Encapsulating Arginine Powder

I briefly tried L-Arginine quite a while back. I only took it for a few days and didn’t notice any effect. It may take longer to “kick in.” Whatever the case, I want to give it an honest test for several months. I’m hoping it might help heal and/or prevent thrombosed veins by keeping them more dilated than usual.

Arginine capsules are pretty expensive compared to powder. 1 lb. (approx. 454 grams) of NOW brand L-Arginine base powder is roughly $23 plus shipping. I’ve heard from some that Arginine powder tastes absolutely horrible. How bad is it really? Is a couple grams mixed in a small glass of juice unpalatable?

If it is too nasty I might put it into capsules myself. Empty caps come in rather non-descript sizes. I see 0 and 00 for sale. How much Arginine powder does each size hold?

hobby,

I just tried some Arginine powder in water, I would say about a gramme of it

While it wasn’t in the nectar range it is slightly bitter but only leaves a faint aftertaste. You could perhaps put in some glucose , As this is absorbed by the body pretty quickly it should not have much of a negative effect on th Arginine.

In the time taken to type this letter (i’m pretty fast) the taste has gone except for a faint bitterness.

It is better taken on an empty stomach and with plenty of water, as it will make you very thirsty, I found it made my whole mouth sore at first as well as my throat. But that was mainly because the arginine was taking all the water from my mouth and throat, Probably everywhere else as well but that was where I noticed it.

Hope that helps

I take arginine into my mouth as a powder, from a big spoon, and quickly wash it down with water. You only get a little of the taste, and it passes pretty quickly. I think dissolving it in water first just makes it worse.

That’s good news. :)

Which forms are you guys using? I read the HCL version doesn’t taste as bad.

Hobby,

The one I have is “100% pure L-Argenine Powder Pharmaceutical grade.

I get it from Bodybuilding.com in 1lb jars.

Recommended dose is ½ level teaspoon one or more times a day on an empty stomach.

I’m guessing somewhat, but the O capsules seem to hold about 250mgs. This of course will vary on how much it is compressed down and the size of the granules

The granules of l’arginine are like icing sugar so you would get a lot in the capsule.

Petit

I take the plain “base” version, not the HCL. No particular reason except it’s a bit cheaper.

I ordered a pound from bodybuilding.com. They had a good price ($22.99) and didn’t gouge on shipping ($3.99 cheapest option in the states).

That’s $27 for the same amount in 900 500mg capsules. Powder is definitely the way to go.

Kilosports.com sells a kilogram (1000 grams or 2.2 pounds) for $59.95. I don’t know what they charge for shipping. They have both base and HCL versions.

Found the capsules are messy to load given that you will need around 4 x 250 mg at a time. I Use a level teaspoon which equates to approximately 1 gram and place directly in water and stir. The trick here is to pinch your nose whilst drinking, then with the nose still pinched, get another glass of water down washing it around the mouth quickly. No after taste results!

Also do not take it within 2 hours of food and do not take it with anything acidic like juice as it weakens the l-arginine. It is particularly beneficial just before bed as the it helps kick along the HGH process.

I also get my arginine from bodybuilding.com 1 pound. It’s the best deal out there. It doesn’t taste very good at all. I just take about a teaspoon of arginine and mix it in a half glass of water. I hold my breath and drink it down like a a shot

A level teaspoon of the powder is supposed to be roughly 3 grams .

I’ll try the pinch nose, chug, and wash with clean water trick if necessary. :) Many have said Arginine is some of the nastiest tasting stuff ever created.

I plan to take it on an empty stomach. The theory is that if taken with other aminos or proteins the others will compete for absorption. So, take Arginine by itself.

I don’t buy into the increased HGH claims.

Bong it dude! :up:

Take on a empty stomach. One hour before pe or pleasin’ your lady

My whey protein powder has 2g of Arginine per scoop. According the to USDA database, a 6 oz. “Beef, short loin, porterhouse steak, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0” fat, USDA choice, cooked, broiled” steak contains about 2.7g of Arginine. Nobody in his right mind eats only a tiny 6 ounce steak. 10-16 ounces is more realistic, so double that.

If supplemental Arginine is of any benefit on top of a decent diet, the key must be in timing the intake (by taking it alone on an empty stomach), so higher amounts are absorbed than if other amino acids were competing at the same time for absorption.

Hobby, the Kilosports container of base arginine says one scoop (9 cc) is 5 gm. So that means one level teaspoon is about 2.74 gm. The HCL stuff might be different, and my memory is that you need 17% more of the HCL to get the equivalent amount of base.

In the book The Arginine Solution, the author says the typical American diet contains 6 gm of arginine. He recommends supplementation of another 6 gm, which would double the dose. But if you already eat a pound of steak every day, then I don’t know what effect any supplement would have. For what it’s worth, I still think I’m in my right mind, and I don’t average anywhere near that much meat equivalent, and in fact dont’ eat steak much at all. In any case, I think empty-stomach timing would be necessary for you to notice any difference, if you’re a big meat eater.

I wish I could afford to eat steak every day. :)

I’ll aim for 2 teaspoons per day. One first thing in the morning before breakfast and another whenever I can fit it in away from meals. Some have said not to take a dose too close to bedtime. I don’t know why.