If you were to look up the phrase “best nitric oxide supplements“, chances are…
You’d come across the word “pump“.
And as you peruse the “pump” section…
…you’d find Arnold’s (yes, as in Schwarzenegger) quote for the ages:
[enter deep Austrian voice]
The greatest feeling you can get in the gym, or the most satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is the pump.
Let’s say you train your biceps, blood is rushing into your muscles, and that’s what we call the pump.
Your muscles get a really tight feeling, like your skin is going to explode any minute and its really tight and it’s like someone is blowing air into your muscle and it just blows up and it feels different, it feels fantastic.
It’s as satisfying to me as cumming is, you know, as in having sex with a woman and cummng.
So, can you believe how much I am in heaven?
I’m getting the feeling of cumming in the gym. I’m getting the feeling of cumming at home. I’m getting the feeling of cumming back stage when i’m about to pose out in front of 5,000 people.
I get the same feeling… so I am cumming day and night.
I mean, it’s terrific, right?
Sounds pretty nice, huh?
Don’t you want those rock hard biceps that make the ladies squirm?
How about that massive, head-turning chest that could crush an immovable object?
And, don’t forget about the washboard abs that you’ve always dreamed of!
Well, Broseph, today’s your lucky day…
Our team of broscientists have put together a list of the best nitric oxide supplements for 2017, and we’re confident you’re going to love them.
But first, let’s discuss a few things:
- What is Nitric Oxide?
- What exactly is a Nitric Oxide Supplement?
- What are the Benefits of Nitric Oxide Supplements (for Bodybuilders)?; and
- What are the Best Nitric Oxide Supplements?
Let’s dig in!
But first, a little bit of background:
Nitric oxide supplements first hit the bodybuilding scene about 10 years ago.
Yes, before you even knew what a pump, curl, or a dumbbell even were, the old school legends of the gym were using these pump-enhancers as a safe alternative to steroids.
Also known as nitrogen monoxide, “Nitric Oxide” itself is considered to be one of the most notable oxides of nitrogen.
Known
As far as chemical studies have shown, nitric oxide is critical to a wide array of our body’s biochemical functions.
Which, you may ask?
Four of its most important factors are related to:
- Cardiovascular Function & Heart Disease
- Bodybuilding & Muscle Growth
- Aging and General Health; and
- Erectile Dysfunction
As we dive deeper into our best nitric oxide supplements guide… it’s (arguably) just as important to distinguish what nitric oxide is not, to avoid common misconceptions.
Here’s what nitric oxide is not:
- The “Laughing Gas” used as an anesthetic at the Dentist/Doctor’s office
- The oxidizers used in the badass cars in The Fast & The Furious
Although these are common misunderstandings, the differences couldn’t be any greater.
With that out of the way, back to the topic at hand: nitric oxide supplements.
When the N.O. booster first hit the bodybuilding and fitness scene many years ago, the word in the gyms was that it was going to be the next creatine, which is known as the Starchild of sports nutrition supplements.
With more emphasis on marketing techniques and flashy buzz words than on the scientific research behind them, these nitric oxide boosters quickly garnered a reputation for:
- Being a safe and natural alternative to steroids
- Building strength and muscle faster; and
- Bulging, rock-hard erections
Yep, you read that right.
With those sales points, what young male, who’s new to the world of bodybuilding, wouldn’t want to give it a try?
Well…
That right there begets the age-old questions the best nitric oxide supplements have been trying to answer all along…
“Is all of this true, or is it just hype?
And…
“Do nitric oxide supplements really work?”
We answer both of those questions and more below, in our Best Nitric Oxide Supplements for 2017 guide below.
Let’s start at the top, shall we?
What Is Nitric Oxide?
With a unique chemical makeup, composed of one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom, nitric oxide is known as what’s called a “free radical”.
Simply put, this implies that its structure, which contains a “free-floating” and unpaired electron, is so chemically reactive that it’s a natural fit for a variety of chemical processes.
Namely, from a biological standpoint in humans, nitric oxide acts as a cellular signaling molecule.
Most importantly, as you’ll find a virtually ever NO booster supplement label, they play the role of a vasodilator.
When nitric oxide is released into the blood stream, it helps to:
- Dilate (widen) the blood vessels in our body
- Improve the flow of blood to many vital organs; and
- Improve the flow of oxygen to many vital organs
Aside from all the scientific and biological jargon, nitric oxide is actually a pretty simple molecule, which helps to serve a large purpose in the gym.
What Are Nitric Oxide Supplements?
And, despite their name…
Nitric oxide supplements don’t actually contain nitric oxide.
How’s that for some irony?
Instead, as you may surprised to hear, nitric oxide supplements are almost entirely (the best ones, at least) made up of natural ingredients…
That help to increase nitric oxide production in the body.
