L-Arginine is an amino acid that most bodies create enough of on their own. But there can be deficiencies that call for supplementation. Those deficiencies, it turns out, can lead to hormone imbalances, and in those cases a supplement can make all the difference.
Too often I find myself reading decades-old ebook scans of textbooks written about obscure herbs found in the Amazon. But every so often I’m reminded that many proven testosterone boosters are readily available through known nutrient sources. And L-Arginine is one of them.
What You Need to Know
Main Body of Evidence
Scientific consensus is hard to reach, so when a prestigious publication like the Journal of Endocrinology publishes a paper claiming that taking dietary L-Arginine plays a role in Testosterone action in the body, we should all pay attention.
Recent studies in the older men with ED not only found that L-Arginine helped with sexual dysfunction, but also raised Testosterone. That study combined L-Arginine with an herbal remedy, but what about L-Arginine alone? A 3-month study of a similar population reinforced this effect–though their testosterone gains weren’t statistically significant.
We also have evidence that in diets with low Arginine, supplementing with it from an external source has positive and effective T-Boosting outcomes. In a somewhat bizarre turn, other studies have shown that supplementing with L-Arginine can help with heat-damaged testes cells, or even Leydig cells compromised by some food poisonings.
How to Take L-Arginine
As mentioned above, L-Arginine is found naturally in healthy mammals. Other dietary sources include:
Finding it in such a wide variety of healthy foods, foods with athletes may already be taking in high quantities, may explain a study that didn’t find significant T-gains in athletes. These sorts of studies are important to keep in mind for our own personal use and context. If you’re a prime athlete who is already on top of their amino-acid game, then you may not need supplementation of L-Arginine.
On the other hand, if you’re like the millions of men looking at the effects of aging and reduced intake of essential nutrients, then products like Testogen might be a great idea. Not only does it contain L-Arginine in its Instant Drops, but their main line of T-Booster also has a complete formula for total-T health.
Other Effects of L-Arginine
We’ve seen in other natural ingredients that the effects on our Testosterone levels can be part of a larger mechanism. Like with Ashwagandha reducing stress and that leading less Cortisol, i.e., more Testosterone.
A similar mechanism is at play with L-Arginine, as well. Because it’s an essential amino-acid, it’s been studied and proven to be a vital component of muscle growth during high-intensity workout regimens.
This in turn can lead directly to better Testosterone results, as research has time and again shown a direct link between exercise and higher T.
In short, not only have studies indicated a direct link between L-Arginine and Testosterone production, but also given us a secondary mechanism, wherein we can more efficiently build muscle, leading to better and more productive workouts, but that that can result in better Testosterone.
Conclusion
The overall effects of something as essential as L-Arginine can’t really be covered in a short article. Amino acids are literally the building blocks of all muscle in the body–affecting our digestion, our heart beats, and yes, our larger muscles we’re trying to make look good in a tight shirt.
Which all means that we probably aren’t done learning about L-Arginine’s total effect on our T-production. But for now, we can safely say it’s not only a safe supplement ingredient, but highly effective for fitness and Testosterone production.