The best nitric oxide supplement can give your training the added boost it needs to help you hit personal bests in the gym. However, finding the right supplement for your diet isn't always easy.
Interestingly, nitric oxide supplements don't actually contain nitric oxide. Instead, they typically carry ingredients or substrates designed to promote nitric oxide production, some of which can be found in the best multivitamins as well at times.
L-arginine and L-citrulline are two of the most common ingredients as they're associated with the widening of your veins and arteries to help improve blood flow, one of the main roles of nitric oxide in your body. As a result, it's not uncommon to find L-arginine and L-citrulline in some of the best pre-workouts as well to help deliver more oxygen to your muscles.
That said, it's not entirely clear whether nitric oxide supplements actually increase your body's nitric oxide production or your training performance, although some studies have linked it to improving endurance and relieving muscle soreness.
So, if you're still willing to give nitric oxide a chance, then our list has you covered. We've scoured the web to select these products based on price, their specific ingredients, customer reviews, and any other features that we think make them worth considering. Let's get into it...
Best nitric oxide supplements
- Nutricost Nitric Oxide Booster - best capsule option
- Snap Supplements Nitric Oxide Booster - a great powdered alternative
- Huge Nutrition Magnify - top pick for training specifically
- Horbäach Nitric Oxide Max - a seriously strong option to consider
- SILVERONYX Nitric Oxide Blast - best non-GMO pick
1. Nutricost Nitric Oxide Booster
Best nitric oxide supplement capsules
Amount: 2250mg in total
Nutricost is known for its outstanding range of dietary supplements, catering to various nutritional needs. Among its impressive lineup, the Nitric Oxide Booster supplement stands out for this article.
Each serving of three capsules provides an impressive 2250mg of booster ingredients, including renowned compounds like L-arginine and L-citrulline. Also, the container holds 180 capsules, ensuring you have an abundant supply to support your workout routine and explore the benefits of nitric oxide supplements.
Another notable aspect is that the supplement is free from soy and gluten, making it suitable for individuals with specific dietary requirements. Furthermore, it contains no GMO ingredients, offering a supplement option that aligns with an even wider range of dietary preferences.
Considering all these factors, this Nutricost supplement is an excellent choice if you are seeking to incorporate nitric oxide into your diet.
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2. Snap Supplements Nitric Oxide Booster
Best powdered nitric oxide supplement
Amount: 6853mg in total
Snap Supplements offers a unique take on nitric oxide supplementation with their Nitric Oxide Booster, available in a convenient powdered form, setting it apart from the commonly available capsule supplements.
This booster harnesses the power of a Nitric Oxide Complex, delivering a total of 6853mg by combining various ingredients known to support nitric oxide production. Among these are organic beetroot powder, pomegranate juice powder, OxyStorm red spinach extract, and BioPerine black pepper extract.
What sets this formulation apart is not just its focus on nitric oxide production but also the added benefits from beetroot and pomegranate. These ingredients contribute a dash of essential vitamins like C, B3, and B12. Particularly noteworthy is vitamin B12, recognised in our selection of the best vitamin B12 supplements for its crucial role in red blood cell formation and DNA synthesis.
Hence, beyond simply boosting nitric oxide levels, this particular supplement offers a comprehensive range of potential advantages, making it a standout choice for consideration.
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3. Huge Nutrition Magnify
Best nitric oxide supplement for training
Amount: 1500mg in total
Huge Nutrition's Magnify nitric oxide capsules are designed to enhance your workout performance by intensifying your pump and overall explosiveness. This potent formula combines key ingredients such as L-arginine and L-citrulline with the power of beetroot extract, BioPerine black pepper extract, and S7.
S7 comprises seven distinct plant-based ingredients, which are made to amplify your body's nitric oxide production. Among these ingredients are the health-boosting blueberry, nutrient-rich broccoli, and vitamin-packed kale, which collectively contribute to your daily intake of essential vitamins and minerals.
Huge Nutrition recommends a daily serving of six capsules, ensuring a 30-day supply for those eager to experience the full benefits of this potential supplement. However, for those who prefer a more tailored approach, the flexibility to adjust the dosage is available, allowing you to incorporate nitric oxide-enhancing foods into your diet.
In short, Huge Nutrition's Magnify nitric oxide capsules are a great option for anyone seeking to incorporate nitric oxide into their training diet, especially with its focus on enhancing performance and well-being.