As an example:
The best nitric oxide supplements contain L-arginine.
L-arginine is a popular amino acid used for its high sources of nitrogen, which, as you may imagine, helps to influence the body’s natural nitric oxide levels.
Common Functions of Nitric Oxide Supplements
As mentioned in the introduction section above, the best nitric oxide supplements help to influence:
Cardiovascular Functions & Heart Disease
Nitroglycerin.
Ever heard of it?
If you guessed, “Wait, isn’t that a component of dynamite?”
You’d be correct.
Believe it or not, Alfred Nobel (founder of the Nobel Peace Prize and dynamite, itself) learned that nitroglycerin actually acts in the body by releasing nitric oxide.
And, as we know, nitric oxide helps to dilate blood vessels, which is particularly helpful for heart-related cardiovascular disorders.
A number of heart issues are caused due to narrowing blood vessels, which results in decreased levels of blood and oxygen to the body.
Under normal (and healthy) conditions, nitric oxide is produced naturally in the body within the arteries (specifically, the internal lining).
But, as we age and as life gets in the way, plaque begins to build up over time, which severely inhibits nitric oxide production.
Bodybuilding and Muscle Growth
Bodybuilders, athletes, and active lifestylists around the world are becoming more and more aware of the benefits that some of the best nitric oxide supplements afford.
In particular, for its ability to enhance:
- Muscle growth
- Muscle strength; and
- Athletic performance and output
Typically, as you workout (without the use of a nitric oxide supplement), your muscles are exerting energy faster than they’re naturally able to pump oxygen back into them.
As the physical exertion continues and the oxygen variance grows wider, the muscles start to develop a buildup of lactic acid.
Simultaneously, natural nitric oxide levels decrease.
With all these factors in play, we start to endure feelings of pain and fatigue towards the end of a grueling and exhaustive workout.
For those that are new to the gym, you’re likely familiar with the awful bouts of soreness associated with the first couple weeks of lifting weights.
With these new understandings, we now know a few different things:
- Nitric oxide supplements help to increase blood flow and oxygen flow to the muscles (allowing them to work harder for longer periods of time)
- This newly increased blood flow helps to increase the rate of recovery for the muscles while helping to negate the negative effects (soreness, pain, fatigue, etc) associated with working out
- With the above points in action, nitric oxide helps to prevent (or remove) the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles, allowing you to get back in the gym quicker with increased levels of energy, muscle strength, and muscle endurance
Aging and General Health
As we grow older:
As is so with virtually every biological function in our body…
Our natural production of nitric oxide starts to decline.
With this decline comes an onslaught of several general and heart health related symptoms.
Most often in the form of:
- Frequent fatigue; and
- Exhaustion
Unfortunately, but as should be expected, there are a number of other causes, er… lifestyle choices, that can also gradually impede the natural production of nitric oxide.
To name a few:
- Frequent inactivity
- Frequent smoking
- High cholesterol; and
- Diets high in fats
If you suffer from, or partake in, any of these symptoms, we highly recommend looking into one of the best nitric oxide supplements below to help curb low energy levels, fatigue, and heart issues.
Please note: before you introduce any new supplements into your daily routine, we always recommend consulting with your primary care physician, as you may experience adverse effects from any supplement.
We’ve learned over time that everybody responds differently to every supplement and that what may be right for someone else, may not necessarily be right for you.
Erectile Dysfunction
Over time, there are a number of factors that play a role in the impotence of men.
But, as the research shows us, one of the leading causes of ED, (erectile dysfunction) is a weak supply of blood to the sexual organs.
Lucky for us men, there are many ways to fight erectile dysfunction.
One of which is the use of a vasodilator.
Nitric oxide boosters, which help to improve the flow of blood throughout the body, are a great resource for improving libido and sexual health, along with restoring a healthy and sustained erection during times of sexual arousal.
Benefits Of Nitric Oxide Supplements (for Bodybuilders)
Bodybuilders and athletes have long placed the highest premium, attention, and value on the supplements that are proven to yield the greatest results.
After all, that’s what every fitness-lover is after, right?
By collecting, understanding, and putting to use the data that you learn within this guide, you’re going to have the knowledge readily available to judge whether or not the best nitric oxide supplements truly are the best.
As you tread towards the excitement of adding a nitric oxide supplement to your daily stack, it’s imperative to know what to expect, look out for, and avoid, in terms of benefits.
A new and exciting supplement, particularly, a nitric oxide booster, tends to fall hand-in-hand with a few other noticeable increases in the gym:
- Intensity
- Duration
- Weight
- Reps
- Sets
Workout transformations of this nature require an equally important focus on rest, recovery, and recuperation.
After all, you can’t push your body and your muscles to their limit each and every day without allowing them to regain their strength, now can you?
It’s often been said that:
The effort you put in outside the gym is equally (in some cases, more) important than the effort you put in inside the gym.
