Nitric oxide boosters are one of the biggest categories of sports nutrition supplements. Not only that, they are a big part of other categories, such as pre-workouts.
You can buy everything from single-ingredient products to complete formulas. Since nitric oxide boosters promote pumps, they are a bodybuilding standard. Plus, they’re popular in more sports than bodybuilding.
This guide will look at the best nitric oxide supplements on the market.
Ready to get a great pump? Let’s jump right in!
In a Hurry? Here is our top pick:
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MRI Performance was the company that marketed the original NO2 capsule supplement. They introduced it back in the early 2000s’. This is the product that created the nitric oxide category. NO2 Black is an updated version of that first formula.
This formula features nitric oxide-enhancing branded ingredients. It also features full disclosure labeling and effective dosing.
All nitric oxide supplements promote a pump while you exercise. The best products also stimulate a pump by increasing cell volume. NO2 Black combines citrulline, Nitrosigine(™), and S7(™) with cell volumizers such as Hydromax glycerol®. This combination of ingredients ensures the best pumps. It also ensures nutrient delivery to the muscles.
Finally, this product offers one and two scoops flexible dosing. That means you can personalize it to your preferences.
- From The Company That Made The Original Nitric Oxide Supplement
- Open Label – Several Branded Ingredients
- Very Well Dosed
- Contains Some Artificial Ingredients
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Here’s our pick for the best nitric oxide-based stim-free pre-workout for beginners. Alpha Lion SuperHuman Pump features several branded ingredients. There’s also flexible one or two scoop dosing. Beginners should use one scoop.
They will become accustomed to using a nitric oxide-based pre-workout. They can go up to two scoops as desired. Also, this formula contains focus enhancers, and it’s stim-free. Beginners can move up to a stim-based pre-workout once they’ve gained experience.
Many supplements rely on l-citrulline for increased nitric oxide production. SuperHuman Pump uses Citrulline Malate. This is a 50-50 blend of pure citrulline and malic acid. This combo supports both pumps and endurance.
That’s because malic acid is part of the production of ATP. That’s an important benefit for many users. Yet, be aware that the labeled dose for two scoops is 8 grams. Of that, only 4 grams is pure citrulline.
- Flexible Dosing Designed For Beginners To Intermediates
- Features An Open Label
- Good Blend Of Nitric Oxide Ingredients And Focus Enhancers
- Does Not Use 100% Pure Citrulline – The Dose Is Only 50% Citrulline
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Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode Nitric is the best stim-free nitric oxide pre-workout. One reason is that it contains the highest clinical dose (10g) of pure citrulline. This ingredient is one of the most effective nitric oxide stimulators.
There are also other branded pump ingredients. These include Nitrosigine® and VasoDrive-AP®. Also, there’s agmatine and sodium nitrate. As effective as these are, pure citrulline is as effective as any of them.
Plus, this formula contains creatine, betaine, and malic acid. Gorilla Mode Nitric features one or two scoop dosing. Finally, it’s made in a GMP-certified facility.
- Contains 10g Pure Citrulline
- Features Several Branded Ingredients
- Fully Open Label
- Contains Artificial Ingredients
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Here’s a nitric oxide-based pre-workout that’s our pick for best versatility. Gorilla Mind is a newer company that has two products on this list. Gorilla Mode is a loaded pre-workout with flexible one and two scoop dosing. At one dose, this product works great for women, or anyone that does not want heavy dosing.
What about those who do? Gorilla Mode becomes one of the best-dosed pre-workouts available. At full dosing, there’s 9g of citrulline. Plus, there’s a full gram of agmatine. There are also stimulants, focus, and endurance ingredients.
Are you advanced and want an even stronger nitric oxide impact? Combine Gorilla Mode and Gorilla Mode Nitric. This gives you a very potent nitric oxide boosting pre-workout.
- Versatile One Or Two Scoop Dosing
- Good Choice For Any User
- Use It By Itself Or Stack It With Gorilla Mode Nitric
- Contains Artificial Ingredients
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Here’s our pick for the best nitric oxide supplement for bodybuilding. 5% Nutrition FasF Legendary Series is the most recent version of this classic product. This product now includes several branded ingredients. It also has an open label.
Plus, as always, it has generous dosing. Like most nitric oxide boosters, it also contains cell volumizers. There’s Bioperine® Black Pepper for absorption. Finally, you can use this product alone. Or stack it with any other 5% Nutrition pre-workout. Of course, you can stack it with your own favorite pre-workout.
- New Updated Formula
- Features Several Branded Ingredients
- Effectively Dosed
- Contains Artificial Ingredients
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Here’s a clean nitric oxide formula consisting of one ingredient. Nutricost Pure L-Citrulline contains 3g citrulline per scoop. There are no fillers or extra ingredients. This dose is at the bottom of the effective range. Still, the serving is adjustable, users can take two scoops for a stronger dose.
This is an unflavored product. You can mix it with anything. The lower dose will work well with many pre-workouts. These products can contain either citrulline or citrulline malate. Adding Nutricost Pure L-Citrulline will increase the dose of citrulline. While this is only one ingredient, citrulline has a high rating.
