Benefits Of L-Ornithine Supplements For Vitality: Ornithine Benefits
Benefits of l-ornithine supplements and the role of l-ornithine within the body are both increasingly popular topics in wellness research. L-ornithine is becoming especially popular with athletes. This is because of researched effects on the natural release of growth promoting hormones.
Ornithine is an amino acid that is not coded for by the body but may have big benefits for our health. This amino acid is directly involved in the removal of excess nitrogen from the body as part of the urea cycle. L-ornithine is primarily used in the removal of ammonia and the production of urea. Ornithine seems to have an ancestral role in our metabolism and is made by E. coli bacteria.
There is evidence that ornithine benefits our overall energy state. This is another reason why l-ornithine supplements could be of benefit to athletes. Fatigue does not just affect people who do intensive exercise. Mental and physical fatigue also effects the day-to-day person. Especially considering the increased expectations of modern workplaces and societal pressures.
Accumulated fatigue affects performance and is often an affliction of diseases. This is another big reason for an increased interest in possible fatigue reducing supplements such as l-ornithine.
In this article, the researched benefits of l-ornithine supplements and ornithine benefits for our overall health will be looked at.
Main Roles Of Ornithine
Ornithine is an amino acid that is not coded for by the body or directly involved in production of our proteins but plays a very important role in many different processes. This means it is very important to ensure that you have enough ornithine in the body and are consuming ornithine in good quantities.
It is believed to be very difficult to consume enough l-ornithine in the body from ordinary meals. This is because this amino acid is not so rich in meats or fish and could be rate limiting on optimal energy production.
Genetic damage to the enzymes involved in the ability of ornithine to directly process ammonia can cause serious issues within the body. This is because of toxic ammonia build up in the blood from urea cycle breakdown. This gives an indication as to how important l-ornithine is for the body.
L-Ornithine And The Urea Cycle
The main role l-ornithine plays is within the urea cycle. This amino acid plays a big part in the process of urine production. L-ornithine is heavily involved in ammonia processing or direct ammonia detoxification which occurs in the liver and kidneys.
L-ornithine essentially disposes of excess nitrogen or ammonia via the urea cycle. This reduction in blood ammonia levels from the increases caused by physical exercise is thought to improve the efficiency of energy production. This may then reduce fatigue.
Build ups in ammonia are considered to be a main cause of exercise induced fatigue. Exercise uses a lot of energy through ATP consumption. ATP is our main energy storage molecule with energy deficiencies forming a crucial factor in fatigue. This is why our bodies have many different methods of energy production.
Researched Benefits Of L-Ornithine Supplements
Because of the involvement of ornithine in the urea cycle, there has been a lot of research looking at links between the benefits of l-ornithine supplements and fatigue. While l-ornithine is also thought to have an influence on cortisol and overall stress levels too.
L-Ornithine And Exercise Fatigue
One important study providing l-ornithine supplements to athletes before exercise found that there were potential benefits to their peak performance. Maximum anaerobic performance was improved during high intensity physical exercise and this was thought to be because of links to the urea cycle. Blood levels of glutamic acid or glutamate and aspartic acid were significantly higher after exhaustion with ornithine ingestion.
Another study identified that fatigue from endurance based physical tasks was also reduced after taking an l-ornithine supplement. Researchers noted that the feelings of fatigue were significantly reduced with l-ornithine use. This further supports the potential benefits of taking l-ornithine supplements for improved energy consumption and our overall wellbeing. Based on their results the researchers stated they would recommend l-ornithine intake in cases of physical fatigue.
This study also supported evidence that l-ornithine supplements improved activation of the urea cycle. They detected increased lipid or fat metabolism and ketone bodies indicating supportive alterations to metabolic rate. These were detected alongside changes in blood ammonia levels consistent with more optimal urea cycling.
L-ornithine most likely has this antifatigue effect because of the improved efficiency of energy consumption occurring via increased excretion of ammonia. There are ornithine transporters in our energy producing mitochondria which could assist with ammonia metabolism in the liver and kidneys. Transporters help to move key molecules between and inside cells.
Ornithine Benefits For Tissue Recovery
Other studies show that ornithine supplementation enhances wound healing. This could also have benefits for athletic recovery following exercise. Other studies have identified that l-ornithine supplementation could improve levels of growth hormone. It may do this through stimulating the pituitary gland.
Increased levels of this anabolic hormone would then improve muscle growth. This would be another possible benefit of ornithine supplementation for more optimal athletic performance and recovery. Growth hormone also promotes the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids which could explain some of the benefits to wound healing or recovery.
L-Ornithine And Stress
Because of influences on the urea cycle and resulting improvements in efficiency of energy consumption, l-ornithine could have benefits on our overall stress levels. This has been the subject of various research studies.
One study noticed that l-ornithine supplements could have benefits for reducing levels of stress through reducing overall cortisol levels. Cortisol levels are a key indicator of stress as perceived by the body. Levels of anger and perceived sleep quality were also reduced with ornithine supplementation. This could therefore be another of the benefits from l-ornithine supplements.
Research outlines that there are potential benefits of l-ornithine supplements for our wellness. Especially for reducing fatigue. Some suggest that further potential benefits need to be looked into immediately considering how promising initial studies have been.
Summary
Benefits of l-ornithine supplements are popular research topics because of links to athletic performance and fatigue. Ornithine is an amino acid that is not coded for by the body but may have wider health benefits that may assist our overall wellbeing.
The main function of this amino acid is within the urea cycle. This is a process where the body removes excess nitrogen via urea production. L-ornithine detoxifies ammonia as part of this cycle. The lowering of blood ammonia is thought to promote improved energy levels. Ammonia is a main contributing factor to fatigue.
Various studies show that there are potential benefits to l-ornithine supplements for reducing fatigue. Some go as far as recommending l-ornithine supplements for physical fatigue. L-ornithine supplements could also have potential benefits for improving anaerobic exercise performance.
Because of influences on growth hormone l-ornithine supplements could have benefits for more optimal wound healing and exercise recovery. This would also influence future exercise performance and muscle growth.
Some studies have found links between l-ornithine and stress. L-ornithine supplements seem to have an overall lowering effect on cortisol levels and body perceived stress.
L-ornithine has researched benefits for supporting natural energy levels within the body, while encouraging tissue recovery and possibly lowering stress levels.
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