Wanna increase Nitric Oxide levels? Try drinking a cola

[Arnold]

Wanna increase Nitric Oxide levels? Try drinking a cola. (*study)
by Anthony Roberts

Nitric Oxide is one of the more popular buzz words in the bodybuilding community, and there are a bunch of supplements that promise customers an increase in NO levels???but it also plays an important role in asthma. Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized arginine by nitric oxide synthases, and goes on to play a role in the regulation of vascular tone, immunologic and proinflammatory activities, response to vascular injury, hemostasis, and is a neurotransmitter for the nonadrenergic noncholinergic nerves. And, interestingly, the analysis of exhaled NO has been used to measure the inflammatory component asthma, as it is elevated during the onset of more severe cases and situations (i.e. more exhaled NO in asthma patients is a marker of the condition getting worse, and an indicator of increased airway inflammation).

In child asthmatics, simply drinking a can of cola will elevate the body???s Nitric Oxide levels, and potentially throw off test results ??? I???m not sure if this has any implications for athletes, or bodybuilders, but it???s interesting nonetheless.

Pediatr Pulmonol. 2010 Dec;45(12):1228-32. doi: 10.1002/ppul.21313. Epub 2010 Aug 17.

Changes to exhaled nitric oxide in asthmatic children after drinking a caffeine-containing cola drink.

Abuzayan I, Paraskavi U, Turner SW.

Source:
Child Health, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Exhaled nitric oxide (FE(NO)) may be a biomarker for airway eosinophilia and of use in the management of childhood asthma. Caffeine ingestion has been associated with changes in FE(NO) concentration in adults. The present study tested the hypothesis that ingestion of a caffeine-containing cola drink will increase FE(NO) in asthmatic children.

METHODS:

Exhaled NO was measured in children with asthma before, 30 and 60 min after taking a cola drink containing 0.7 mg/kg caffeine. Intrasubject changes in FE(NO) and flow independent NO parameters were determined including bronchial wall NO flux (J???awNO).

RESULTS:

Eleven children with asthma were recruited, 10 were prescribed inhaled corticosteroids and 9 were skin prick positive. The median [interquartile range, IQR] FE(NO) at baseline was 47 parts per billion [9,64] and this rose to 56 ppb [11, 66] after 30 min and returned to 46 ppb [9, 62] after 60 min, Friedman???s test P = 0.003. J???awNO rose from a median [IQR] 2,843 nl/sec [356, 4,247] at baseline to 3,304 nl/sec [479, 4,387] after 30 min and returned to 2,937 nl/sec [356, 4,153] after 60 min, Freidman???s test P = 0.003. There was no significant change in other flow independent NO parameters.

CONCLUSIONS:

Ingestion of a caffeine-containing cola drink was associated with a modest and transient rise in FE(NO) which is mostly explained by increased NO production in the proximal airways. Ingestion of a caffeine-containing cola drink may result in clinically relevant acute changes in FE(NO) for children with asthma.

source

 

[Moneytoblow]

I'm wondering if the caffeine alone is responsible for the NO increase

 

[SloppyJ]

Looks like the caffiene might have something to do with it?

 

[GMO]

I'm wondering if the caffeine alone is responsible for the NO increase

No, caffeine is a vasoconstrictor...meaning it does the exact opposite and narrows the blood vessels, rather than dilating them.

 

[SloppyJ]

What about a decaf cola then. That would be even better?

 

[GMO]

What about a decaf cola then. That would be even better?

I think increasing overall red blood cell production through the use of AAS would be better. That's the method I use...

 

[SloppyJ]

**Puts down the 2-liter. Picks up a vial.***

 

[t-ravie]

Yer thats crazy because i just started drinking alot of coke zero (only sweet thing im having now because im dieting ha) and im more vascular than ever.

I thought it would have the opposite effect because caffeine is a vasoconstrictor...

 

[nick52]

nitric oxide boosters dont do them except my pre - workout i use assault and black powder but aas is definetely the way to go and probably cheaper in the long run