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The amino acid arginine is involved in several body functions, including stimulating immune function, assisting in wound healing, promoting secretion of various hormones such as growth hormone, insulin, and glucagons, and facilitating the removal of excess ammonia from the body.
Body builders have been especially interested on the effect arginine has on levels of the growth hormone. When equal amounts of ornithine and arginine (500mg, twice a day, five times a week) were administered in a controlled study and combined with weight training, a larger reduction of body fat was reached after just five weeks than when the same amount of exercise was combined with a placebo. However, another studied showed that when 5g of arginine powder was administered orally, 30 minutes before exercising, the growth hormone remained unaffected, and in the case of some younger adults, was even impaired.
Because arginine is needed to enhance protein synthesis, which can also cause an increase in cellular replication, it may prove beneficial in treating people who suffer from inadequate amounts of specified cells. For instance, some studies have shown that low sperm counts in men have been elevated with the use of supplemental arginine.
Also, because it enhances the synthesis of proteins, thus improving the process of wound healing, both animals and people have been shown to benefit from daily supplemental doses of 17 grams of arginine.
Additionally, arginine has been noted as a forerunner to nitric oxide, which insures that adequate levels of oxygen are reaching the heart by keeping blood vessels dilated. Because of this, researchers have started to use arginine to treat people suffering from congestive heart failure and angina.
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