5 replies to this topic

[magnelectro]

In a supplement-buying frenzy I acquired 250g of AAKG. I am not a body builder, but I recall reading about numerous beneficial effects. While I am dubious of claims such as those quoted below, I loath to waste. I am aware that every supplement has risks--from heavy metal contamination to unknown metabolic effects. Do you think there is enough scientific justification for taking this product given it is already purchased and cannot be returned? Do you think it would be beneficial? Or should I simply throw it away?

Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (A-AKG)

Arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) is a salt formed by combining two molecules of the amino acid Arginine and one molecule of alpha-ketoglutarate. Because AKG seems to be involved in amino acid synthesis and protein availability, many athletes supplement with AKG as a way to increase muscle mass and strength – although the evidence for its effectiveness is this regard is quite limited.

Increases muscle size and strength
Reduces body fat
Stimulates the immune system


AKG has been used to treat patients suffering from burns, surgery, malnutrition and other trauma. Although the precise mechanism is unknown, AKG treatment decreases muscle protein catabolism (breakdown) and/or increases protein synthesis, in addition to promoting wound healing. AKG may promote the secretion of anabolic hormones such as insulin and growth hormone and increase amino acid metabolism (glutamine & arginine), which may help explain some of the clinical findings.

Scientific Support

Arginine and Arginine are precursors of nitric oxide and polyamines, respectively -metabolites which participate in a number of metabolic functions. AKG supplements have been shown to promote growth hormone and insulin secretion with anabolic effects in postoperative patients. Their intermediary metabolites (glutamine & proline) may also have beneficial effects in promoting recovery from trauma. In animal studies, AKG supplementation increases levels of arginine and glutamine in skeletal muscles and stimulates immune system function compared to animals not receiving AKG. The immunomodulatory properties found with AKG suggest that it may enhance host-defense mechanisms, particularly during injury and acute stress

AKG supplements (15 grams per day for 5 months) have been shown to improve growth rates in small children. The AKG supplements resulted in elevated concentrations of anabolic (growth) hormones and amino acid metabolites, including insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), glutamine and glutamate. In another study of healthy men, AKG given at 10 grams per day resulted in a 20-30% elevation in insulin (another anabolic hormone), which were not observed with supplementation of either Arginine or alpha-ketoglutarate alone.

A test tube study found that AKG induces a significant increase in growth of human fibroblasts – cells with similarities to muscle fiber cells. This effect was dose-dependent, meaning that a more pronounced growth effect was noted with increasing levels of AKG (but not with increasing levels of Arginine or alpha-ketoglutarate alone).

In one study, the anti-catabolic effects of AKG were investigated in 14 multiple trauma patients who were highly catabolic and hyper-metabolic. One group of subjects received 20 grams of AKG per day and showed a significant increase in protein turnover as well as a an increase in blood levels of insulin, growth hormone, and free amino acids (glutamine, proline and Arginine) compared to subjects not receiving AKG supplements.


IronMagazine highly recommends Nitro4 which contains the highest quality Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (A-AKG).


References:
1. Cochard A, Guilhermet R, Bonneau M. Plasma growth hormone (GH), insulin and amino acid responses to arginine with or without aspartic acid in pigs. Effect of the dose. Reprod Nutr Dev 1998 May-Jun;38(3):331-43.
2. Jeevanandam M, Petersen SR. Substrate fuel kinetics in enterally fed trauma patients supplemented with Arginine alpha ketoglutarate. Clin Nutr 1999 Aug;18(4):209-17.

http://www.ironmagaz...m/review58.html

[shaggy]

I like it...

It has powerful and long acting vaso-dilating effect, good for pre-workout supplementation in the gym... and elsewhere.

I have also read several article on pub med and ergo-log sugesting it has benefits, in improving body composition, growth hormone increases etc...

Doesn't arginine improve/reduce atherosclerotic plaques too?

Not a magic potion but I'll stick with it all the same.

Edited by shaggy, 12 January 2010 - 01:00 PM.

[kilgoretrout]

Does it tend to aggrivate/reactivate latent HPV like straight Arginine can, and stimulate appearance of cold sores? Is it advisable to take supplementa Lysine other times of the day to counter balance it for this or other reasons?

I like it...

It has powerful and long acting vaso-dilating effect, good for pre-workout supplementation in the gym... and elsewhere.

I have also read several article on pub med and ergo-log sugesting it has benefits, in improving body composition, growth hormone increases etc...

Doesn't arginine improve/reduce atherosclerotic plaques too?

Not a magic potion but I'll stick with it all the same.

[magnelectro]

I like it...

It has powerful and long acting vaso-dilating effect, good for pre-workout supplementation in the gym... and elsewhere.

I have also read several article on pub med and ergo-log sugesting it has benefits, in improving body composition, growth hormone increases etc...

Doesn't arginine improve/reduce atherosclerotic plaques too?

Not a magic potion but I'll stick with it all the same.

Currently I take it throughout the day in my water at a very low dose (330mg). Would you suggest saving it for pre-workout and...uh...pre-elsewhere instead? What dose do you take? Have you noticed any interactions/side effects?

[shaggy]

I like it...

It has powerful and long acting vaso-dilating effect, good for pre-workout supplementation in the gym... and elsewhere.

I have also read several article on pub med and ergo-log sugesting it has benefits, in improving body composition, growth hormone increases etc...

