You’ve known for some time that supplementing with arginine preworkout leads to increased vascularity, better muscle pumps, and more intense workouts. These effects are due to increased production of the potent vasodilator nitric oxide (NO). For the most part the effects of nitric oxide on muscle growth and strength have been credited to its ability to increased muscle blood flow, thus supporting delivery of anabolic (muscle building) nutrients and flushing of metabolic byproducts (such as lactic acid).

However, accumulating scientific evidence not only substantiates better muscular gains, but also shows that arginine does much more than promote vasodilation and muscle pump. In a recent study, scientists from the Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston, Texas, investigated the anabolic potential of arginine, independent of nitric oxide related mechanisms. Using a burn model of injury in rabbits, the researchers found arginine significantly increased net protein balance and recovery in skin and skeletal muscle compared to animals that received an amino acid mixture of equal nitrogen content.

The researchers concluded that arginine produces true anabolic effects that specifically act by stimulating the transport of amino acids into injured tissues (i.e., those in a catabolic state), leading to increased amino acid availability for protein synthesis to promote anabolism.

As with most muscle building supplements, arginine evokes muscle growth through various but complementary mechanisms. The ever familiar nitric oxide related mechanism is just one. With continuous research being conducted on this popular amino acid, you can expect there’ll be more data to come on how it elicits anabolic effectiveness.

Depending on where you live, it’s not hard to realize that winter is approaching rather quickly just by stepping foot outside your door. Even I don’t need super powers to the obvious weather changes. It’s not summer anymore ladies and gentlemen, and thus concludes that vitamin D will decrease as you will get lesser exposure from the sun. After all, during the summer time, we’re more active outdoors and it’s about fun in the sun right?

Another huge contributing factor is not only can the changes in seasons have a huge impact on your training and not to mention your diet, but it can also have a huge effect on your health believe it or not. The sunshine vitamin also known as Vitamin D is known by this common term because our bodies synthesize it when we are exposed to sunshine to put simply. The only way to ensure vitamin D levels remain high is to get it through supplements or dieting, a tactic which is complicated by the fact that D occurs naturally in very few foods.

The recommendation for most adults is about 200 IU’s of vitamin D on a daily basis, but a huge amount of new findings, studies, and evidence have indicated that 200 IU’s per day is just not enough for our health to be optimal. With good reason, even doctors and health groups are taking note on new studies on the benefits of vitamin D. The research is coming really fast, and it continues to stack pile on top of pile that getting in enough vitamin D is essential to anyone’s health. Chronically low levels of vitamin D are associated with a multitude of horrors, including osteoporosis and dementia, to name a few. They can also have an effect on your physique.

Several new studies demonstrate a link between vitamin D levels and bodyfat levels. One study conducted at the Medical College of Georgia (Augusta), examined 650 teenagers and found those with the lowest of vitamin D, also had the highest levels of bodyfat and abdominal fat. Another recent study, presented at the Endocrine Society’s 91^st annual meeting in Washington, D.C., put 38 overweight men and women on a diet for 11 weeks and measured their vitamin D levels before and after. Those who had higher vitamin D levels lost more weight, indicating that supplementing with it might be an easy way to improve the results of a diet.

One more study further highlights this link. Researchers in China who measured the vitamin D levels and several metabolic markers (such as insulin levels and fasting glucose levels) of more than 3,000 subjects found those with the highest D levels had the lowest incidence of metabolic syndrome (which can develop into diabetes) and insulin resistance. The lower your insulin resistance, the less insulin your body produces and uses. Although some insulin is beneficial, particularly after workouts, too much can increase fat storage.

Managing weight isn’t the only consideration here. Vitamin D also plays a role in improving muscle strength and size. To reap all the health benefits while keeping your waistline tight and your stomach muscles bulging, make sure you’re getting around 1,000 IU of vitamin D (also called cholecalciferol), the most beneficial form of the vitamin, per day.