NO2

[Pitbull]

Has anyone heard of or used the supplement NO2? I know of a guy in my area that is stacking it with Creatine and has apparently gotten great results. I'm just curious about the supplement and whether or not it's safe and effective.

[live4football]

I haven't heard anything on it not being safe...as far as I know it is.

what I can tell you though is that, from my personal experience, it's a waste.

I tried NO2, as well as the Pinacle 1/2 price imitation NOX2. Neither one did anything for me.

When NO2 1st came out, I heard all the hype as well. But in the last 6 months or so, all the reviews I've heard have not been very favorable.

hope this helps-

[dos]

Got this emailed to me today from an RD friend of mine...

NO Supplements? No Way!

Ellen Coleman, RD, MA, MPH ©

Sports Medicine Digest

Vol 26, No 6 pages 70-71

Supplements that allegedly increase nitric oxide (NO) levels within the body are being heavily marketed to build muscles. “Nitric oxide” supplements supposedly: 1) promote an extended “muscle pump;” 2) signal muscle growth and speed recovery; and 3) increase muscle strength and improve muscle stamina.

Nitric oxide (a gas manufactured by the body) is a key signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system. It is different from other known signal molecules and so unstable that it is converted to nitrate and nitrite within seconds. Nitric oxide regulates blood pressure and acts as a gatekeeper of blood flow to different organs. In addition to vascular regulation, nitric oxide plays an important role in immune responses and neuronal signal transmission. The 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for discoveries concerning nitric oxide as a signal molecule (see Nobel webpage) – a fact which some websites capitalize on to promote their “nitric oxide” supplements.

The non-essential amino acid arginine is the substrate for the nitric oxide synthase enzyme, which catalyzes the oxidation of arginine to produce nitric oxide and citrulline.

Nitric oxide supplements usually contain arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, which purportedly increases and maintains a high level of nitric oxide in muscles. In theory, the production of nitric oxide from the supplemental arginine promotes vasodilation, which increases blood flow, oxygen transport, and delivery of nutrients to skeletal muscle during resistance training. This purportedly results in dramatic increases in muscle size and strength. The directions for one product recommend taking 3 tablets (3 grams) twice a day, once in the morning on an empty stomach and 30 minutes prior to lunch for a total of 6 grams per day. But wait, where’s the scientific support for “nitric oxide” supplements?

Campbell and colleagues at the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Lab of Baylor University in Waco, Texas examined the effects of arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG) supplementation during training on body composition and training adaptations in experienced resistance-trained men (see Campbell et al, 2004). The study was presented as a poster presentation at a sports nutrition conference in Las Vegas, Nevada in June. The 35 resistance-trained male subjects were matched according to fat free mass and randomly assigned to ingest in a double blind manner supplements containing either a placebo or AAKG. The subjects took 4 grams of the supplements three times daily (12 grams/day) for 8-weeks during standardized training. At 0, 4, and 8-weeks, subjects had DEXA body composition determined and performed bench press one repetition max (1RM), a 50 repetition MVC isokinetic leg extension endurance test, a Wingate 30-s anaerobic capacity test, and a VO2max test on a treadmill using the Bruce protocol. The researchers found no significant differences between the groups in changes in body mass, fat free mass, fat mass, or percent body fat. Changes in bench press 1RM, sprint peak power, time to peak power, and rate to fatigue were significantly greater in the AAKG group while no significant differences were observed in average power or total work between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in VO2max or isokinetic leg extension peak torque, max repetition total work, time to peak torque, total work, work fatigue, or average power during the muscular endurance test. The researchers concluded that AAKG supplementation may augment 1RM strength and sprint power in response to training but does not appear to significantly effect body composition. It should be noted that this investigation was sponsored by the manufacturers of the “nitric oxide” supplement used in the study – Medical Research Institute (MRI) in San Francisco, CA.

At present, there is no research published in peer-reviewed journals to support the assertion that an increase in nitric oxide levels promotes greater muscle protein synthesis or improves muscle strength. There is also no evidence that the arginine alpha-ketoglutarate in “nitric oxide” supplements have any effect on nitric oxide levels in muscles. Measuring nitric oxide is no small achievement, as the gas is highly reactive and has a very short life. Rather than measuring nitric oxide levels, clinical studies usually measure flow-mediated vasodilation to evaluate the effect of arginine supplementation on the vascular system (see Boger 1998; Hambrecht, 2000; Maxwell, 2002).

There is evidence that supplemental arginine may be beneficial in the clinical setting, particularly for patients with cardiovascular disorders. Hambrecht and associates found that supplemental arginine (8 grams/day) improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation to the same extent as regular physical exercise in patients with chronic heart failure (see Hambrecht et al, 2000). Boger and colleagues found that supplemental arginine (8 grams/twice a day) restored nitric oxide formation and endothelium-dependent vasodilation and improved the clinical symptoms of intermittent claudication in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (Boger et al, 1998). Maxwell and coworkers found that 6.6 grams of supplemental arginine per day (along with antioxidant vitamins and minerals) improved vascular function, exercise capacity and aspects of quality of life in patients with chronic, stable angina.

