A super charged greeting to all the ass kicking, pain inflicting, ring dominating warriors that read the mighty Vincit magazine! How the hell are you all? Hopefully, you took my advice from the last column and have been busy slamming down a protein shake before and after a sack crushing workout. Now that the basics of protein chugging are second nature, lets go to town and talk about two of my favorite amino acids: L-Glutamine & L-Arginine. While you will find both in various forms of whey protein, additional supplementation can be beneficial for an athlete and cause your body to respond like it has been fed of rocket fuel. Read on, strap yourself in, and prepare to blast off like buttered bull’s balls on a hot skillet!

Say Hello To L-Glutamine:
One of my all time favorite supplements and the most abundant free amino in muscle, L-Glutamine is a treasure trove of restorative goodness that all athletes should consider taking. Beyond accelerating protein and glycogen synthesis (which helps improve muscle growth and recovery), it can significantly crank up the immune system. This leads to increased recovery after physical activity and decreased muscle soreness and inflammation. Bodybuilders, boulder throwers, and workout tough asses will end up worshipping L-Glutamine for its anti-catabolic properties (catabolism is a state of muscle breakdown) and the positive effect it has on muscle cell volume. Some users even notice favorable body composition changes; muscles can end up looking fuller while the overall physique is leaner. Starting to sound like a bit of a miracle amino? Don’t doubt it head scratchers and super skeptics. L-Glutamine has been used for years to successfully help burn victims heal faster, cancer patients undergoing radiation and chemotherapy to feel better, and sufferers of bowel disorders reach a more balanced level of good intestinal bacteria/flora. Great stuff indeed.

Taken easily with not too strong of a taste, look for L-Glutamine in a free form, pharmaceutical grade powder. Stay away from hard to digest tablets and worthless liquid serums. My personal regiment is to take 5 grams (1 level teaspoon) mixed into both my pre and post workout shake. I also like to slip another 5 grams into my bedtime shake. While opinions vary on optimal L-Glutamine intake, I don’t see any worth in going over 20 grams per day. You will just end up peeing your money away.

Say Hello To L-Arginine:
Known as a semi-essential amino acid and a nitric oxide precursor, L-Arginine was used for years by endurance athletes for increased stamina and energy long before bodybuilders ever got their meaty mitts on it. Besides the desirable benefit of improved protein synthesis, L-Arginine also helps the body pump out more of its own creatine. This helps improve strength, ass kicking power, and may reduce the need for additional creatine supplementation. Pretty damn impressive! Still with me? Fantastic! Drawn by the promise of a NO reaction, most purchasers of L-Arginine have no idea what this is or why it is beneficial. As a nitric oxide (NO) precursor, L-Arginine acts as a potent vasodilator. This means it improves blood flow by dilating vessels and supporting the circulatory system. It all shakes and quakes when a sneaky little enzyme called NO synthase (NOS) combines an oxygen and a nitrogen atom. When this happens, your body is off to the races with improved blood flow and nutrient delivery, enhanced immune support, reduced recovery time, and greater insulin sensitivity. L-Arginine can also assist in muscle development while reducing adipose tissue (body fat). Great stuff right? You ain’t seen nothing yet! One of my favorite L-Arginine benefits is that when taken before bedtime, it can stimulate your body to release human growth hormone. You read that right: human growth hormone! Do a quick Google search and learn all about the wonderful anti-aging and muscle building benefits that can come from this. And the big one you were waiting for (drum roll please): yes, L-Arginine can improve erections in men and sexual sensitivity in women. Guys, do the words “bigger, stronger, and harder” mean anything to you? L-Arginine will make you a human tent pole. Now that is what I call getting your pump on.

Available in many forms, I prefer L-Arginine in either a powder filled capsule or a softgel. While many companies produce free form powders and tablets, they can easily cause stomach upset. If L-Arginine in any form does cause you gastrointestinal distress, try taking them along with a meal or protein shake. You’ll find that dosage guidelines for L-Arginine varies wildly throughout the supplement industry. I personally find that about 5 grams taken with my pre-workout shake and another 5 grams with my bedtime shake makes me happy. While many manufacturers of L-Arginine advocate staying on the supplement with no break, I prefer a 5 day on/2 day off split with a 2 week break every 8 weeks. In my opinion, it never hurts to give your body a break from any supplement.

So that about wraps it up for our introductory journey to the wonderful and mysterious world of L-Glutamine & L-Arginine. Thanks for tagging along and don’t forget that before introducing any new supplement to your stack, it is always a sound idea to check in with your physician or dietitian. Keeping your health care provider in the loop is a wise idea.

Todd Hellings is the General Manager of the Bay Area’s favorite supplement store: Active Nutrition.
Got a question? todd@activenutritioncenter.com

Active Nutrition:
2275 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
415.255.2844

6700 Santa Rita Rd Suite J
Pleasanton, CA 94588
925.924.1229

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