I see ads for nitric oxide supplements in my fitness magazines all the time. You know the ones. They show huge bodybuilders with arms the size of tree trunks, muscles on top of muscles and veins popping out everywhere. They all promise EXPLOSIVE!!! results and huge gains, but I’ve always been skeptical. I’ve even received recommendations from some heavy lifting friends of mine that supplements like Force Factor work great. I was still skeptical.
Research from the University of Exeter seems to prove that nitric oxide supplements actually are helpful and can boost stamina during high-intensity workouts. They specifically tested Ark 1 from Arkworld International Limited because it contains L-arginine amino acid, which helps produce more nitric oxide in the body.
By reducing the cost of O2 use during exercise, the results suggest that someone can exercise up to 20% longer by taking supplements that boost nitric oxide in the body. The research has shown that by altering the use of oxygen during exercise, improvements of 1-2% can be seen. While this doesn’t necessarily mean much to the weekend warrior at the gym, to a professional athlete who only has seconds to spare in a race, this could be the difference between winning and losing.
Previous research from the same university has also shown that high nitrate content from beetroot juice has a similar effects of the Ark 1 supplement. Performance was measured by putting nine healthy male subjects on a stationary bicycle equipped with an ergometer to measure the amount of work performed by the person exercising. They were all tested in various levels of intensity and found that after using the supplement, endurance increased by 20%, systolic blood pressure was reduced and use of oxygen during exercise was reduced.
It seems that nitric oxide supplements do work. I’m still not sure which ones are the best to use, but I just might have to try out the free trial offer from Force Factor. Have you used nitric oxide supplements? I’d love to hear what you’ve used and your results using it.