- 3g Pure Citrulline Per Serving
- Only One Ingredient
- Unflavored – Mix It With Your Pre-Workout
- Some Users Do Not Like The Taste
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Arginine is the original nitric oxide booster. In fact, arginine is what nitric oxide is produced from. It’s also what a few other ingredients convert to. Citrulline, Nitrosigine and agmatine are examples of this.
LArgininePro Arginine Powder contains several vitamins and minerals plus 5.5g of arginine. There’s also 1.1g of citrulline, which converts into arginine in the body.
Finally, there’s Aquamin(™), a branded multi-mineral ingredient. This compound supports hydration and bone health. Finally, it’s sweetened with stevia.
Any nitric oxide product promotes pumps when used with exercise. They will also support cardiovascular health. Nitric oxide production decreases with age. LArgininePro Arginine Powder replaces lost nitric oxide. It also maintains cardiovascular health and function.
- Designed For Cardiovascular Health
- Slows The Aging Process By Maintaining Levels Of Nitric Oxide
- Provides 5.5g Of Arginine
- May Be Too Sweet For Some Users
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Some users prefer pills over powder. There are several nitric oxide boosters in pill form. The problem with these is extreme underdosing. Amazing Formulas L-Citrulline is our pick for the best nitric oxide pill. That’s because only 2 pills provide 2g citrulline. This compares to others that are 4-5 pills per serving. Plus, that’s usually for less citrulline.
The label suggests 2 servings of this product, for 4g total citrulline. Studies show the minimum effective dose is 3 grams. The best nitric oxide supplements can provide up to 10g. Therefore, 4g per day is reasonable, and you could go higher. Finally, this product is 3rd party tested and GMP compliant.
- Easy To Take Pills
- 3rd Party Tested For Quality
- You Can Divide The Dose Over The Day
- It May Be Hard For Some Users To Follow
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Beetroot is one of the newest ingredients for nitric oxide stimulation. Beets are a source of nitrates which increases nitric oxide levels. Evlution Nutrition Beet Mode is our pick for the best beetroot powder. One serving provides 5g of MaxNox® per serving.
This is a branded ingredient. It has 4g of non-GMO beetroot powder. Also, it has 1g of organic beetroot powder. Beet Mode has natural flavoring, and it’s sweetened with stevia. Finally, it’s manufactured in a GMP-certified facility.
- All Natural
- Features 5g Of Patented MaxNox®
- Naturally Sweetened With Stevia
- Some Users Don’t Like The Aftertaste
One of the first things to clarify is that nitric oxide is not an ingredient. There are no supplements that contain nitric oxide. What they contain are ingredients that stimulate the body’s natural production of nitric oxide.
Nitric Oxide contains one atom of oxygen and one atom of nitrogen. It’s known as a vasodilator. This means it opens blood vessels. This allows increased blood flow. Nitric oxide is synthesized from the amino acid arginine. An enzyme group called Nitric Oxide Synthase regulates this process. This enzyme breaks down arginine and converts it into nitric oxide.
It also converts citrulline to arginine. This, in turn, converts into nitric oxide. This is why arginine and citrulline are popular nitric oxide boosters. In fact, the first nitric oxide booster, NO2 by MRI Performance, consisted of l-arginine. As you know, their current NO2 Black is our best overall. (1,2)
Nitric oxide boosters are among the most popular supplements available. As noted, it forces more blood into your muscles. This means you’ll get a good pump during your workout. Nitric oxide also increases the transport of nutrients and oxygen. If you’re working out, your muscles will recover faster and perform better.
The pump also promotes muscle growth. There’s a theory for this called Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy. This refers to an increase in the sarcoplasmic fluid around the muscle cell. The sarcoplasm swells in size beyond normal. The muscle will then be signaled to grow. (3)
Here are the benefits of nitric oxide boosters.
- Increased Blood Flow – As noted, this means more blood pushes into the working muscles. The improved circulation also supports cardiovascular health and sexual performance.
- Improved Delivery Of Nutrients And Oxygen – As noted, this is a major benefit of nitric oxide. This saturates the muscles in necessary nutrients, improving recovery. This also improves endurance.
- Removal Of Waste Products – More blood also removes the buildup of waste products. These can occur while training. This improves performance.
Here are the most common nitric oxide ingredients. You can find these compounds separately, such as Nutricost Citrulline Powder. Most products, such as our best overall, MRI NO2 Black, use a combination of nitric oxide ingredients.
