What is Arginine? Uses, warnings & side effects
Arginine is an essential amino acid the body uses to build proteins. People naturally make all the arginine they need, and various foods, such as meat, contain arginine. People take arginine supplements to achieve various health benefits. These supplements are usually marketed as L-arginine, the free form of arginine, but arginine supplements might also have arginine hydrochloride (arginine HCl) as the active ingredient. In nearly all cases, people take arginine by mouth as a tablet, capsule, or powder. Topical creams and gels are available for various uses. Intravenous injections are possible, but their use is limited.
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Arginine overview
BRAND NAMES:
Arginaid, Arginine Extreme, R-Gene 10
Generic Names:
Arginine, L-arginine, arginine hydrochloride
Uses:
Used as a supplement to provide additional arginine in the diet, enhance athletic performance, improve circulation, or help with or prevent various conditions, including, hypertension, angina, preeclampsia, erectile dysfunction, Type 2 diabetes, and peripheral artery disease.
Therapeutic Classes:
Amino acid supplement, nutraceutical, nutritive agent
Forms:
Tablet, long-acting tablet, capsule, liquid, powder, injection, cream, gel
How it’s taken:
By mouth
What is Arginine used for?
The body makes all the arginine it needs, so arginine is almost never required as a dietary supplement. People take arginine for its perceived health benefits, including:
Enhancing athletic or strength-building performance
Facilitating muscle recovery
Improving circulation
Reducing high blood pressure
Healing wounds
Improving breathing
Helping with heart conditions
Relieving peripheral artery disease
Preventing Type 2 diabetes
Preventing pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia or gestational hypertension.
Healthcare professionals use intravenous arginine when conducting pituitary gland tests. Topical arginine gels and creams are marketed as ways to improve blood circulation, particularly in the hands, feet, and genitals.
What form(s) does Arginine come in?
Tablet
350 mg
500 mg
750 mg
1,000 mg
3,000 mg
5,000 mg
Sustained release tablet
350 mg
500 mg
1,000 mg
Capsule
500 mg
700 mg
1,000 mg
1,800 mg
5,000 mg
Gummies
500 mg/serving
1,000 mg/serving
Powder
1.5 g/serving
3 g/serving
4.5 g/serving
5 g/serving
6 g/serving
Liquid
1 g/serving
2 g/serving
3 g/serving
5 g/serving
Injection (arginine hydrochloride)
30 g/300 mL
Creams and gels
Concentrations vary by product
What are common Arginine dosages?
For dietary supplementation: doses vary by product
There are no standard or recommended doses for arginine as a health supplement. The doses listed below were used in studies:
For strength gains: 2–12 g per day
For endurance athletics: 6–10 g per day for seven days prior to an event
For hypertension: 2–12 g per day
For diabetes prevention: 6 g/day
For peripheral artery disease: 500 mg/day intravenous injection
For prevention of pregnancy complications: 3–14 g per day
For mild to moderate erectile dysfunction: 1.5–5 g daily or variable doses applied topically to the penis
For pituitary gland testing: 30 g (300 mL) intravenous infusion (lower dose for children)
How to take Arginine
Follow the instructions on the medicine label if you are using this medicine without a prescription.
If a doctor advises or prescribes arginine supplements, follow the doctor’s instructions.
Arginine supplements can be taken with or without food, but it’s best to take them with food or milk.
How to take arginine tablets, capsules, or gummies:
Swallow the tablet, sustained-release tablet, or capsule whole.
Do not break, chew, or crush sustained-release tablets.
Chew arginine gummies completely before swallowing.
Store arginine tablets or capsules in a closed container in a cool, dry place.
How to take arginine powder:
Instructions will vary by product.
Some products come loose with a dose-measuring scoop. Some don’t have a scoop. Some come in boxes of single-dose packets. Make sure you understand how to measure a dose.
Do not eat the powder raw. It must either be stirred into liquid (usually 6–8 ounces) or mixed with food.
