Whether you want to boost your immune system or improve athletic performance, L-arginine supplementation is likely to yield better results if you combine this amino acid with AstraGin. This is evident from a small trial published in 2023 in Functional Foods in Health and Disease.

Study
Researchers at Chung Shan Medical University in Taiwan administered a single dose of 5 grams of arginine plus a placebo to 24 subjects and monitored their blood and urine for 2 hours.

On another occasion, the researchers administered a single dose of 5 grams of arginine plus 100 milligrams of AstraGin to the same subjects - and repeated the procedure.

You can read more about AstraGin here.

Results
Co-supplementation with AstraGin [APS] increased arginine uptake by 17 percent and decreased asymmetric dimethylarginine [ADMA] concentration by 43 percent. ADMA is a breakdown product of protein fragments containing methylated arginine.

Arginine is a source of nitric oxide [NO]. Therefore, more arginine means more NO.

Nitric oxide is released by the enzyme NO synthase. ADMA inhibits that enzyme. Therefore, less ADMA also means more NO. Co-supplementation with AstraGin increased the arginine:ADMA ratio in the blood of the subjects by 167 percent.

Click on the tables below for a larger version.

Co-supplementation with AstraGin increased the concentration of nitrate in the urine by 21 percent. The urinary concentration of cGMP then increased by 19 percent. cGMP is a messenger molecule that is activated by NO, after which it relaxes blood vessels.

The physical performance enhancement and prosexual effect of NO boosters is ultimately the work of cGMP. The increase in nitrate and cGMP is not statistically significant, but that does not say much. The urinary concentration of these substances is not a good predictor of their biological activity.

Conclusion
"These findings suggest that Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng saponins [read: AstraGin] supplementation could enhance NO production and promote arginine absorption while decreasing ADMA levels", the researchers write.

"Therefore, Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng saponins could be a beneficial addition to supplements with arginine for pre-workout and cardiovascular health."