QUESTION:
Hi Chad. My question is regarding nitric oxide boosters. Lately, I’ve noticed a lot of companies promoting agmatine sulfate as a powerful nitric oxide booster. I was wondering what the difference is between that and the usual arginine and citrulline, nitric oxide boosting formulas? Which do you think is more effective? Can you take them together? Thanks,
Trent
ANSWER:
Hi, Trent. Both arginine and citrulline have notable reputations for boosting nitric oxide levels in the body. Nitric oxide helps the walls of blood vessels relax so the blood vessels may expand to increase blood flow. This means the cells in our bodies receive more nutrients and oxygen. Of course, these are very welcome benefits for bodybuilders and other types of athletes in particular.
Arginine & Citrulline
Arginine itself is a direct precursor of nitric oxide. Interestingly, research has shown that citrulline actually increases serum arginine levels more than arginine itself does.
Citrulline appears to elevate and maintain plasma arginine levels for a longer period of time, compared to pure arginine. It will momentarily spike plasma arginine levels, then allow those levels to plummet back down to baseline levels very quickly.
Agmatine
Agmatine is actually a metabolite of arginine. A series of chemical reactions in the body produce it. Unlike the amino acids arginine and citrulline, which actually convert into nitric oxide, agmatine actually drives up nitric oxide levels by inhibiting the enzymes (nitric-oxide synthase) which causes nitric oxide to degrade, or be reduced, in the body.
Stacking up agmatine against citrulline and arginine for the title of “Nitric Oxide Boosting King” would be a close matchup. There are mountains of research validating the nitric oxide boosting ability of arginine and citrulline.
However, since agmatine is a much more recent discovery than arginine or citrulline, there isn’t nearly as much research backing it at this time. My guess is that it will prove to offer equally as efficient nitric oxide boosting potential as what arginine and citrulline do. So far the customer reviews I’ve read on agmatine sulfate have been very favorable.
I think it’s worth mentioning that agmatine sulfate is also stored within the neurons of the brain and then released as these neurons become activated. Although there is still lots of research to be done on how agmatine affects the brain, current research has undoubtedly shown that it does play a significant role in forming memories. In other words, the potential benefits that agmatine could contribute to brain health and function sound very promising.
Agmatine Stacking Precautions
Although it may sound like a great idea to combine agmatine with arginine and citrulline, agmatine isn’t compatible with several popular ingredients within the supplement world, such as arginine. Agmatine is synthesized from arginine. However, agmatine does not function well with arginine because it will offset the effects of the agmatine by reducing its inhibition of nNOS (nitric-oxide synthase).
To conclude, I think agmatine and arginine/citrulline supplementation is valuable. My suggestion would be to simply try agmatine sulfate for about a month and note any benefits that you experience. Then, obtain a quality arginine/citrulline formula like Nytric EFX Pro 2 and try that for about a month to see how it stacks up against the agmatine.
I wish you all the best of success in conquering your goals!
Prove ‘Em Wrong,
Chad Shaw
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