L-Arginine Benefits For Males
If you’re into bodybuilding, you’ve probably come across a nifty supplement made up of L-Arginine. But if you’ve never had it before, chances are you’re curious about its effects and whether or not it can benefit you in the long run.
L-Arginine supplements are quite beneficial for the human anatomy, especially for male bodybuilders. It has a range of medical applications that rejuvenate blood flow and improve your physique.
Moreover, it also has the power to improve sexual functions and capabilities to a moderate level. This article will discuss the benefits and long-term effects of L-Arginine and address some of its sexual benefits.
What Exactly Is L-Arginine?
L-Arginine is among the three dietary amino acids in the human body and is semi essential. Although your body produces this amino acid naturally; you still have to consume certain amounts of it to maintain a healthy level.
Increasing the amount of L-Arginine in your diet boosts protein production, which is essential for physical growth.
The ‘L,’ in this case, stands for levorotatory, which is a term used to explain the fact that the particular amino acid has not bonded with any protein molecule. Moreover, it signifies that the acid can easily dissolve into your body and is similar to the ones already present in your biology.
What Foods Have High L-Arginine?
L-Arginine is prominent in protein-rich foods such as dairy products, whole grains, meat, fish, beans, etc. You can also find it amongst fruits such as pink grapefruit, jackfruit, green grapes, and avocados.
Meat Items
Meat is perhaps the highest container of arginine, which is why it’s so crucial to building up your body. Research indicates that chicken is the third-best source of L-Arginine, with one chicken breast containing up to 9 grams.
The second-best arginine source is pork loin, which contains around 14 grams. Finally, Turkey is the highest source of arginine, with a single cooked breast containing around 16 grams.
Fish And Seafood
Salmon, grouper, and tuna fish are exceptionally high in arginine and great food choices for bodybuilders. Salmon is rich in nutrients and contains only a small amount of mercury; it’s great for your body!
Certain seafood like the Alaskan King crab, queen crab, and blue crabs are also good sources of arginine, with one leg of the King crab providing 2000 mg. Arginine can also be found in lobsters, shrimp, and shellfish. What’s more, eating a 3-ounce serving of delicious shrimp gives you up to 2000mg.
Other Sources
Arginine is present in a variety of foods ranging from nuts such as pumpkin seeds and almonds, whole grains like oats, and legumes such as chickpeas and soybeans.
One cup of oats carries more than 1800 mg of arginine, and green soybeans, when cooked, can have 1700 mg in a single cup. Pumpkin seeds, on the other hand, have only 7 grams in one cup, and soybeans contain 4.6 grams in one cup.
Peanuts also carry 4.6 grams in a single cup, similar to spirulina. However, if you mash the spirulina into a smoothie, the arginine count will drastically reduce to 0.28 grams per cup.
Alternatively, you could also try lupin beans or tofu, both of which carry a significant amount of arginine. However, eating too much tofu can cause excessive uric acid, so you have to be careful there.
Other arginine sources include walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, yogurt, milk, cheese, brown rice, buckwheat, and corn.
What Are The Benefits Of L-Arginine In Males?
L-Arginine has a series of benefits ranging from boosting immunity, promoting muscle growth, and improving heart health, to strengthening sexual functionality in males. Read ahead to learn more.
General Health Benefits
Promotes Muscle Growth
Perhaps the most common use of L-Arginine supplements is for improving body mass and facilitating muscle growth. That’s why it’s not uncommon for bodybuilders to take a regular dose of arginine supplements to complement their workout regimens.
A study conducted in 2017 indicates that the amino acid directly increases blood flow to the muscles. There are also claims that the increased blood flow from arginine contributes to the flow of nutrients into the muscles.
Helps Counter Diabetes
One of the prominent effects of diabetes includes damage to the body’s glucose storage and delivery capabilities. As a result, your blood vessels become strained and cannot relax as they should, affecting the entire circulatory system.
L-Arginine is quite helpful for diabetes patients as it helps relax the blood vessels, allowing the circulatory system to function properly. What’s more, it also boosts insulin release in the pancreas through beta cells.
Improves Heart Health
L-Arginine creates nitric oxide, which is essential for widening blood vessels. As a result, blood pressure is reduced, and any internal strains are prevented, leading to a healthy heart. The amino acid is absolutely crucial for older individuals who want to improve their physique.(1)
Sexual Health Benefits
Another category that doctors associate L-Arginine with is the development and improvement of sexual health in males.
There hasn’t been much research done on this; however, a number of males who have taken regular doses of the arginine supplements have showcased moderate improvements.
Does L-Arginine Help You Get Hard?
Although not as effective as Viagra, L-Arginine supplements may have the capability to boost sexual functions in men suffering from erectile dysfunction. However, this is mostly limited to those who have the condition due to a physical reason, such as a prior injury.
Moreover, although arginine does combat ED to a certain extent, it needs a particularly high dosage of around 1500-5000 mg. Even still, the positive results will only be to a moderate degree. We do not recommend using L-Arginine supplements to cure erectile dysfunction.
Does L-Arginine Make You Last Longer In Bed?
In theory, since L-Arginine can mildly improve erections, it should result in longer endurance in the bedroom. However, that is just a theoretical conclusion with no concrete evidence to support the claim. We would not recommend L-Arginine as an aphrodisiac as the effects will only be to a certain extent.
Does L-Arginine Increase Sperm Volume?
Research indicates that L-Arginine can indeed improve sperm count in asthenospermia and oligospermia patients. It also improves sperm motility, which is a plus point, and it does this without any side effects.
