Main image courtesy of NASM Blog.
Finding a new supplement to aid in building protein within your body is important and there are many that you can turn to. Supplements are a great aid whenever you’re not getting certain vitamins, minerals, and other necessary nutrients that your body needs to survive on a daily basis.
L-Arginine is an incredible supplement that has helped many people build protein within their bodies. Protein is one of the most abundant resources in your body and making sure that you’re constantly making enough can help many key areas, both inside and out.
It can be difficult to find a supplement brand that has all natural ingredients and works for your body, but Dr. Emil provides a brand that promotes holistic health for every aspect of your needs. Dr. Emil’s brand brings you some of the best supplements on the market that are high in quality no matter what you’re looking for. Dr. Emil’s products can help many aspects of your overall health, and his L-Arginine supplement sweeps the others right off the market!
When it comes to taking L-Arginine, this supplement can provide a ton of benefits, but is it safe to take it on an empty stomach? Here’s what we know!
What is L-Arginine?
Understanding what this supplement is and its benefits is the first big step you’ll need to take!
Learning about a supplement is important before taking it so you’re fully aware of the benefits, what it’s for, and how to properly take it. L-Arginine is a supplement that can greatly improve many parts of your body both internally and externally, but what exactly is it?
Get to Know L-Arginine
Amino acids are molecules within your body that come together to form proteins. Among these amino acids, L-Arginine is one that helps your body build the protein that it needs.
Your body is responsible for making L-Arginine all on its own, and it’s found in a lot of foods that are rich in protein, such as:
- Red meat
- Poultry
- Whole grains
- Soy
- Beans
- Fish
- Dairy
When L-Arginine is made in the body, it is converted into nitric oxide, a chemical that causes the blood vessels in your veins to open and improve blood flow. It can also help to grow hormones within your body and even produce the insulin that you need.
What Are the Benefits of L-Arginine?
Taking L-Arginine supplements provide a ton of incredible benefits that can greatly help many aspects of your life:
- Decreases agina (a type of chest pain)
- Lowers blood pressure
- Lowers high blood pressure for pregnant women
- Improves erectile dysfunction in men
- Improves blood flow in veins
- Supports heart health
- Helps to build muscles
- Improves male fertility
- Helps repair wounds
How Safe is L-Arginine?
Many people enjoy taking L-Arginine because of the benefits that it can provide, but how safe is it to take on a consistent basis? L-Arginine is stated to be generally safe for everyone to take, and it’s especially aimed for people who have high blood pressure.
If you are someone who is currently taking blood pressure medication, it is important to talk to your doctor before taking L-Arginine. While L-Arginine is known for lowering blood pressure, taking this supplement, along with blood pressure medication, can cause your blood pressure to go down too low.
Whenever your blood pressure levels get too low, this can be very detrimental to your health. It can cause your body’s vital organs to not receive the oxygen and nutrients that it needs, cause you to go into shock, and can even shut them down.
Some of the signs that your body is going into shock include:
- Blue skin tone
- Weak or rapid pulse
- Rapid and inconsistent breathing
- Cold sweats
Who Takes L-Arginine Supplements?
There are many people who take L-Arginine supplements because of the benefits that they provide, and while anyone can take them, a lot of people who end up taking them are athletes and bodybuilders.
There are many reasons why athletes and bodybuilders take L-Arginine supplements and it is mainly because of what they can do for their body including:
- Increases athletic performance
- Prolonging exercise endurance
- Promote muscle growth
Should Pregnant Women Take L-Arginine?
Another large group of people that should take L-Arginine supplements are pregnant women. L-Arginine is an essential amino acid that your body needs more of during pregnancy due to placental and embryonic growth, which increases the need for it.
L-Arginine can also have a ton of benefits when it comes to birth outcomes as well. Taking this supplement can increase umbilical artery flow, which can also help the baby grow more in the womb and it can prevent many diseases that the child could develop later in their adult life.
How to Take L-Arginine: The Proper Way
Knowing more about a supplement is one thing, but how should you take L-Arginine?
