MMA Diet: Nitric Oxide

Tip: Nitric oxide isn’t actually the supplement. The aim of the supplement is to increase levels of nitric oxide in our body, and it does this chiefly through the amino acid L-arginine, which is a nitric oxide precursor. Although most nitric oxide products also contain 20-50 other ingredients (like caffeine and citrulline malate) in order to supplement the supplement’s effect. It’s really a science here. People ask me all the time, “Should I take nitric oxide?” I know what they mean, but often hope they know what they mean. Especially if they’re using it.

Disclaimer: The information below comes both from current research and personal experience. I am not endorsing or recommending. Tip: Nitric oxide supplements are often referred to as NO2. But NO2 is nitric dioxide, a dangerous toxin and auto/industrial pollutant.

The Exclamations:

Can a nitric oxide supplement like BSN’s popular NO Xplode actually deliver everything it claims? Yes, but only with a person who is training properly and only if that athlete is responsive. Considering both of those attributes are met - this rules out many typical nitric oxide users - let’s move forward.

Taken as directed (generally a few scoops mixed in water 30-45 minutes before training), the athlete will experience an enhanced ability to “dial in.” This is terrific for bodybuilding in particular because it means the athlete can better achieve that all-important mind-to-muscle connection. They will better be able to feel their lats fire during chins rather than their biceps, they’ll be better able to “feel” and “target” the muscle from the angle they want. MMA athletes like Cain Velasquez and Forrest Griffin are sponsored by BSN, so how might this supplement impact their mental state? Rather than “dial in” to a muscle, they’ll be ultra-focused on the task at hand - armbar drills, bagwork, etc. And because nitric oxide products also contain caffeine, and caffeine research is proving that it increases memory, the MMA athletes may better remember the subtleties of each technique.

Physically, the “pump” can be phenomenal. Muscles literally swell in size because nitric oxide products cause vasodilation - basically blood pressure increases to cause a widening of blood channels - and this increases the amount of oxygen and nutrient-rich fluids that can be shuttled to support the working muscles. There were times I’d take nitric oxide prior to a squat workout and my glutes, hamstrings and quads were so huge and swollen compared to an hour before that it was actually difficult to walk out of the gym. This effect is also what is reported to increase recovery. I was able to bang out more reps (this could have been because caffeine has a numbing effect on the “burn” sensation) and I generally felt more capable in the gym - sometimes able to get an extra set not just an extra rep. Countless users, athletes of all types, have experiences similar. And it’s this higher capacity that could certainly allow MMA athletes to do more work in the gym. So, nitric oxide can possibly make athletes more efficient with their time in the gym and allow them to accomplish more through an increased workload. Pretty powerful stuff.    

The Asterisks:

It’s short-lived. Even the supplement companies recommend cycling it (taking it for a designated period then stopping for a few weeks). Some users adapt incredibly fast to nitric oxide supplements. Personally, I only used it once or twice a week max. If I used it more days than that the effect wore off quicker, I’d need more or the effect wouldn’t happen at all. Despite only using once or twice a week, I still found I had to back off for weeks at a time because the effect got shorter and shorter. You basically have to monitor your intake and view it like a drug. It can be addicting to get in the gym and blast it, and many users want this natural high every single day. Truth is, no nitric oxide user can make that happen, regardless of what they say in magazines. The body is one of the world’s best adapting mechanisms. Try as we might, sometimes we can’t trick it.

The altered blood pressure (both high and low) can be dangerous for many people - not just those traditionally thought to be in the “high blood pressure” category, like the elderly. Anaerobic sports like MMA mean explosiveness - whether it’s with a deadlift or a takedown, a kettlebell snatch or a knee-strike. These explosive movements are often accompanied with what’s called the “Valsalva” maneuver - a term that basically means the holding of the breath so that the body’s core stabilizes itself. Know how you squeeze when you’re sitting on the toilet? It’s nearly identical to this - and with this movement comes a natural and skyrocketing increase in blood pressure. So, coupled together, nitric oxide and explosive movements that result in the Valsalva could increase blood pressure to dangerous levels that cause fainting or worse. Again, even the supplement companies recognize this and often say their product is designed for “those between 18 and 50 years old.”

Minor side effects like dry mouth and rashes have been reported - although some of the rashes may be due to the natural skin-tingling effects from a combination of arginine, citrulline malate and high levels of B vitamins. Interestingly, herpes outbreaks are reportedly higher (and more intense) with nitric oxide users because L-arginine impacts the virus’s ability to replicate. The amino acid L-lysine can then lessen this effect. Told you, it’s a true science here!    

Nitric Oxide on General Health:

Some studies have shown that increased levels of nitric oxide can actually help neurotransmitters, support the immune system and reduce general inflammation - which research shows has direct links to many cardiovascular diseases. But nitric oxide boosting need not come from supplements - things like pure cocoa powder, coffee, walnuts and coconut can naturally produce similar effects, albeit less intense. Exercise in general boosts our body’s levels of nitric oxide. Being at a healthy bodyweight and having healthy cholesterol numbers can mean you may have less plaque in your arteries, and less plaque means nitric oxide travels better.

Cameron is the author of Caged: Memoirs of a Cage-Fighting Poet.