Nitric Oxide – Is It Worth the Hype?

It is often said that bodybuilders use nitric oxide to get a bigger muscle mass and increase blood flow, but do you know the actual truth behind this substance?

Before everything else, you need to know what nitric oxide is. It is a stable gas that is available in the free form and contains one atom of oxygen and one atom of nitrogen. It is often produced by bacteria and released by the combustion of nitrogen, for example, car combustion igniting or lighting. Even the human body produces nitrogen in various cells.

Furchgott, Murad and Ignarro, the elite group of pharmacists discovered why nitric oxide is vital for the development and metabolism of the body and also demonstrated its role in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The research on nitric oxide showed that they can penetrate the membranes and adjacent tissues very quickly and also regulate the functioning of the cells around their close areas. The cellular signalling mechanism of the gas was an entirely new find, and it was something remarkable in biology. The three scientists also got the Nobel Prize for this research in 1998.

The endothelial cells together with the smooth muscle tissues from the blood vessels. The cells that are responsible for producing nitric oxide also signals the surrounding muscle tissues that they need to relax. As soon as the muscle tissues relax, the diameter of the blood vessels increases, and it further improves the blood circulation by decreasing the pressure inside the vessels that helps to pump more blood into the vital organs, heart, kidneys, and liver. Apart from the flow of blood, nitric oxide also helps to improve the inhibition of platelet aggregation, and they also help to create deposits in the blood vessel walls.

Nitric oxide has several other functions apart from the ones mentioned above. Nitric oxide is also used by nerve cells so that they can activate other cells within the vicinity so that they can adjust the other functions of the nervous system. Nitric oxide in the white blood cells like macrophages is used to suppress parasites and bacteria that have an adverse effect on the body. Their association with the blood flow has helped to reduce the rejections in transplants and improve the treatments related to erectile dysfunction. The improvement in blood flow also helps the kidneys and liver to detoxify the body.

Now that you have an idea of the role of nitric oxide on metabolism, you can understand why it is important for athletes. When there is better blood flow to the important organs, it automatically increases the blood flow in the muscle tissues. This helps to supply the muscle cells with nutrients and also absorb them so that they can rebuild quickly. There is better oxygenation of the cells and more energy and endurance once the circulation improves.

Nitric oxide is a boon for the hardcore bodybuilders. When there is an improvement in the blood flow into the muscle tissues, they make the muscles bigger and tougher. Those who have already gone through several sets of curls with a bar or dumbbells will be exhausted when their muscles are pumped to the fullest. Their biceps get rock solid. This feeling of pumped-up muscles is what bodybuilders live for. When the vessels get dilated due to the increased nitric oxide in the muscles, it creates that feeling of a pump and makes the muscles look tougher and bigger. Also, the pumping of the muscles is visible in the arteries and veins that give a well-vascularized appearance of the muscles. Apart from producing bigger and stronger muscles, it has also been proven that nitric oxide is amazing for better sexual performance.

So, the scientific evidence has proven that the increased content of nitric oxide in the body helps to boost the athletes and bodybuilders because there is a definite improvement in their metabolism. However, nitric oxide may not be so useful to the people who only exercise occasionally. It is meant for those who exercise regularly and according to a routine because the results are visible after their body is stimulated with nitric oxide. There is no reason why people should give others a competitive advantage. They have every right to look as big and solid as their competitors.