We can often see an addition of vitamin C to pre-workout stacks. But, that can be a little problem for people who are training, because vitamin C have anti-inflammatory properties, which can limit effects of training.
Vitamin C - basic information
Vitamin C is a part of chemical substances group called antioxidants, which efficiently inhibit secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which in result is a signal for organism, that there is no need of repairing damaged muscle fibres.
Vitamin C and NO Boosters
However, it turns out, that addition of vitamin C in training supplementation, can give out an effect of more intensive “muscle pump”. Now, using arginine, to improve vasodilatation, is very popular in nearly every kind of sport, to support power output on training, and its final effectiveness. People using arginine, are talking about it in context of supporting proper muscle actions, and faster regeneration which effects are a result of intensification of blood circulation. One more very important reason, is that “muscle pump”, can act as a motivation, to give out even more of us at training.
What’s more, arginine is a substance, which have an impact on hormonal system, including HGH. In sportsmen’s environment, we don’t need to explain, how important is an optimized hormonal system, high testosterone level, or proper HGH and IGF-1 levels. That’s why supplementation considering hormonal system is so important, especially for people training naturally.
In latest studies, It was shown, that vitamin C, can expand positive vasodilation effects of arginine, due to suppression of oxygen degradation.
Researchers have indicated, that using just L-arginine, affects improving strength and raising muscle mass (due to vasodilation effect, described before). Addition of vitamin C, intesify activity of this amino acid, what is really suprising. Vitamin C, as antioxidant, affects free radcials, which in result should supress their activity.
In study there were 3 groups (20 young footballers, at the age 17-19). First group was given 3g of L-arginine with addition of 1g of Vitamin C. Second group was given only 1 g of vitamin C. Study lasted for 8 weeks, during which, participants were training 3 times a week.
What conclusion have been drawn?
Group which was given L-arginine with vitamin C, significantly increased muscle mass, and strength of legs. Group which was given just vitamin C, didn’t showed any significant changes in body composition, as well as in legs strength.
What does that mean to us?
The use of L-arginine efficiently help in changing body composition, which finally improves results in building muscle mass, and strength of muscles. Supplementing only vitamin C, which suppress activity of free radicals, doesn’t affect a nitric oxide secretion. However combination of arginine and vitamin C, efficiently stimulate nitric oxide synthesis, which can be really useful in pre-workout stacks.
