The Effects of l-arginine Supplementation on Athletic Performance and Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease: Review of Current Evidence

Introduction: Due to controversies in different studies about the effects of L-arginine supplementation on athletic performance and cardiovascular risk factors, this study aimed to review the current evidence on the effects of L-arginine supplementation on athletic performance and cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: This study was done to summarize findings from earlier evidence on the effect of L-arginine supplementation on the risk of cardiovascular disease. We searched in PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar through 1975 till 2017 using the following keywords: cardiovascular OR athletic performance OR hypertension OR blood pressure OR sports performance OR lipid profile in combination with L-arginine OR arginine. After reviewing title and abstracts, all clinical trials and cross-sectional studies conducted on healthy people or those suffering from the disease were included. Results: In most studies, consumption of L-arginine supplementation improves athletic performance and body composition in athletes, although there are some contradictions in this field. Most studies confirmed the effect of L-arginine on decrease cardiovascular risk factors, and most of the work considered that this effects as a result of increased levels of nitric oxide (NO) in serum. Conclusions: Most of the clinical trials indicated favorable effects of L-arginine supplementation on athletic performance and cardiovascular risk factors and taking this supplement at a dose of 2-5 grams per day has no side effects and promotes the health. Due to controversies in some study for giving high doses of this s