L-ornithine

What Does L-Ornithine Do?

L-ornithine is a non-proteinogenic amino acid that plays a central role in the urea cycle, acting as a metabolic vacuum for your muscles. It works by helping your body process and eliminate the metabolic byproducts that accumulate during high-intensity training.

• Ammonia Buffering: During intense exercise, your muscles produce ammonia, a toxic byproduct that contributes significantly to peripheral fatigue. L-ornithine accelerates the conversion of ammonia into urea, allowing you to maintain power output for longer durations.
• Enhanced Endurance: By managing the toxic load of metabolic waste, it helps maintain muscular efficiency during both aerobic and anaerobic activities, making it a staple for long-form training sessions.
• Growth Hormone Support: Clinical evidence suggests that high-dose ornithine supplementation may stimulate the release of growth hormone (GH) by inhibiting somatostatin, particularly when paired with heavy resistance training.
• Improved Recovery: By reducing the systemic stress caused by ammonia buildup, L-ornithine can help lower the perceived exertion of your workout and potentially reduce post-exercise lethargy.

Clinical vs. Gym Bro Dosing

Key Insight: To maximize the endurance benefits, ensure you are taking at least the 2,000mg clinical dose approximately 30 to 60 minutes before your workout. It is especially effective during sessions that exceed 45 minutes, which is when ammonia levels typically peak and begin to degrade performance.

Side Effects & Warnings

• Gastrointestinal Distress: The most common side effect, typically occurring at doses exceeding 10 grams, is osmotic diarrhea or stomach cramping.
• Insomnia: Because L-ornithine influences the urea cycle and can impact neurotransmitter balance, some users report restlessness if taken very late at night.
• Blood Pressure: While rare, those with naturally low blood pressure should monitor their levels as amino acids in the urea cycle can occasionally impact vasodilation.

Tip: L-ornithine is generally recognized as safe for healthy adults. If you have a sensitive stomach, start with 1,000mg and scale up to the clinical 2,000mg dose over several workouts to ensure your digestion handles the increased amino acid load.