References

Boger RH, Bode-Boger SM, Thiele W et al. Restoring vascular nitric oxide formation by L-arginine improves the symptoms of intermittent claudication in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 1998; 32:1336-44.

Campbell B, Baer J, Roberts M et al. Effects of arginine alpha-ketoglutarate supplementation on body composition and training adaptations. http://www.sportsnutritionsociety.or...1-14-2004b.pdf

Hambrecht R, Hilbrich L, Erbs S. Et al. Correction of endothelial dysfunction in chronic heart failure: additional effects of exercise training and oral L-arginine supplementation. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2000;35:706-13.

Maxwell AJ, Zapien MP, Pearce GL et al. Randomized trial of a medical food for the dietary management of chronic, stable angina. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2002;39:37-45.

Nobel webpage: http://www.nobel.se/medicine/laureates/1998/press.html

Worthless.

[Pitbull]

Do you have any of those reviews handy that I might be able to take a look at? Thanks for your reply.

[live4football]

I'll see if I can locate some - I have to search a bit.

Allot of the feedback I heard was word of mouth, but I know there's a few threads in the MH forum where some of the veterens rip this stuff apart.

I'll see what I can find for you.
Without even searching I can tell you this....It did absolutely nothing for me.

[RipStone]

Sorry but I'm not familar with this supplement? Can someone give a description please? Thanks in advance. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[live4football]

Here you go---

Description:
Stay One Step Ahead of Your Competition! You got stronger when Ed Byrd introduced creatine in 1993. Now you get bigger with his NO2: NO2 was created by the same man who introduced creatine to the market in 1993 - Ed Byrd, co-founder of EAS™ and now president of Medical Research Institute - MRI™.

What is NO2?
NO2 has created a revolutionary new category of muscle-builders and muscle-enhancers known as 'cell-signaling hemodilators.'

Through mediation of the "signaling-molecule" nitric oxide (NO), NO2 induces powerful hemodilation and creates dramatic increases in muscle size, strength, endurance, power output, and load capacity.

With its advanced sustained-release technology "pHyser3", NO2 generates a virtual permanent muscle pump, now known as the "perpetual pump."

What's a "Perpetual Pump?"

The "Perpetual Pump" is a muscle pump that literally does not go away. It's a muscle that remains in its post-exercise, blood-engorged, rock-hard condition. The increased muscle size and muscle "density" do not fade with time.

How is the "perpetual pump" possible? The "perpetual pump" is a brand new phenomenon. It's one of the stunning effects of sustained hemodilation.

"Serious bodybuilders know the skin-ripping, super-pumped look they get immediately after a super intense workout" explains Ed Byrd, co-founder EAS, President MRI, and the man who introduced bodybuilding's last great breakthrough - creatine. "Now, thanks to NO2's sustained hemodilating effect, they can keep that super-vascular look all day long." Here's how...

Increased blood flow is responsible for your pump. Your body responds to exercise by releasing nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is the muscle's "signaling molecule" responsible for increased blood flow.

Nitric oxide opens the blood 'floodgates,' and blood surges in(hemodilation). You get a pump. But the exercise-induced pump is only temporary. It disappears soon after the body realizes exercise has ended.

But with NO2, pumps do not go away. Even massive, vein-popping pumps show no sign of diminishing. That's because NO2 generates a 'continuous surge' of blood that courses through the skeletal muscle throughout the day. So muscles remain engorged and steel-like all day long. The secret of the continuous surge of blood lies in NO2's exclusive nitric oxide extended-release delivery system pHyser3™.

Until the creation of extended-release delivery system, generating and maintaining nitric oxide levels was impossible. The body literally "dissolved" any agent or substance that could help generate nitric oxide inside the body. Now, with NO2's pH-corrected, body-compatible delivery system, the human body is able to fully "accept" the nitric oxide delivery agent. And even better...

NO2 goes far beyond generating nitric oxide levels. NO2 maintains nitric oxide levels in the muscles throughout the entire day. So athletes and bodybuilders get all the powerful muscle-developing benefits of hemodilation - all day long. Including the very appealing "Perpetual Pump."

"Forced Growth" Muscle-Signaling Action - Make Continuous Gains in Lean Mass!

NO2 gives bodybuilders and serious athletes the ability to build muscle virtually round the clock.

NO2 triggers the body's muscle-building "cell-signaling" mechanism, and keeps it activated throughout the entire day. How? By creating a continuous supply of the "cell-signaling" molecule nitric oxide present in the skeletal muscles.

You see, nitric oxide is the "signaling" molecule responsible for muscle growth. When nitric oxide is present in the muscles, it activates "gene-expression" and "turns on" the body's muscle-building mechanism (commonly called protein synthesis).