Doesn't arginine improve/reduce atherosclerotic plaques too?

Not a magic potion but I'll stick with it all the same.

Currently I take it throughout the day in my water at a very low dose (330mg). Would you suggest saving it for pre-workout and...uh...pre-elsewhere instead? What dose do you take? Have you noticed any interactions/side effects?

Crickey that is a low dose...

I normally take around 5grams in one go. It has a much longer half life than L Arginine which gives it a much longer duration of action. I think before bed time is good for a number of reasons, an increase in GH is one.

[magnelectro]

Crickey that is a low dose...

I normally take around 5grams in one go. It has a much longer half life than L Arginine which gives it a much longer duration of action. I think before bed time is good for a number of reasons, an increase in GH is one.

I know! I've been cautious until I had a chance to do more research. Based on the following studies I'm about to increase my dosage with the goal of reducing blood pressure and increasing insulin sensitivity.

A couple questions: Do you only take it on training days? How often do you work out? Any idea what the half-life is? Should I take the daily dose all at once or would it be beneficial to take throughout the day (just not with meals, obviously)?

To the person who voted harmful: WHY?
I would pm you, but I'm not sure who you are.

Here is some research I ran across:

Arginine Reduces Blood Pressure in Healthy Adults

More and more studies are being published showing the beneficial effects of arginine supplementation on blood pressure. A recent study in Italy examined blood pressure changes among six healthy male volunteers who were placed on three different diets.2 The first diet consisted of foods that contained 3 to 4 grams of arginine per day. The second diet was high in arginine-rich foods (nuts and legumes), so that these volunteers consumed about 10 grams of arginine daily. The third diet was the same as the first, except for the addition of 10 grams of supplemental arginine daily.

After only one week, the men on both diets 2 and 3 registered significant decreases in blood pressure compared to those on diet 1. Interestingly, a statistically significant reduction in blood glucose (blood sugar) was also seen in the men on diet 2 or diet 3. Although the authors readily admit that the study had serious limitations (the short duration and the small number of subjects), they concluded that "the present study indicates that an approximately two-fold increase in dietary L-arginine intake had significant hemodynamic and metabolic effects in a group of healthy men."

Arginine Reduces Blood Pressure in Diabetics

People who suffer from diabetes have an increased risk for developing coronary artery disease, of which high blood pressure is often a significant component. Scientists are now looking at how arginine might help people with diabetes, in terms of both reducing their blood pressure and helping their bodies use insulin more efficiently.

A recent study examined the effects on blood pressure when arginine was given to six patients with type 2 (age-related) diabetes and hypertension.3 They received 3 grams of arginine every hour for 10 hours on either day 2 or day 3 of the study. On both of these days, their blood pressure was monitored for the same 10 hours. The results showed that the patients' systolic and diastolic pressures were significantly reduced only 2 hours after they started taking arginine.

A recent study showed that
arginine supplementation
(9 grams daily) may help people
with type 2 diabetes utilize
glucose more efficiently by
improving their insulin sensitivity.

As with the previously mentioned study, this one was small and needs to be reproduced on a larger scale before any firm conclusions can be drawn. However, since many scientists believe that endothelial dysfunction in the blood vessels is one of the reasons why diabetes is associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, taking supplemental arginine, with its known beneficial effects on endothelial cells, seems to make sense.

Arginine Improves Insulin Sensitivity

One of the main physiological problems in type 2 diabetes is that the body's cells become increasingly resistant to the action of insulin. This is the hormone that helps cells take in glucose (the "fuel" the body needs to stay alive) from the blood. If insulin resistance develops, glucose is not transported into the cells as efficiently as it should be, and it builds up in the blood. That is why people with diabetes are often said to have high blood sugar - and it must be controlled. A recent study showed that arginine supplementation (9 grams daily) may help people with type 2 diabetes utilize glucose more efficiently by improving their insulin sensitivity.4

Arginine - Good for Sex!

Besides helping to control hypertension, arginine can also give a boost to one's sex life. Nitric oxide produced from arginine increases blood flow to the penis in men and to the clitoris in women. Because of this, men who take arginine often have stronger, firmer erections, while women can gain increased clitoral sensitivity. When you put these two together (so to speak), you can see why almost all major sexual supplements on the market today contain a hefty dose of arginine.

Arginine Helps Keep the Pressure Down

As our population grows ever older, conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and hypertension will affect more and more people. Fortunately, through a nutritious diet, regular exercise, and supplements such as arginine, there are natural, side-effect-free ways to stay in good physical shape and keep the pressures of life down.

References

Calvert, JF. Cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Clinics Fam Pract 2001;3(4):733-56.
Siani A, Pagano E, Iacone R, et al. Blood pressure and metabolic changes during dietary L-arginine supplementation in humans. Am J Hyperten 2000;13:547-51.
Huynh NT, Tayek JA. Oral arginine reduces systemic blood pressure in type 2 diabetes: its potential role in nitric oxide generation. J Am Coll Nutr 2002;5:422-7.
Piatti P, Monti LD, Vilsecchi G, et al. Long-term oral L-arginine administration improves peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic patients. Diab Care 2001;24:875-80.

So, what do YOU think? AAKG: Beneficial, useless, or harmful? What dosage? Only for hypertensive diabetics? Only for manly men?
Please share your opinion and any research you have come across on the subject.