NO-Xplode is one of the best known products in the bodybuilding world. It has won both bodybuilding.com’s Supplement of the Year Award and Nitric Oxide of the Year Award. I personally know several meat heads who swear by the stuff. But scientifically, this means nothing. NO-Xplode is jammed full of ingredients and nutrients, half the container is the nutritional label. But what is Nitric Oxide? What does taking Nitric Oxide accomplish and how? And most importantly, is BSN’s NO-Xplode better than other forms of Nitric Oxide and why? These are the questions that are of central importance to the debate on this product, and are precisely the questions we will seek to answer here.
What is Nitric Oxide?
Before we can discuss any of this, we must first learn what Nitric Oxide is and how it affects the body physiologically. Nitric Oxide exists at room temperature as a gas. How can a nutritional supplement be a gas you might ask? Good question. NO-Xplode and other Nitric Oxide supplements don’t actually contain Nitric Oxide; they simply provide the raw components of Nitric Oxide and stimulate the body to synthesize this gas. The gas then moves through your bloodstream in a dissolved fashion. What does this do to your body? Another good question. Nitric Oxide is what is known as a vasodilator (Latin: vaso = vessel, dilate = to expand). A vasodilator is a chemical that causes the blood vessels in the body to relax and thereby expand. As they expand they move are able to move a greater volume of blood around the body. Especially important for bodybuilding is the movement of blood from the lungs to the body and from the digestive system to the various muscles. This allows greater oxygen and nutrients to the muscles leading to stronger, more intense lifts and increased stamina. Caffeine and nicotine are vasoconstrictors, the opposite of vasodilators, and as such should be avoided during recovery periods (or altogether).
What does Nitric Oxide accomplish?
Nitric Oxide is a boon to the bodybuilder for a number of reasons. The first is increased pumps. “Pumps” are what bodybuilders describe as the feeling of their muscles being saturated with blood. You have likely experienced a pump when you’ve just finished a difficult set. I tend to notice it most after heavy bicep curls; the veins in my arms are bulging and my arms feel swollen and heavy. Some researchers believe this is an important part of getting your muscles to grow. Bathing your muscles in oxygen rich blood will increase their ability to contract and allow you to lift greater weights for greater results
A second benefit of Nitric Oxide is increased muscle repair. By increasing the volume of blood reaching your intestines and muscles, you increase the amount of nutrients (especially proteins) that can reach your muscles. By boosting nutrient levels in and around the muscle, you allow more chances for those nutrients to be pulled into muscle cells and used to repair and replicate. More healthy muscle cells mean bigger muscles, plain and simple.
A third and somewhat off-label benefit of Nitric Oxide is increased Human Growth Hormone (or HGH) production. Some of the chemicals in Nitric Oxide supplements, (specifically NO-Xplode) also boost natural HGH production if taken before bedtime. L-Arginine is the main amino acid responsible for this effect. However, be advised: NO-Xplode is loaded with B-vitamins which increase carbohydrate metabolism and provide energy. In other words, you probably won’t be able to chug a glass of this and then sleep, unless you have narcolepsy or a large supply of Ambien.
Is BSN’s NO-Xplode superior?
This brings us to the ultimate question, is NO-Xplode superior to other brands of Nitric Oxide. The answer is: probably. Many of the chemical components of NO-Xplode are not possible to identify due to patents. This includes NO-Xplode's Proprietary Blend, the Patented Nutrient Suspension Matrix & Efforsorb Delivery System, the Muscle Volumizing Creatine Matrix , Ener-Tropic Xplosion, and the mysterious Glycerol Hydrating Polymers. As you can see BSN has gone through considerable trouble to make sure you (and more likely their competitors) don’t know what’s in it. And though we don’t know exact ratios and chemical structures, we can gleam some conclusions from the information they do provide us with.
NO-Xplode has a typical amount of L-Arginine, and any more is basically a waste and gets pissed out, so it’s no different there. It has some energy support properties with a good blend of energy boosting B-vitamins and electrolytes. It also has a creatine variant that will likely boost cellular volume especially when coupled with a vasodilator. And I’m willing to bet top secret classified blends contain nutrients and chemicals which act to amplify the effects of the Nitric Oxide. Couple this information with all the anecdotal evidence and a very reasonable price and NO-Xplode may be one of the best supplements we’ve reviewed.
On an unscientific and slightly biased note: I have tried NO-Explode myself and could noticeably feel an increase in stamina and pumps. I thought my arms were going to pop! Like always, we suggest buying your supplements online and saving lots of money that otherwise goes into the middleman’s pocket. The best price I could find for a 1.8 pound jug was here. They also have an assortment of delicious flavors including:
Orange | Lemonade | Grape | Fruit Punch | Blue Raspberry | Lemon Lime
Fruit punch is my favorite :)
