Nitric oxide, often abbreviated NO , is a gas naturally produced by the body, known for its vasodilatory properties.
Its ability to widen blood vessels promotes better blood flow, allowing muscles to receive more oxygen and nutrients. This translates into a noticeable improvement in athletic performance, especially in bodybuilding. But what exactly is nitric oxide, and what are its benefits for athletes? Let’s explore this in more detail.
Nitric Oxide: What is it?
Nitric oxide ( NO ) is a molecule formed from one oxygen atom and one nitrogen atom. Although simple in its chemical composition, this molecule plays an extremely complex and vital role in many physiological processes in the human body .
A versatile messenger
Nitric oxide is often described as a “messenger” in the body because it is involved in communication between cells. As a chemical signal, it helps regulate a variety of fundamental bodily functions.
For example, it is essential for neurotransmission, where it facilitates communication between neurons, thereby influencing memory, learning, and other cognitive functions.
Vasodilatory properties
One of the most notable features of nitric oxide is its ability to act as a vasodilator. This means that it can widen blood vessels by relaxing the smooth muscles that form their walls. This dilating action allows for increased blood flow . More specifically, by widening blood vessels , nitric oxide allows for better blood flow , which is particularly beneficial for muscles.
Improved endurance and faster recovery
For athletes, especially those who do weight training or other forms of intense exercise, nitric oxide is definitely a great ally. By increasing blood flow to the muscles, it improves the delivery of oxygen and essential nutrients.
This not only increases endurance during physical exertion, but also improves recovery capacity after exercise. Muscles receive the elements needed for repair and growth more quickly, reducing recovery times and allowing more frequent and more intense workouts.
How to boost your nitric oxide production?
To optimize nitric oxide levels in your body, several methods can be employed.
Consume vegetables rich in nitrates
Vegetables such as celery, watercress, lettuce, beets, spinach and arugula are rich in nitrates, which are converted into nitric oxide in the body. Regular consumption of beetroot juice, for example, reduces blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
Increase antioxidant intake
Antioxidants, found primarily in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains, help stabilize nitric oxide by neutralizing free radicals. Antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, polyphenols, and glutathione are particularly effective.
Use Nitric Oxide Booster Supplements
A sports supplement like A-AKG ( L-ARGININE ALPHA-KETOGLUTARATE ) is an extremely effective nitric oxide booster. Ideal for athletes and active people, this product boosts blood circulation and stimulates the production of nitric oxide, thus improving performance and accelerating muscle recovery.
Limit the use of mouthwash
Antiseptic mouthwashes can destroy the beneficial bacteria that help convert nitrates to nitric oxide, so reducing their use can maintain higher nitric oxide levels.
Exercise regularly
Exercise improves endothelial function, promoting nitric oxide production by endothelial cells. Regular exercise helps you maintain the health of your blood vessels and improve your athletic performance in the long term.
The Effects of Nitric Oxide on Your Athletic Performance
Nitric oxide plays a fundamental role in improving your athletic performance, particularly through its effects on muscle congestion, reduced fatigue, better muscle recovery and the use of glucose during physical effort.
Muscle congestion
One of the main benefits of nitric oxide for athletes is its ability to promote muscle pumping . Increased NO levels dilate blood vessels , allowing more blood to flow to working muscles, providing a “pumped” feeling and increasing muscle size and vascularity.
Reduction of fatigue
Nitric oxide precursors, such as citrulline and arginine, help reduce the buildup of lactic acid in muscles, thereby delaying the onset of muscle fatigue and enabling prolonged performance.
Better muscle recovery
Increased blood circulation allows for better muscle recovery by delivering nutrients needed to repair muscle tissue more quickly.
Insulin sensitivity and glucose utilization
Nitric oxide increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin, promoting better use of glucose during physical exercise. This allows for better performance and more efficient energy management.
What are the benefits of nitric oxide?
Nitric oxide offers many real benefits, especially for athletes and active people. Here are the main benefits you can get from it:
- Better Blood Flow: By dilating blood vessels, nitric oxide improves blood flow to muscles and other tissues. This allows for better oxygenation and optimal delivery of essential nutrients, essential during athletic performance and recovery.
- Free Radical Neutralization: Nitric oxide has antioxidant properties that help neutralize free radicals. These unstable molecules can cause cellular damage, and neutralizing them helps reduce oxidative stress, contributing to better overall health and faster recovery from exercise.
- Better Cellular Oxygenation: By improving oxygen delivery to cells, nitric oxide increases energy efficiency at the cellular level. This means your cells can produce more energy, which is especially beneficial during intense physical activity.
- Improved Muscle Velocity: Increased blood flow and oxygenation allows muscles to contract more efficiently and quickly. This results in improved physical performance, whether in strength, speed or endurance.
- Optimized Glucose Utilization: Nitric oxide improves insulin sensitivity, allowing for better glucose utilization by muscle cells. This optimization of available energy improves endurance and muscle strength, which is essential for prolonged and sustained performance.
- More Power: By promoting better nutrient and oxygen delivery, nitric oxide increases muscle power. This is especially useful for high-intensity exercise, where strong and rapid muscle contractions are required.
- Increased Muscle Growth: Nitric oxide stimulates protein synthesis in the muscles, promoting muscle growth . This increase in muscle mass not only contributes to strength and performance, but also to better muscle definition.
These benefits make nitric oxide a key component of any strength training or high-performance sports program. By optimizing the levels of this molecule in your body, you can maximize your athletic performance and improve your recovery, allowing you to reach your goals faster.
Our tips to boost your nitric oxide
Turn to foods rich in nitrates
To naturally increase your nitric oxide levels, eat foods rich in nitrates.
Recommended Boosters
Pre-Workout
Pre-Workout CITRULINE from Ostrovit laboratories is an effective NO booster, containing precursors such as arginine and citrulline .
This type of pre workout is designed to increase nitric oxide levels, improve muscle pumping , and provide extra energy.
Nitric oxide in intra-training
In intra workout, the use of supplements designed to increase nitric oxide levels offers significant benefits.
These supplements, often based on L-Arginine or L-Citrulline , promote better blood flow to the muscles during exercise. This increases the supply of oxygen and essential nutrients, thus improving endurance and performance.
Nitric oxide is an essential gas for improving sports performance, particularly in bodybuilding. By increasing muscle congestion , reducing fatigue and improving muscle recovery, nitric oxide optimizes your physical performance. To maximize its benefits, it is recommended to consume foods rich in nitrates, take sports food supplements, and adopt lifestyle habits that promote the production of nitric oxide.
By following these tips, you can naturally increase your nitric oxide levels and achieve your athletic performance goals.
Sources:
- Jason Clark, BSc, MSc: “What is nitric oxide and how does it work? »: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpcell.00315.2016
- Shinde UA, Mehta AA, Goyal RK. Nitric Oxide: a molecule of the millennium. Indian J Exp Biol 2000 Mar;38(3):201-10. : https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Nitric-oxide%3A-a-molecule-of-the-millennium.-Shinde-Mehta/6264bd7f50fc5c9fa16cfe4fc46b97aa6bd664cb/figure/1
- Guoyao W, Meininger CJ. Arginine Nutrition and Cardiovascular Function. J Nutr. 2000;130:2626-2629. : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11053497/
- Guoyao WU, Morris SM. Arginine Metabolism: nitric oxide and beyond. Biochem J 1998; 336:1-17. : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9806879/
- Furchgott RF, Ignarro LJ, Murad F. Discover concerning nitric oxide as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system. Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology 1998.: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10065255/
