effective For Blood Pressure Improvements: Study (2017)
• The Effects Of L-Arginine, Alone And Combined With Vitamin C, On Mineral Status In Relation To Its Antidiabetic, Anti-Inflammatory, And Antioxidant Properties In Male Rats On A High-Fat Diet (2014)
• Facts About Hypertension (2021)
• The Effects Of L-arginine On Spatial Memory And Synaptic Plasticity Impairments Induced By Lipopolysaccharide (2014)