Nitric Oxide (NO) or nitrogen monoxide is a naturally occurring gas in our bodies. It utilizes two amino acids to manufacture this acid; arginine and citruline. Foods such as sesame seeds, spinach and crab are good sources of arginine. Nitric oxide is commonly used by athletes for endurance exercises due to its ability to hasten recovery process in the muscles. Of course there many other health benefits of nitric oxide.
Health Benefit 1: Reduces Blood Pressure
As a vaso-dilator, nitric oxide helps to cut down high blood pressure. It expands or contracts arteries hence facilitating smooth flow of more blood through them. This aspect is particularly important to body builders who have to drive more blood to the muscles with the need to vascularize the blood vessels.
Health Benefit 2: Cardiovascular Health
Nitric oxide makes uses arginine and citruline, the two main amino acids in it to combat various heart conditions such as heart attacks and strokes. It works hand in hand with nitroglycerine a drug that triggers its release into the blood to combat plaque. As a result, it helps prevent development of stroke among other cardiovascular conditions.
Health Benefit 3: Enhance Body Strength
As a transmitter substance, Nitric oxide has been found to be effective in enhancing body strength especially during training. It cools the tissues to avoid overheating, hence reserves energy for workout. A study has established increased stamina among its users, who went ahead to do more benches presses than their counterparts under placebo. In short, it enhances endurance by countering the lactic acid build-up during exercise. This acid causes muscle pain and fatigue when it accumulates in the tissues.
Health Benefit 4: Boosts sex
By expanding blood vessels and allowing more blood to flow through arteries and veins, nitric acid boosts sex drive. Obstructed blood flow to the reproductive organs has often been associated with reduced libido and erection problems. It also assists impotence drugs such as Viagra to perform effectively by causing increased enzyme action and subsequent flow of blood for successful erection.
Health Benefit 5: Increased Glucose Release
Nitric oxide has been observed to accelerate the pace at which glucose is burnt up in the muscles cells as the rate of exercise increases. Evidence points to accumulation of nonesterified fatty acid and glycerol after use of nitric oxide during workout. This shows a sequential burning of glucose as a precursor to burning of fat, which is usually highly recommended.
Health Benefit 6: Builds Muscles Faster
If you want a feeling of tight muscles after a workout, then nitric oxide is the pump machine that delivers exactly that. It enhances blood flow to the muscles and holds out longer after exercise, giving you a tight full muscle that you crave for.
Health benefit 7: Improves Inter-cellular Communication
Imagine a subsistence that enables 50 trillion cells to communicate. As a chemical transmitter, nitric oxide sends messages to all these cells, enhancing chemical transmission.
Health benefit 8: Enhances Gastric Motility
Nitric oxide has been found to be quite effective in promoting movements of the stomach that assist in digestion. It aids in the movement of food right from the stomach to the pyloric sphincter and finally to the duodenum.
