Arginine vs L-Arginine for performance
Short answer: For performance, more users report improvement with L-Arginine — 83% of 12 reports, versus 67% of 9 for Arginine.
Arginine has 585 meta-analyses and 1,869 randomized trials on PubMed; L-Arginine has 106 and 765.
Based on 70 reports about Arginine and 211 about L-Arginine. Not medical advice.
| Arginine Supplement | L-Arginine Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 40%helped30 reports · medium confidence | 49%helped78 reports · medium confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 585 / 1,869 | 106 / 765 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Libido % reporting improvement | 100% (7) | 88% (41) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | 67% (9) | 83% (12) |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | 67% (3) | 86% (14) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | — | 100% (5) |
| Common side effects | drowsiness, cold sores, fever blisters, diarrhea | diarrhea, stomach issues, chest pain, tongue biting |
| Typical dose reported | 2.6 g | 2 g / before bed |
Nutritional intervention with perioperative immunonutrition in patients with HAN and GI cancers significantly reduced total postoperative complications and infectious complications.
Ann Surg, 2024 ↗“2.6g of Arginine and Lysine together was found in a randomised control trial to significantly lower cortisol and anxiety... Anecdotally, this has worked really well for me too”
Supplementation of some but not all micronutrients may benefit cardiometabolic health. This study highlights the importance of micronutrient diversity and the balance of benefits and risks to promote and maintain cardiovascular health in diverse populations. (Antioxidant Supplementation in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases; CRD42022315165).
J Am Coll Cardiol, 2022 ↗“Something I found that makes my meds work way better is Citrulline 2g + Arginine 2g twice daily.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate