Agmatine (or Agmatine sulfate) is a compound that is normally produced in the human body through a process in which L-arginine is decarboxylated and converted to Agmatine. Agmatine first attracted attention in 1994, many studies have been performed on Agmatine to identify its potential physiological and pharmacological effects, which may offer great therapeutic potential. Agamtine has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of areas, including blood pressure control, pain relief, and helps maintain gut health.
ORIGIN OF AGMATINE.
As mentioned earlier, Agmatine is produced in the body from the action of a special enzyme that converts L-arginine to agmatine. However, since the activity of this enzyme is quite low, we get the vast majority of agmatine from four main sources:
It is formed in large quantities by bacteria in the intestines and through pathogens in our body.
Eaten food. Generally, meat, fish and shellfish contain high levels of Agmatine. It is also present in fairly large amounts in the processing of fermented foods such as beer and sake.
It is transformed from the cells of the gastrointestinal tract.
Through circulation from the liver.
ADVANTAGES OF AGMATINE.
Agmatine is an interesting ingredient because it can act as a trigger for molecules to bind to certain receptors in the body such as imidazoline receptors and α2-adrenergic receptors. There are 3 categories of imidazoline receptors and Agmatine can activate all three. Depending on the receptors, Agmatine may help:
Help lower blood pressure
Modulate pain and offer nerve cell protection
Regulates insulin release
Agmatine has also shown benefits as an antidepressant, and in several animal studies, has been shown to be a therapeutic treatment for cancer, diabetes, brain and spinal cord injuries, and to help with nerve cell degradation such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
AGMATINE BENEFITS FOR BODYBUILDING.
Agmatine has been used for some time in bodybuilding as a dietary supplement to help increase muscle mass. Agmatine itself has not been shown to directly increase muscle mass, however it provides several benefits that may help in achieving anabolic muscle mass growth. As a potentially powerful neurotransmitter, it can improve the brain-muscle fiber connection to improve the contractile effort of our muscles. Strong, massive, targeted training can help increase the effectiveness of mass gain. Agmatine also helps support the release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which is responsible for increasing luteinizing hormone levels. Luteinizing hormone stimulates male Leydig cells to produce testosterone.
In addition, Agmatine helps to reduce pain effects, it can not only be useful for chronic pain that limits exercise, but it can also improve endurance, as pain can often be a performance limiting factor. Agmatine also helps regulate insulin production and increase glucose uptake, may offer benefits for glycogen storage, and reduce the amount of glucose converted to fat.
AGMATINE NEGATIVE AND SIDE EFFECTS.
Fortunately, Agmatine is a relatively safe supplement to use even at high doses and appears to have very low cellular toxicity. In the first clinical study of Agmatine, there were few side effects, however, a very small percentage of the experimental group of people had mild to moderate diarrhea and nausea. This occurred at levels greater than 3.5 g/day when taken for 3 weeks.
AGMATINE RECOMMENDED DOSAGE
Due to severe human research limitations on Agmatine, there are no conclusive recommended dosages for agmatine supplementation. General recommendations for Agmatine – we recommend a daily dose of about 750 mg, however, dosages up to 2.5 g / day are acceptable without any known side effects. There is no indication that increasing dosages will significantly affect the desired result from standard dosages.
AGMATINE IN SUPPLEMENTS
Agmatine is often included in testosterone boosters as well as vasodilator supplements such as pre-workouts due to its neurotransmitter capacity. Agmatine can also be sold as a separate ingredient and recommended for rest from pre-training complexes, to unload the central nervous system. Agmatine supplements can be combined with growth hormone boosters to offer a greater ergogenic boost or with carbohydrate gels to increase glycogen re-synthesis.