That's Fit

The nutritional supplement industry has become a financial juggernaut over the past twenty years. Amazingly, the popularity of many products last about as long as that of Limp Bizkit. This is because people quickly realize that many of these supplements are worthless. But, there have been a few that have stood the test of time, with many fitness pundits swearing by them.

While creatine and whey protein remain the two most popular supplements for weight lifters, nitris oxide has suddenly joined their ranks. This molecule is found naturally throughout your body and is involved in many physiological processes. Insofar as muscle-building is concerned, the main benefit of nitris oxide is its ability to cause your blood vessels to relax, causing them to widen and allow more blood to flow through and to your muscles.

As powerful as it is, nitris oxide can be damaged by free radicals. However, research has shown that consuming high amounts of vitamin C and pomegranate juice may help protect your body's nitris oxide molecules against free radical damage.

Nitris oxide can be found in several products, almost all of which have the letters NO (for Nitris Oxide) in the name. NO-Xplode, NO Shotgun, naNOx9, Extreme-NO, etc. An alternative to any of these products is to supplement with the L-arginine, an amino acid that is the active ingredient in all NO products.

Be this all as it may, you really should consult with your doctor before trying nitrous oxide or L-arginine. These are powerful supplements and should only be used by when approved by a medical professional.

One of the more popular supplements to come along in the past five years has been Nitric Oxide (or NO). In fact, I did a post a while back on my experience with one of the more popular NO products on the market: No-Explode. Though I have stopped using this product since (mainly because its very high levels of taurine and caffeine made me a bit jittery), I may try supplementing with the primary active ingredient, which is an amino acid called arginine.

Research out of the Univeristy of North Carolina, Wilmington revealed that arginine can simultaneously help you build muscle while dropping body fat. In their study, fifteen female athletes consumed 6 grams of arginine supplements per day for four weeks. Researchers found that these women lost 2 pounds of body fat while at the same time gained 2 pounds of muscle, all without any change to their diets or exercise programs.

Now, before you rush out to your nearest GNC and pick up some arginine, you may want to first discuss things with your doctor. But, if you've already tried supplementing with this amino acid and would care to discuss your experience with it, we'd love to hear what you have to say.