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4. Horbäach Nitric Oxide Max
Best extra strong nitric oxide supplement
Amount: 3000mg in total
For a significant boost in L-arginine and L-citrulline, consider Horbäach's Nitric Oxide Max capsules. Each serving of four capsules provides you with 2000mg of L-citrulline and 1000mg of L-arginine. What sets this supplement apart though is the addition of a 100mg Antioxidant Powder Blend curated by Horbäach.
This blend is also enriched with a diverse array of fruit and vegetable extracts, including beetroot, aimed at enhancing your body's nitric oxide production. Notably, this formulation also incorporates organic banana, which, as demonstrated in research by Alabi et al., supports healthy digestion and is a valuable source of essential minerals like potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and nitrogen.
So, if you seek more than just a nitric oxide boost, this comprehensive supplement may be an excellent choice for you.
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5. SILVERONYX Nitric Oxide Blast
Best non-GMO nitric oxide supplement
Amount: 1300mg in total
SILVERONYX's Nitric Oxide Blast takes things back to basics by predominately carrying L-arginine and L-citrulline without any GMO ingredients.
You do, however, get 80mg of beta-alanine as well which, according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, has been shown to improve exercise performance and is, therefore, a common ingredient in fitness supplements.
You also get 36mg of calcium and 15mg of niacin, also known as vitamin B3. Niacin is mainly related to obtaining energy from the food you eat. Therefore, its inclusion might help your body utilise the L-arginine and L-citrulline more effectively to increase its nitric oxide production.
With 90 servings per container, we'd argue this particular nitric oxide supplement provides great value for money too, making it definitely one to check out if you're interested in giving nitric oxide capsules a go.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Getting your head around dietary supplements can be quite tricky at times. When it comes to nitric oxide though, we've answered some of the most commonly asked questions below to help you out...
What do nitric oxide supplements do?
Nitric oxide is a gas produced by the body that plays a vital role in regulating vascular tone, health, and overall blood flow.
One of the reasons why nitric oxide supplements have become popular is that they're associated with improving blood flow to your muscles whilst training and reducing the time it takes to fatigue according to Natalie Rizzo, M.S., R.D.
A systematic review by Hoon et al. supports this as their analysis found nitrate supplementation was linked to moderate improvements in constant load time to exhaustion exercises.
Moreover, nitric oxide has been connected to reducing muscle soreness. One study of particular note by PĂ©rez-Guisado and Jakeman supports this as they found participants who took citrulline malate experienced 40% less muscle soreness at 24 and 48-hour intervals after performing a flat barbell bench press.
Away from the gym though, nitric oxide is also associated with lowering blood pressure, with research by Kapil et al. finding dietary nitrate effective in the management of patients with hypertension.
Can nitric oxide supplements be used as pre-workout?
As mentioned, L-arginine and L-citrulline, two ingredients often found in nitric oxide supplements, can also be found in pre-workout. In fact, Snap Supplements boasts its Nitric Oxide Booster is often used as a pre-workout replacement due to its links with reducing fatigue and increasing blood flow.
One of the major benefits of using nitric oxide supplements over pre-workouts is that they tend to contain no caffeine, so you should avoid some of the commonly found side effects such as restlessness, dizziness, and anxiety.
Therefore, we believe nitric oxide supplements can be used as an effective alternative to pre-workouts.
Which foods contain nitric oxide?
One of the most commonly consumed foods to boost nitric oxide levels is beetroot, hence you'll tend to find it as an ingredient in many nitric oxide supplements.
Leafy greens such as kale and cabbage are also said to be packed with nitrates. One evaluative study by Milkowski et al. supports this as it found green leafy vegetables may actually maintain blood and tissue levels of nitrite and nitric oxide pools.
Citrus fruits are another option to boost your nitric oxide levels as they tend to contain high levels of vitamin C which, in turn, should enhance your levels of nitric oxide by increasing its bioavailability and maximising its absorption.
Finally, meat, specifically fatty fish and organ and muscle meats, may help preserve your nitric oxide levels due to their higher concentration of a coenzyme known as CoQ10. In fact, this is one of the key potential benefits of adding beef liver to your diet.
How long do nitric oxide supplements last?
How long nitric oxide supplements last will vary depending on the specific product. Typically, these supplements provide maximum effectiveness for a period between one hour and 90 minutes.
However, it is important to note that even after the peak effectiveness period, the nitric oxide supplements will still be present in your bloodstream and gradually lose their potency until they are fully metabolised.
If you're planning to take nitric oxide supplements before a workout to achieve maximum benefits, it is recommended to take them approximately one hour before exercising.