L-Citrulline/L-Citrulline Malate – Citrulline is an alpha-amino acid. It converts to arginine in your body. This compound absorbs better than arginine. It’s also more effective at stimulating nitric oxide production. Some products use citrulline malate, which is a blend of citrulline and malic acid. This is an ingredient involved in the production of ATP. There’s a lot of debate over this combo. Adding malic acid cuts the amount of pure citrulline in half. It adds endurance benefits to the product. Yet it does nothing for nitric oxide production. If you want the benefits of nitric oxide, you want the strongest dose possible. That means no malic acid. Go with pure citrulline. Dosing should be at least 3g of pure citrulline. Some products, such as Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode Nitric, go as high as 10g. (4)
S7™ – This is a branded ingredient consisting of 7 herbal extracts. Included are green coffee bean extract, green tea extract, turmeric, tart cherry, blueberry, broccoli, and kale. These ingredients stimulate nitric oxide production. One advantage of S7 is that all that’s needed is a small dose. In fact, 50mg is a good starting point. Our best overall, MRI NO2 Black, has a max dose of 200mg. Some products, such as Alpha Lion Superhuman Pump, use as little as 75mg. Finally, 5% Nutrition FasF Legendary Series uses the suggested 50mg. (5)
VASO6™ – This is another patented ingredient. It’s from green tea and grape seed. It has a 50% conversion rate to nitric oxide. Like other nitric oxide boosters, this compound enhances blood flow. One of the biggest advantages of this ingredient is that it works quickly. (6)
VasoDrive-AP® – This ingredient is based on casein protein. It stimulates greater nitric oxide production by reducing vasoconstriction. This means it blocks the enzyme that can limit blood flow. Reduced blood flow means weak pumps and less nutrient delivery. This is a newer ingredient that you will find in some nitric oxide supplements. The best example of a product with this ingredient is Gorilla Mind Gorilla Nitric.
Agmatine Sulfate – Here’s another compound that promotes the production of nitric oxide. This ingredient is a metabolite of arginine. Agmatine increases nitric oxide production and improves glycogen storage. (7)
Nitrosigine™ – This is one more patented ingredient. It’s a combination of arginine and silicon. Like the other ingredients, this increases nitric oxide production. It’s fast acting and long lasting. In fact, it will stay active in the body for 6 hours. (8)
Beet Root – This is a well known vegetable. Maybe not as well known is its use in traditional medicines. Beets are rich in nitrates and other nutrients. Nitrates, in turn increase nitric oxide production. You will find beetroot in products such as 5% Nutrition FasF. Also, you’ll find it by itself, such as Evlution Nutrition Beet Mode.
Arginine – Originally, regular l-arginine was the ingredient used in early nitric oxide boosters. Since then, it has been available in many forms, such as arginine akg. More recently, it’s one of the two compounds that make up Nitrosigine(™). Also, it’s still available as standard l-arginine. A good example of this is LArgininePro Arginine Powder.
These are two of the most important aspects of any nitric oxide supplement. It is fully disclosed, and are the doses high enough to be effective? Always check these two factors first. A product may have good ingredients. But if they’re in an under-dosed prop blend, they will not help you. For example, our best overall, MRI NO2 Black, provides citrulline with two strengths: 4g and 8g. Gorilla Mind Gorilla Nitric has a max dose of 10 grams. Compare that to the 500mg you will come across in some products. That’s a major difference in potency.
There are no specialized instructions as far as using a nitric oxide supplement. If you’re using a high stim or stim-free pre-workout, use as directed. Beginners should begin with one scoop if there’s the option of two serving sizes. More experienced users can take as directed.
If you’re using a nitric oxide supplement for other reasons, such as cardiovascular health, take it as directed on the label. For example, LArgininePro Arginine Powder can be taken twice a day on an empty stomach. It’s flavored and mixed with 8oz cold water.
MRI NO2 Black features a balanced formula with several branded ingredients. It’s fully open and very well dosed. MRI is the company that started the nitric oxide category with its original NO2.
Would you prefer a single ingredient, such as pure citrulline? Nutricost Pure L-Citrulline provides 3g per scoop. You can add it to any pre-workout to beef up its nitric oxide benefits. Or, use it by itself. It’s unflavored and you can mix it with anything.
Are you looking for the best stim-free pre-workout? Do you want one with well-dosed nitric oxide ingredients? Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode Nitric is the ideal choice. This is a newer brand that has the highest dose of pure citrulline in this guide. The full two scoop dose provides 10g.
The best nitric oxide supplement is the one that fits your needs the most. Use our guide, make your choice, and get pumped today!
References:
- nitric oxide (CHEBI:16480)
- Nitric Oxide Supplements
- https://www.researchgate.net/
- Figueroa, A., Wong, A., Jaime, S. J., & Gonzales, J. U. (2017, January). Influence of L-citrulline and watermelon supplementation on vascular function and exercise performance. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27749691
- Nemzer BV;Centner C;Zdzieblik D;Fink B;Hunter JM;König D;. (n.d.). Oxidative Stress or Redox Signalling – New Insights Into the Effects of a Proprietary Multifunctional Botanical Dietary Supplement. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29110555/
- Fitzpatrick DF, Fleming C, Bing B, Maggi DA, Malley MO. Isolation and Characterization of Endothelium – Dependent Vaso relaxing Compounds from Grape Seeds. J Agric Food Chem. 2000;204:6384-6390.
- Haulică I, et al. Preliminary research on possible relationship of NO with agmatine at the vascular level. Rom J Physiol. (1999). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- https://nitrosigine.com/about/