# Megadosing L-Arginine



## brodus (Feb 17, 2004)

Okay, we all know that L-Arginine is a crucial amino acid, a booster of nitric oxide, and a good thing to take before bed to boost GH levels.

But studies say you must take 30-50 gms./day to really boost GH levels.  That's also the amount doctors give to burn patients to increase skin growth and muscle recovery.   It's proven to work.

Has anyone tried this? 

I could only do 8gms a night w/ pills before it got expensive. 

You could do it pretty cheaply via the powder (I think a kilo is only about $20)  That's 44 50-gram doses.


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## 22"bi's (Feb 18, 2004)

There are better ways to stimulate GH levels. GABA for one....
I take 3g argnine powder(which tastes like dog crap, its pills that have been grounded up) before my workout, just to get that blood moving into those muscles....but thats it....I would think that taking 50 gs of argnine would probably send u into argnine poisining at some point....
EVERYTHING IN MODERATION, ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Arnold (Feb 18, 2004)

you're supposed to take GABA at night before bed.


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## 22"bi's (Feb 18, 2004)

rightly said prince, brodus was looking for something to boost his GH levels at night.....thats why i recommended it


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## Arnold (Feb 18, 2004)

so why would you take it before a work-out, what is it going to do?


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## brodus (Feb 18, 2004)

Cool, thanks, I'll look into GABA.

Does GABA have the research behind it that L-Arginine does?


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## Arnold (Feb 18, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by brodus *_
> Does GABA have the research behind it that L-Arginine does?



Take this for what it's worth, it came from AST who sells GABA:


*The latest research on GABA: The growth hormone booster*

by Paul Cribb, B.H.Sci HMS
AST Director of Research

The amino acid Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in growth hormone (GH) secretion. Twenty years ago, a group of Italian researchers published several studies showing GABA???s unique ability to significantly increase circulating GH levels (1,2). Despite these promising results, virtually no other research has examined the effects of GABA supplementation on GH release, until this year.

There are at least seven known isotopes of GH found in circulation in humans, only a few of these are considered bioactive (5). GH is a powerful anabolic hormone that builds lean mass and enhances athletic performance. While the Italian researchers did not assess bioactive GH concentrations, the ability of GABA to raise circulating GH concentrations makes it supplement of great potential to strength athletes and others that desire optimal GH output.

How GABA works . . .

GABA is the only supplement available today with evidence of its effectiveness to increase circulating GH levels. GABA does not cross the blood-brain barrier (i.e., it cannot be transported efficiently into the brain from the bloodstream) (4). Therefore, GABA supplementation does not increase GABA concentrations in the brain. However, pharmacological (5 gram) doses of GABA are shown to produce highly significant (P<0.001) increases in GH in healthy humans (1,2). In relation to neurotransmission, GABA is released continuously from nerve terminals (3). GABA transporters have been identified on neurons and astrocytes. It appears that GABA is taken up predominantly by neurons and thought to inhibit somatostatin neurons in the preoptic/anterior hypothalamic area to facilitate GH release (3,4,5)

The latest research . . .

This year at the American Collage of Sports Medicine???s Annual meeting, a group of scientists from the University of Gainesville, Florida presented research on the effects of GABA supplementation in bodybuilders undertaking resistance training (7).

Seven male bodybuilders (21±1.28 yrs; 81±10.6kgs) participated in four randomly ordered testing conditions, 1) at rest following ingestion of a placebo, 2) at rest following ingestion of 3-grams of GABA, 3) consumption of GABA (3-grams) immediately before resistance training exercise and 4) consumption of a placebo before resistance training. The GABA and placebo was provided in capsules.

The exercised trials involved the subjects performing 1 set to failure using 70% of their one-rep max in a series of multi-joint exercises. Blood samples were taken every 15 minutes for a total of 90 minutes after intake of the supplements. A high quality analysis procedure (ELISA) determined serum GH and immunofunctional GH (IFGH) ??? a bioactive form of GH.

Although results showed that GABA supplementation had no effect on resting GH levels, when taken before resistance training GABA produced significantly higher GH levels after the workout. GH levels were significantly higher 15 and 30 minutes following GABA supplementation. While the resistance training was effective at producing significantly higher levels of IFGH, GABA supplementation did not cause any further increases.

What these results mean to athletes . . . 

This is the first study to examine the effects of GABA supplementation on blood GH levels after exercise. In this research, GABA supplementation (3-grams) produced significantly better GH increases from resistance training. Although GABA supplementation cause no further increase in a bioactive form of GH, these results are very interesting as consistently higher GH secretion after training may have a very positive effect on long term strength and muscle gains.

The anabolic stimulus of resistance training lasts for up to 48 hours following the workout. The bioactivity or inactive of the GH molecule in circulation could alter over this time frame ??? scientists aren???t sure. Higher concentrations of GH may amplify the anabolic effect of intense training and provide better strength and muscle mass gains over the long term.

Based on this research, a small dose of GABA just before your workout may result in significantly higher GH secretion during and after training. Athletes and bodybuilders that compete in drug tested federations can use GABA to boost GH levels naturally. In any athlete???s language, this supplement approach is defiantly worth a try.


References: 
1. J Clin Endocr Metab, 51, 789-792, 1980.
2. Acta Endocrinol Feb;93(2):149-54, 1980.
3. J Neurochem, Vol. 73, No. 4, 1335-1342, 1999.
4. Brain Res. May 21;374(1):119-2, 1986.
5. Physiol. Rev. 79: 511-607, 1999. 
6. Med Sci Sports Exerc 35;5:A1500, 2003.


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## brodus (Feb 18, 2004)

Thanks, Prince!

I started this thred in part b/c it seems that a lot of new L-Arg supps seem to be coming on the market, and some actually have FDA approval for their claims.

I don't know if I ever said it, but you've got a great thing here--this site is a very valuable resource to all of us.  I wish it existed when I was still in High School!


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## 22"bi's (Feb 18, 2004)

prince, in my original thread, i said that i took 3 gs of argnine(NOT GABA) before workout......


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## Arnold (Feb 18, 2004)

oh, okay...I missed that.


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## 22"bi's (Feb 18, 2004)

no prob. bro....


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