To that effect, if you’re serious about taking your workout routine to the next level, adding one of the best nitric oxide supplements to your daily stack can make all the difference.
Here are some of the reasons why scientific research supports the use of nitric oxide boosters as dietary supplements:
Increases Rate of Muscle Recovery
When exhaustion and soreness creep around post-workout and the days to follow, it’s natural for your muscles to require ample recovery time.
However, for those serious about their craft, multiple “off days” just aren’t an option (or the solution).
Nitric oxide supplements, as we’ve discussed are highly regarded for their ability to:
- Increase blood flow to the muscles; and
- Increase oxygen flow to the muscles
This, in turn, decreases recovery time, as it’s highly dependent on the muscles’ ability to absorb nutrients and minerals.
As your workout consistency persists, the lactic buildup in your muscles starts to decrease, eventually slowing the effects of post-workout fatigue.
The more you workout, the heavier weights you lift, and the harder you work your muscles, the faster you’ll reach your goals.
Within a few days of adding a nitric oxide booster, you’ll start to notice the effects on your recovery time (and wish you would have started using them long ago).
Increases Workout Endurance
Over time, as your use of nitric oxide boosters remains consistent, you’ll start to notice that you’re able to workout harder and longer during each session.
Similar to our first benefit above, with regards to overall recovery time, nitric oxide boosters ultimately help to positively affect the rate at which your muscles maintain strength during training sessions as well.
A common misconception that plagues some of the best nitric oxide boosters are that they’re only effective at building muscle strength (we’ll get to that shortly), when in reality, endurance plays an equally important role.
Not only in weightlifting, but also for extended bouts of cardio as well.
For example:
- Cycling
- Marathons; and
- Obstacle courses
If you’re an athlete that competes in high-altitude training as well, nitric oxide supplements are of particularly high value.
As short breath is a common disadvantage of being at high altitude, nitric oxide boosters, as we’ve discussed, help to provide increased amounts of oxygen to the muscles, which help to re-energize your muscles enough to train at higher levels of performance.
Increased Use of Glucose Appearance
Studies show that the use of nitric oxide boosters (particularly, ones that contain L-arginine) provided men with higher rates of glucose.
In simpler terms, the use of these nitric oxide supplements helped to increase the amount of body fat burned during training.
As a majority of bodybuilders are also interested in cutting fat, any supplement that aids in the increase of glucose metabolism has been effective for reducing body fat.
When we workout, our body naturally pulls from our existing fat stores for energy production, which makes the use of a nitric oxide supplement a unique advantage.
Increased Muscle Pump
The best nitric oxide supplements have long been marketed for their ability to enhance the almighty muscle pump…
And, if you read the opening quote in this guide from Arnold himself, he compares his legendary pumps to being in Heaven, amongst other things…
With the increases blood flow to the muscles, nitric oxide production helps to do a few things, as it relates to muscle pumps:
- More pronounced muscle bulges
- Tightness of the skin
- Longer lasting muscle pumps
Aside from the aesthetic benefits of walking out of the gym with a raging pump, the feeling having “swollen” muscles also serves as an awesome motivator.
Best Nitric Oxide Supplements (Top 5)
Alas…
We’ve reached the holy land.
In this section, we’re going to cover a few different topics:
- What to look for in a nitric oxide supplement
- The top 5 best nitric oxide supplements
- Where to find the best nitric oxide supplements
Starting at the top…
When you’re looking for a new supplement, whether it’s a new pre-workout, protein powder, fat burner, or nitric oxide booster, it’s important to understand what you’re looking for to ensure that it’s best for you.
The first of which: ingredients.
When it comes to N.O. boosters, the two most important ingredients you want your supplement to contain are:
- Citrulline Malate; and
- L-Arginine
These two ingredients have been found, through a plethora of scientific studies, to be most effective in increasing the natural production of nitric oxide.
Here are a few studies we recommend checking out from the National Center for Biotechnology Information related to their effectiveness for bodybuilders:
- Arginine and citrulline supplementation in sports and exercise
- Effects of L-citrulline oral supplementation… and nitric oxide production after exercise
- L-citrulline-malate influence over branched chain amino acids utilization during exercise
Aside from ingredients, here are some additional buying factors that you should consider:
- Brand reputation
- Production quality
- Ease of use (how convenient is it to consume)
- Online reviews from verified customers
- Affordability (price per serving)
Below, our team at Supplement Demand has collected all the data on the best nitric oxide supplements available for 2017 and have placed them in descending order by overall ranking.
These are our top 5:
#3: N.O. Boost Nitric Oxide Booster by Mesomorph Labs
Mesomorph Labs is no stranger to world-class muscle-building supplements.
In fact, their N.O. Boost is one of the predominant nitric oxide boosters on all of Amazon, which is now the largest online supplement retailer in the world.