It’s important to get to know more about L-Arginine and what it can do for your body, but now how do you take the supplement? Getting to know the proper dosage and other important factors like if you can take it on an empty stomach are important to know.
We’ll be discussing if you should take L-Arginine on an empty stomach in this section, so here are some things to keep in mind:
- It is okay to take L-Arginine on an empty stomach
- Take first thing in the morning before eating breakfast
- Take thirty minutes before working out
- Drink plenty of water while taking L-Arginine
What is the Best Way to Take L-Arginine?
There are two main forms to take L-Arginine and it is either by mixing the powder in with your food or drink of your choice, or capsules. Both capsules or the powder form are effective ways to take L-Arginine and they are both convenient forms to get this amino acid that your body needs.
It is recommended to take L-Arginine supplements in between meals for the best absorption no matter what way you take them.
Many people describe L-Arginine alone as tasting like vinegar, so it is recommended to mix it with a citric acid of sorts. Mixing it with orange juice is one of the best ways to take it because it cancels out the flavor of the L-Arginine powder, which is another reason why many people prefer the capsules.
How Much of L-Arginine Should You Take?
Another important thing to know before going into taking L-Arginine is how much of a dosage you should be taking. On average, you should up to 9 mg of L-Arginine per day and no more than that due to some potential side effects that it may cause.
If you take more than 9 mg of L-Arginine, there is a potential for some gastrointestinal issues and other side effects such as the following:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Gout
- Headaches
- Allergies
- Asthma symptoms
Can You Take L-Arginine on an Empty Stomach?
There are many supplements that you can’t take on an empty stomach due to nausea and other side effects that you may experience. For many supplements, it is recommended to take them on an empty stomach for better absorption, and L-Arginine is one of them.
L-Arginine is recommended to take in between meals and on a relatively empty stomach so it’s easier to absorb. Taking it first thing in the morning is ideal right before you eat breakfast is a great idea, or if you’re someone who enjoys working out, then taking it thirty minutes before you workout l.
It’s also important to note that you should be drinking plenty of water while taking L-Arginine supplements. Drinking a lot of water is important regardless of your fitness lifestyle, and it’s recommended to drink 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women.
How Often Should You Take L-Arginine?
Many people wonder if L-Arginine should be incorporated into your everyday life on a consistent basis, or if you should take breaks. L-Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid, meaning that it’s not required in a diet, mainly because our bodies are capable of producing it ourselves.
This is a supplement that you should take for two months, and then take a break from it for the next two months before repeating the cycle again. Whenever you feel that the benefits of L-Arginine are starting to take place and the side effects are almost nonexistent is when you should cycle the supplement.
Exercise and L-Arginine Facts
L-Arginine mixes well with exercise and it’s important to know how and why!
There is nothing more important than taking care of your body by exercising and eating well. One of the best ways to do this is by pairing supplements along with your diet and exercise regimen, and L-Arginine can have a ton of benefits that can contribute to your health.
How Often Should You Exercise?
Exercise is an important thing to incorporate into your daily life because of all of the benefits that it can provide.
On average, it is ideal to workout at least five days per week doing thirty minutes of intense cardio, and at least two days of a muscle-strengthening activity. While cardio is an important factor when it comes to working out, ensuring that you work on enhancing your muscles is crucial as well.
How Can L-Arginine Enhance Your Workout?
There are a few different ways that L-Arginine can enhance your workout, most importantly your strength and endurance. As we stated earlier, taking L-Arginine thirty minutes before your workout can have many benefits, and it can improve your endurance.
Due to the increased oxygen intake that you get from the L-Arginine,your blood flows through your blood vessels better, it can improve circulation, and smooth your muscle tissue. L-Arginine can help you develop a lean body mass and it can also enhance your capabilities with exercising.
L-Arginine is an incredible supplement to take that can provide a ton of benefits to your overall health. While many athletes and bodybuilders take this supplement, anyone can take it to improve the circulation within your body, build muscle mass, or even lower blood pressure.
If you are wondering about the basics of L-Arginine, we recommend you take on an empty stomach to get some of the best benefits you can from it today!
