: Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2008 Jan;11(1):50-4. Links
Growth hormone, arginine and exercise.Kanaley JA.
Department of Exercise Science, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA. jakanale@syr.edu
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To describe the effect of an acute bout of exercise on growth hormone responses and to discuss the effect of L-arginine supplementation on growth hormone responses. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies have shown that resting growth hormone responses increase with oral ingestion of L-arginine and the dose range is 5-9 g of arginine. Within this range there is a dose-dependent increase and higher doses are not well tolerated. Most studies using oral arginine have shown that arginine alone increases the resting growth hormone levels at least 100%, while exercise can increase growth hormone levels by 300-500%. The combination of oral arginine plus exercise attenuates the growth hormone response, however, and only increases growth hormone levels by around 200% compared to resting levels. SUMMARY: Exercise is a very potent stimulator of growth hormone release and there is considerable research documenting the dramatic growth hormone rise. At rest oral L-arginine ingestion will enhance the growth hormone response and the combination of arginine plus exercise increases growth hormone, but this increase may be less than seen with exercise alone. This diminished response is seen in both in both younger and older individuals.
Growth Horm IGF Res. 2005 Apr;15(2):136-9. Epub 2005 Jan 26. Links
Growth hormone responses to varying doses of oral arginine.Collier SR, Casey DP, Kanaley JA.
Department of Exercise Science, Syracuse University, 820 Comstock Avenue, Room 201, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
Intravenous (IV) arginine invokes an increase in growth hormone (GH) concentrations, however, little is known about the impact of oral arginine ingestion on the GH response. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the dose of oral arginine that elicits an optimal GH response and to determine the time course of the response. DESIGN: Eight healthy males (18-33 years - 24.8+/-1.2 years) were studied on 4 separate occasions. Following an overnight fast at 0700 h, a catheter was placed in a forearm vein. Blood samples were taken every 10 min for 5 h. Thirty minutes after sampling was initiated, the subject ingested a dose of arginine (5, 9 or 13 g) or placebo (randomly assigned). RESULTS: Mean resting GH values for the placebo, 5, 9 and 13 g day were 0.76, 0.67, 2.0 and 0.79 microg/L (n=6), respectively. Integrated area under the curve was not different with 13 g (197.8+/-65.7 min microg/L), yet it increased with 5 and 9 g compared with the placebo (301.5+/-74.6, 524.28+/-82.9 and 186.04+/-47.8 min microg/L, respectively, P<0.05). Mean peak GH levels were 2.9+/-0.69, 3.9+/-0.85, 6.4+/-1.3 and 4.73+/-1.27 microg/L on each day for the placebo, 5, 9 and 13 g days. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, 5 and 9 g of oral arginine caused a significant GH response. A 13 g dose of arginine resulted in considerable gastrointestinal distress in most subjects without augmentation in the GH response. The rise in GH concentration started approximately 30 min after ingestion and peaked approximately 60 min post ingestion.
so yes arginine does have an effect on growth hormone, as well as prolactin, insulin, glucagon and various other hormones.
However if your looking for a real good NO product, the best supplement is agmatine, much more potent then arginine. Agmantine is a novel neurotransmitter, do a bit of research on it, i think you'll like the product.