Some products come with tube feeding instructions. Do not use arginine powder for a tube feeder unless it’s specifically designed for that use.
Store arginine powder in a closed container in a cool, dry place.
How to take arginine liquid:
Instructions and doses will vary by product.
Some arginine liquid supplements are concentrated. Others are flavored drinks. Make sure you understand the correct dose by volume.
Measure arginine liquid with a dosing cup, dosing cap, or kitchen measuring device. Don’t try to guess.
Read the instructions about mixing arginine liquid with other liquids. Some arginine liquids can be taken undiluted. Others may need to be diluted with water or other liquid.
Follow the package instructions when storing arginine liquid.
How to administer arginine gel or cream:
Instructions and doses will vary by product.
Some products marketed as circulation enhancement creams or gels involve applying a thin film to the hands, the feet, the penis, or the clitoral/vaginal areas.
Some topical arginine products can be applied in a thin film to other areas of the body as needed.
The package directions will include instructions on how to store the product.
What to do if you miss a dose of Arginine
Arginine is a supplement that most people take voluntarily. Missing a dose is not usually a problem.
If a dose is missed, take it when remembered. Do not exceed the daily dosage recommended by a healthcare provider or on the package instructions.
Arginine contraindications - Who shouldn't take Arginine?
Do not use any arginine product if you have allergies to any of the ingredients.
Arginine warnings
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor before you take arginine supplements.
You should also consult with a doctor if you have certain medical conditions, including:
A recent heart attack
A rare hereditary disease called GAMT
Do not give arginine supplements to children until consulting with a healthcare professional.
Arginine supplements could worsen asthma or allergies.
Arginine supplements or topical arginine could increase outbreaks of genital herpes or herpes cold sores.
Arginaid arginine powder contains aspartame. People with phenylketonuria may experience serious reactions.
Intravenous arginine has been known to cause serious illness and death in children, so doctors are very careful about using it in children.
Arginine interactions & what to avoid when taking Arginine
If you are taking prescription drugs, talk to the prescribers about using arginine supplements before you start taking them.
Arginine does not have any major drug interactions.
The body uses arginine to make nitric oxide, a simple molecule that causes blood vessels to dilate and blood pressure to go down. Arginine’s effects on blood pressure are small but measurable. This means arginine could increase the effects of drugs that dilate blood vessels or affect blood pressure, including:
Blood pressure medications
Blood vessel dilators like nitroglycerin
Drugs that make you pee (diuretics)
Erectile dysfunction drugs
Blood thinners
Arginine side effects - How does Arginine make you feel?
Serious side effects
Get immediate medical care if you are taking arginine supplements and notice symptoms like:
Allergic reactions: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing, wheezing.
Less serious side effects
Diarrhea
Nausea
Abdominal pain
Nausea, vomiting, headache (arginine injection)
Skin rash (topical arginine)
Sources:
Adverse gastrointestinal effects of arginine and related amino acids, The Journal of Nutrition
Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Decreased diabetes risk over 9 years after 18-month oral L-arginine treatment in middle-aged subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and metabolic syndrome, European Journal of Nutrition
Effect of L-arginine supplementation on blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, Advances in Nutrition
Effects of prenatal oral L-arginine on birth outcomes: a meta-analysis, Scientific Reports
L-arginine, Cleveland Clinic
L-arginine, Mayo Clinic
L-arginine: does it lower blood pressure, Mayo Clinic
L-arginine supplement benefits: should you supplement?, The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
R-Gene arginine hydrochloride injection prescribing information, DailyMed (NIH National Library of Medicine)
The LargPAD trial: Phase IIA evaluation of L-arginine infusion in patients with peripheral arterial disease, Journal of Vascular Surgery
Therapeutic benefits of L-arginine: an umbrella review, Journal of Chiropractic Medicine
The potential role of arginine supplements on erectile dysfunction: a systemic review and meta-analysis, The Journal of Sexual Medicine
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