Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate (AAKG) is a compound commonly marketed in sports supplements with claims to enhance exercise performance, particularly through increasing nitric oxide (NO) production, which may promote vasodilation and improve blood flow to muscles. The rationale is that arginine serves as a precursor for NO synthesis, and alpha-ketoglutarate may support energy production in the Krebs cycle. However, scientific evidence supporting AAKG’s effectiveness for exercise performance is limited and mixed.

Some small clinical studies have shown that AAKG supplementation can increase plasma arginine levels and NO metabolites, but these biochemical changes have not consistently translated into meaningful improvements in strength, endurance, or muscle growth in healthy adults. Randomized controlled trials have generally failed to show significant benefits of AAKG over placebo for resistance exercise performance, muscle recovery, or body composition. For example, a study published in Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2012) found no significant effects of AAKG supplementation on muscular strength or endurance in experienced resistance-trained men.

Overall, while AAKG is popular in the sports supplement market and has a plausible mechanism based on arginine metabolism, robust clinical evidence supporting its use for exercise enhancement is lacking. Current research suggests only minimal efficacy, and the evidence is not strong enough to recommend AAKG as an ergogenic aid for athletes or recreational exercisers.

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