Nitric oxide Dangers

Here’s a question we get asked often through social media: “Is nitric oxide dangerous?” I believe that one of the main reasons that we get this question is that a lot of people confuse nitric oxide and nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas). Even our local paper misquoted nitric oxide as “a nitrous oxide” when they covered the Backyard Brawl.

Red Rush is a product from AIM that Ryan Davis, AIM quality assurance manager, said is specifically helpful to athletes who do CrossFit. Davis said the beet juice shot helps increase the stamina and increase nitrous oxide during a workout.

Also, nitric oxide’s role as a signaling agent is a relatively new discovery. So people just haven’t heard of it before.

Nitric Oxide is Not Dangerous (In the Body)

Here is the Encyclopedia Britannica Definition of nitric oxide.:

nitric oxide (NO), colourless, toxic gas that is formed by the oxidation of nitrogen. Though it has few industrial applications, nitric oxide performs important chemical signaling functions in humans and other animals and has various applications in medicine. It is also a serious air pollutant generated by automotive engines and thermal power plants.

Nitric oxide is an important signaling agent in all animals. It is manufactured naturally by the body. Red Rush contains no nitric oxide. It contains dietary nitrate, a precursor to nitric oxide. Other foods that contain dietary nitrate include most leafy green vegetables and rhubarb, etc. Other NO precursors like arginine and citrulline are commonly found in proteins and fruits respectively. Nitric oxide is released during exercise, at high altitudes and while exposed to sunlight. There is probably nothing you can do to not produce nitric oxide.