Study
The bodybuilders were male and in their mid-twenties. They trained three times a week. Each training session consisted of a 20-minute cardio session and a workout with basic exercises such as the bench press, leg press, lat pulldown, squats, and shoulder press.
The researchers divided their subjects into a placebo group and an experimental group. The bodybuilders in the experimental group took 3 capsules containing 1000 milligrams of L-arginine each, spread throughout the day. In addition, they also took a supplement with half a gram of vitamin C every day.
The supplementation period lasted 45 days.
The researchers chose this combination because they suspected that arginine is primarily effective because it acts as a source of nitric oxide, or NO. Because NO is rapidly broken down by free radicals and because vitamin C neutralizes those free radicals, they hoped that the addition of vitamin C would make arginine a more effective NO donor.
Results
Additionally, the researchers observed a modest but noticeable improvement in body composition in the supplementation group. Fat mass decreased by 7 ounces, while lean mass increased by half a kilo.
Click on the table below for a larger version.
Conclusion
"These findings suggest that this supplemental strategy can be an effective and safe nutritional intervention to support training adaptation in resistance-trained athletes", write the Iranians.
"Future research should focus on elucidating the mechanisms behind the testosterone-boosting effect, exploring optimal dosing strategies, and investigating the long-term efficacy of this combination in broader athletic cohorts."
