Nitric Oxide supplements are probably the most popular supplements on the fitness market today. Walk into any health food store that caters to bodybuilders, and you'll see names of products such as NO2, Nitrix, NOxplode, SuperPump 250, NOX, TracNO and many others.

I'm a strong supporter in nitric oxide products to build muscle and there's been some double-blind studies that support the effectiveness of nitric oxide supplements. But with so many Nitric Oxide products on the market, how do you know which one works the best for you.

To answer the question of which one would be best for you, let's look at what nitric oxide is. Nitric oxide is a colorless gas that's found in the tissues of all mammals. It's actually a natural vasodilator of smooth muscle (but not skeletal muscle). Nitric oxide also performs cell-to-cell communication for some metabolic functions and this is how it is used by the body to communicate with other body cells.

Natural nitric oxide on its own just lasts briefly in the body. But there is an analog to produce this gas, as it occurs when enzymes in the body break down the amino acid called Arginine (l-arginine).

Nitric Oxide has been determined to control the circulation of blood and may actually increase blood flow. It also sends signals between nerve cells, and can serve to deliver more nutrients to muscle cells, helping the muscles to increase in size when subjected to stress (that "pumped" feeling from working out).

It is these large, full pumps that bodybuilders seek when lifting weights. As a side note: Erectile Dysfunction (ED) prescriptions work in a similar way to increase blood flow (just that ED prescriptions focus on controlling blood flow in a different area).

The MRI company defined this industry when they came out with the first nitric oxide supplement. I believe it is still the best nitric oxide on the market, but usually it's also the most expensive. BSN and MHP and Pinnacle and Gaspari also make good nitric oxide supplements, but to me, they don't seem to be as effective as the MRI NO2, although I believe different people will have varying results until they find the one that works best for them.

The way to tell which nitric oxide supplement will work best for you is to try one for 6 weeks. In about 2 weeks of using a nitric oxide supplement, you should be able to feel a "pump" after your workout and you'll be reminded of this feeling throughout the day as you continue to feel "pumped." It's kind of like that "tight" feeling you might feel the first five minutes in the morning upon arising, before your muscles have had a chance to stretch.

If you don't feel "pumped" and have a renewed desire to head back to the gym each morning after 6 weeks of trying a nitric oxide supplement, try a different one. If the first supplement you try doesn't get you to that "pump," you'll probably only need to try one or two others until you get that "good" feeling. Then you can stick to your chosen nitric oxide generator for a long time.

I should also mention possible side effects of nitric oxide. While I haven't heard or seen any serious health side effects, it's possible to have dizziness, some fatigue, headaches or diarrhea, as these would be symptoms of too much arginine and they'll go away upon reducing the amount of arginine taken.

There's also been some recent reports stating that certain ED prescriptions may cause a sudden blindness, and seeing that some of the process of vasodilation could be similar to nitric oxide, I researched to see if nitric oxide could cause a sudden blindness similar to the ED prescriptions. What I found is that nitric oxide works with a different receptor and it appears that this would not be a problem. I still take NO2 and I really like it.

This information is not meant to replace medical advice. If you need medical help, seek a qualified physician and explore all your options together.

Copyright (c) 2006.