Nitrous oxide Pre workout

Nitric oxide may be a gas, but its popularity as a supplement has remained solid. Just 10 years ago, the term nitric oxide was relatively unknown in gyms and supplement stores alike. The first NO boosters contained a single amino acid. Today they are often made up of stacks of very advanced ingredients and technical delivery systems. Nearly overnight, this supplement has gone from unknown to muscle-building star. No other supplement has undergone such an expansive evolution over such a short period of time. How did that happen? Here's our account of the efforts that turned NO boosters into the most cutting-edge supplements on the market today.

Born in the Lab

Like most supplements, NO boosters got their start in the lab. Yet unlike most supplements, the actual nitric oxide molecule garnered a Nobel Prize in 1998 for the scientists who discovered it and its function in 1986. After its discovery, word quickly spread of NO's ability to relax blood vessels and therefore increase blood flow. This not only prompted an avalanche of medical research on NO, but it also caught the attention of supplement scientists. One company stands out in this regard: Medical Research Institute (MRI) immediately understood the impact NO could have on muscle growth. Increasing blood flow to muscles during workouts creates a bigger muscle pump and allows for delivery of more nutrients and oxygen to the muscles for greater energy during contractions.

In 1997, MRI created the first-ever NO booster called NO2. Back then, NO2 was essentially a bottle of the amino acid arginine. But as simple as it sounds, it was very effective because arginine is readily converted to NO in the body. However, since regular L-arginine tends to be poorly absorbed by the body, MRI used a form of arginine known as L-arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (arginine AKG), which is basically arginine with an alpha-ketoglutarate molecule attached to it. The AKG enhances the absorption of arginine so the body gets more arginine with each dose. And the more arginine the body absorbs, the more NO the body can produce-to a degree.