Muscles are predominantly composed of proteins and as amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, amino acids are essential in the diet for building muscle mass. With an increasing number of athletes opting for HGH supplements to boost their muscle strength, the use of amino acids as supplements has attracted renewed interest from both athletes and researchers. However, the exact effects of amino acids such as ornithine and arginine on muscle growth have not yet been thoroughly researched.
Arginine.
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New Study On Athletes Using Amino Acid Supplements
Researchers have recently examined the effects of ornithine and arginine in a double-blind study. The study included athletic participants, who were then asked to perform heavy resistance exercise for three weeks while receiving supplements such as ornithine and arginine. In addition to the amino acids, the athletes also received hormone replacement therapy that included human growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor-binding-protein-3 (IGFBP-3), cortisol, testosterone, and insulin.
Ornithine
Methodology: The participants were separated into two groups, one group made of eight participants received a placebo while the other group of nine participants received supplementation with both ornithine and arginine. Both groups were asked to perform standardized exercise tests after receiving a loading dose of the same supplements as they had previously consumed during their training sessions. Blood samples of fasting states were acquired during rest and after exercise. The samples obtained after the exercise were taken at an interval of two minutes and one hour after completion of the exercise.
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Implications of Study Findings
While comparing the results between the two groups, there was no significant difference between the resting levels of the IGFBP-3 and other hormones. But after exercise, all hormone levels including Insulin-like growth factor-1 and growth hormone were found to have risen to a significant degree in both groups of participants.
After ornithine and arginine supplementation, a notable rise was seen in the serum levels of Growth Hormone and IGF-1. At the same time, a considerable decrease in IGFBP-3 protein was observed during the recovery period after the completion of the exercise. Researchers believe that the GH/IGF-1/IGFBP-3 complex is possibly the chief factor responsible for response training in muscle tissue as no contrasting difference in hormonal levels was observed between the two groups post supplementation with ornithine and arginine.
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The study’s findings although important are not highly significant due to the small scale of the research. A larger-scale study examining the sustained effects of ornithine and arginine on muscle growth corresponding with levels of growth hormone and IGF-1 over a long duration is required to confirm the accuracy of the results of this double-blind study.
References
FEEDBACK:
Hi,
Thank you for the article, Effect of Arginine and Ornithine on GH and IGF-1 After Exercise. You mention that after exercise, all hormone levels including insuline-like growth factor 1 and GH were found to have risen to a significant degree in both groups. Then you say, After arginine and ornithine supplementation, a notable rise was seen in the serum levels of Growth Hormone and IGF-1. Significant and notable can both mean the same thing. Did the ones who took l-arginine and l-ornithine have a higher rise in IGF-1 than the ones who exercised with no supplements? If so, how much was the difference? Was the difference statistically significant? Thank you.
Randy