Want more vascularity? Here's a simple ingredient to aid in the skin ripping pumps!

Arginine is a rather common amino acid within our diet. It is considered a conditionally essential amino acid due to its availability in our diet. However, most diets lack enough arginine to allow for the body’s metabolic needs. Other factors could also lead to a deficit of arginine including infections, burns, and low protein intake. This amino acid can be utilized when there is a high energy demand placed upon the body’s system allowing it to act as glucose for energy.

Arginine is also responsible for acting as a building block for synthesis of new proteins in the system. As for nitric oxide, arginine is necessary for its production. Nitric oxide acts as a vasodilator in our system. Vasodilation is the process of the relaxation within the walls of our blood vessels. This allows for a wider and larger pathway for blood, oxygen, and nutrients to flow through. With this increase in flow of fluid within the vessels comes the increased extraction of toxins from within the muscles. Also, the higher concentration of nutrients and oxygen within the muscles allows for greater endurance, lean muscle mass increase, and strength gains. The vasodilation can also promote a visible difference in your vascularity. This is due to the dilation (widening) of the walls within the blood vessels where you can visually see the arginine taking effect within your body.

Arginine is found in several pre-workout formulas. Taking this before you workout, usually 30-45 minutes prior to training, can induce the vasodilation process within your body during and after your workout. The utilization of arginine in conjunction with a pre-workout product allows for greater pumps and better shuttling of lactic acid and waste out of the muscle post exercise. The increase of oxygen and nutrients that become readily available to the muscle allows for an increase in muscular endurance and strength to produce a higher intensity during your workout.

In short, arginine in necessary for the production of nitric oxide which is our body's natural vasodilator. This in turn causes a flood of nutrients into the muscles to allow them to grow and for waste to exit the muscle to avoid a delay in the muscle growth and reduce muscle soreness. The daily dosage should be 3-9g. This should be limited to 8-12 weeks of continuous use with an equal amount of time off.

-Pete M.