Are you are a serious, seasoned bodybuilder? An established athlete just beginning a concentrated weight-training regimen? Chances are that besides carefully planning your exercise program, you’re eating right as well, conscious of every morsel that creeps between your lips. A devout calorie-counter, you. A born ingredient-reader. So, why would you consider taking a supplement? Even when you’re doing all the right things, supplements can enhance your diet and exercise plan. Take nitric oxide, or NO, for example. NO is a molecule, a free-flowing gas that occurs naturally in your body, produced by enzymes that break down the amino acid arginine. Its very essence can be found in good food that your body likes—grains, fish, meats, and dairy. But taking NO as a supplement gives you an immediate and significant boost, helping your body do things that enable it to operate, such as regulating blood flow, blood pressure, and functions of the liver, lungs, and stomach. For body builders, NO is important because it helps to improve the blood flow to your muscle cells, allowing them to benefit from the nutrients found naturally in your bloodstream. More blood flow means more nutrients. More nutrients mean a healthier, stronger muscle.

And how about this? NO also, relevantly and parenthetically, helps lower the risk of heart problems, and helps to lower cholesterol. So you have these added advantages for your arteries, which work day and night for you, keeping you alive and well.

A Closer Look at One Supplement

There are lots of different NO stimulators available. Pinnacle NoX2 is one of these. It effectively delivers NO quickly to your bloodstream, using the amino acid compounds arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, or A-AKG, and arginine-ketoisocaproate, or A-KIC. With these compounds, NoX2 delivers short-term NO levels to your muscles, making them larger and rejuvenating them, so that you have more results with your workout than you otherwise would. It also increases your strength and stamina, and therefore helps you to get results much faster.

When taken in conjunction with your regular workout routine, you should see some great results with your NO supplementation. By focusing on the foods you eat, and continuing any other health-fostering activities you might find up your sleeve, your body will naturally continue to shape up and develop the way you want it to. Always listen for clues and pay attention to what your body tells you—you should be able to tell if you’re working it too hard, or if you’re doing the wrong thing. With proper nutrition and exercise, you’ll look and feel great—and your body will thank you for it.

A Word of Caution

NO should be taken with caution, since it’s possible to take too much, and there is no prescribed dosage amount available on which to base your intake. You should begin with just a small dose, according to your weight. You can always take more after a week if it seems fine and you’re having no side effects, such as diarrhea, nausea, or weakness. Talk with your trainer, who should be able to help you determine your ideal amount. Be aware that lots of protein powders have arginine in them, so make sure you consider this when deciding what amount of NO you want to take.

—Mary Duquette