Its formula is simple, but rather powerful, with active ingredients containing:
- L-Arginine AKG (2,000 mg)
- Citrulline Malate (700 mg)
- Grapeseed Extract (200 mg)
Aside from its powerful formula, one of our favorite elements of Mesomorph Labs is their 100% formula transparency.
As you’ve probably read in one of our rants (this one about proprietary blends used in pre-workouts), we’re not big fans of the prop blend here.
With 30 full servings and only 4 capsules per serving, N.O. Boost is an awesome nitric oxide supplement for first-time users.
#2: FULL AS F*CK by Rich Piana 5%
Rich Piana is no stranger to massive pumps, massive arms, and insanely well-formulated muscle-boosting supplements.
With over 12 grams per serving, FULL AS F*CK contains 9 core active ingredients that yield some serious pumps:
L-Citrulline- L-Taurine
- Agmatine Sulfate (AgmaMax)
- Glycerol Monostearate
- Dan-Shen Extract
- Beet Root Powder
- L-Norvaline
- Hesperidin; and
- Black Pepper Extract
With a formula this large, we’ve got to post an image below for you to see for yourself.
With 4 grams of L-citrulline per serving, FULL AS F*CK stands to be one of the most epic pump chasers we’ve seen in recent years, especially when paired with the 2 grams of taurine.
#1: SHEER N.O. Nitric Oxide Booster by Sheer Strength Labs
And this, gentlemen…
…is what all 3,000 words of hoopla above were for.
To introduce you to SHEER N.O Nitric Oxide Booster by Sheer Strength Labs.
Besides having more than 3,650+ 5-star reviews on Amazon…
And, not only did our Team at Supplement Demand have incredible workout results with it…
Oh, and not to mention:
It has the largest and most effective non-proprietary blend formula out of all the nitric oxide supplements that we researched.
With 30 servings (and only 4 caps each), SHEER N.O. contains:
- L-Arginine HCL (1,100 mg)
- L-Arginine AKG (1,100 mg)
- L-Citrulline Malate (600 mg)
- Pine Bark Extract (200 mg)
With the clinical research to back each ingredient up, along with their respective dosages, SHEER N.O. is bar none the best nitric oxide supplement of 2017.
Until something comes along that’s worth of dethroning the king of N.O. Boosters… SHEER N.O will remain at our #1 spot!
Some of the reviews we read on Amazon were so awesome, we wanted to share a handful of them here:
“I am just about to start on my second bottle of Sheer N.O. That in itself should tell you how I feel about the product. i will elaborate by saying it exceeded my expectation, and I have experienced all of the claimed benefits. Taking Sheer N.O along with exercises I have gone from nearly being put on blood pressure meds to consistently having optimal blood pressure measurements.”
I’ve been working out for many years and have worked in the fitness industry. I reached a plateau and wanted something to boost my workouts. I feel a lot more pump when at the gym and I’ve definitely notived a difference after using the product for the past two months. On a separate note, I also feel like I’ve had a lot less back stiffness too. Great customer service too, I got a phone call from the manufacturer to check up on how I like the product.”
I’ve been using Sheer N.O for less than a week and so far I’ve started to see changes already. The first most noticeable change was the first time I bench pressed while using it. I would normally bench press 6 to 7 repetitions with 225 pounds and needed help, after using Sheer N.O., I could bench press that same amount of weight, but I managed 10 reps with little-to-no help from the spotter. It was a huge leap, and very obvious!”
All things considered, we’re beyond confident in recommending Sheer Strength Labs to our loyal readers, for none other than:
- Personal experiences from our team
- 3,650+ great-exceptional reviews on Amazon (#1 for nitric oxide supplements)
- 100% Formula Transparency
- 30 Full Servings
- 5-Star customer Service
If you’re serious about results, trying something new that’s proven to bring results, then you owe it to yourself to give Sheer N.O. a try for one full month.
You’ll be glad you did!
Check Out Sheer N.O. by Sheer Strength Labs
Best Nitric Oxide Supplements Roundup
By now, there’s a good chance you’ve had at least a couple “Ah-Ha!” moments.
When it comes to muscle-building supplements, Nitric Oxide Boosters are amongst the most popular in our modern bodybuilding and fitness era.
If you haven’t tried one yet, it’s about time.
If you have tried one in the past, chances are… it either:
- Doesn’t contain key ingredients necessary for increasing natural nitric oxide levels
- If it does, the dosages are most likely below clinically efficient levels
- Filled with harmful filler ingredients that have no place in an N.O booster; or
- Contain proprietary blends
So, if you’ve managed to read through all 3,500 words of this guide, you’ve found the right place.
If you choose to pick up one of our top three recommended best nitric oxide supplements, let us know your 30-day results in the comments below!
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