How To Increase Stamina With Nitric Oxide

People don’t often know how to increase stamina, and they find themselves struggling through a light workout or having a difficult time with regular daily activities, such as cleaning. Low stamina doesn’t just affect a person’s physical activity; it also influences mental activity. 

Think of the body as a machine. What goes into the body will either increase or decrease stamina. Certain foods will increase stamina, while other foods will decrease it. 

How To Increase Stamina With Diet

When people make poor food choices, they feel the effects almost immediately. According to the American Journal of Cardiology, even one fast food meal,  directly affects the human body. A research article posted by the University of New Hampshire also discusses how high-sodium content, sugar, and refined carbohydrates decrease nitric oxide levels. 

Foods That Decrease Nitric Oxide Production

The nitric oxide levels in a body affect healthy circulation, directly impacting various aspects of our health. Making poor dietary choices, even aside from eating processed foods, affects nitric oxide levels within the body. Here are a few foods to avoid that negatively affect the body’s ability to produce nitric oxide. 

Salt Increases Blood Pressure 

Salt naturally increases blood pressure, which directly correlates with decreased nitric oxide production. The more blood pressure increases from sodium intake, the more difficult it becomes for the body to produce enough nitric oxide to support healthy circulation.

However, it’s almost impossible to avoid salt completely. Copious amounts of sodium are found in processed foods and many snacks. Salt is even found in canned vegetables, salad dressings, and processed vegan meats. A person should always examine the sodium content of foods before adding them to a diet. While the body still needs a small amount of sodium, it isn’t recommended to surpass the FDA recommended 2,300 mg per day.

Alcohol and Circulation

Numerous studies back the claim that alcohol in moderate amounts benefits circulation. However, while small amounts of alcohol do have a nominal effect on nitric oxide production, there are better ways to improve nitric oxide levels for increased stamina. 

Nitrate-Rich Foods To Increase Stamina

Understanding how nitrates and nitric oxide benefit the body makes it possible to look for healthy, nitrate-rich food sources. Some of the best and healthiest sources of dietary nitrates are sourced from vegetables. Those wanting to know how to increase stamina through food should consider the following list of nitric oxide-boosting foods. 

Vitamin C for Nitric Oxide

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is an essential micronutrient that isn’t only great for the human body because it takes care of multiple health benefits It also plays an important role in raising our nitric oxide levels. Studies have shown nitric oxide bioavailability is greatly enhanced by Vitamin C. It is found in abundance in fruits like oranges, kiwis, and grapefruits and also in broccoli, tomatoes, and spinach. 

Red Beets

Red beets are flavorful, contain antioxidants, and are rich in dietary nitrates. Anyone looking for a versatile option to raise nitric oxide levels, as well as other benefits for the body, including increased stamina, should reach for this important root. 

Nuts and Grains Containing L-Arginine 

L-Arginine is an amino acid that boosts energy and increases nitric oxide for stamina. While this amino acid is produced naturally in the body, consuming between 2.1 to 24 grams of L-Arginine daily is recommended. This nitric oxide-boosting amino acid is found mostly in walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, and other nuts and grains. 

The Relationship Between Exercise and Stamina

There is a healthy relationship between nitric oxide and exercise. Studies recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate, daily exercise. Those who don’t know how to increase stamina can start by eating nitrate-rich foods, which increase oxygen levels in the body. 

Increasing stamina by going from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one isn’t difficult. It can start with baby steps and the right plan to boost nitric oxide levels. 

Having low energy is understandable when there is insufficient bioavailable oxygen. Lower levels of bioavailable oxygen mean the cells aren’t functioning at their optimal levels. 

Here’s a short plan for increasing nitric oxide levels:

1. Consume foods loaded with dietary nitrates.
2. Practice deep nasal breathing to manage stress.
3. Take short walks outside in the sun as a natural nitric oxide booster.
4. Try a nitric oxide dump workout once stamina levels are high enough for increased physical activity. 

Anyone looking at increasing stamina should start safely by starting slowly on their path to optimal nitric oxide levels. 

References:

“Effects of a Typical Fast-Food Meal on Arterial Stiffness in Young Adults.” Inquiry Journal, 15 Apr. 2019, www.unh.edu/inquiryjournal/spring-2019/effects-typical-fast-food-meal-arterial-stiffness-young-adults.

Dishy, Victor et al. “Nitric oxide production decreases after salt loading but is not related to blood pressure changes or nitric oxide-mediated vascular responses.” Journal of hypertension vol. 21,1 (2003): 153-7. doi:10.1097/00004872-200301000-00025

Mortensen, Alan, and Jens Lykkesfeldt. “Does vitamin C enhance nitric oxide bioavailability in a tetrahydrobiopterin-dependent manner? In vitro, in vivo and clinical studies.” Nitric oxide: biology and chemistry vol. 36 (2014): 51-7. doi:10.1016/j.niox.2013.12.001

Mills, Charlotte Elizabeth et al. “It is rocket science - why dietary nitrate is hard to 'beet'! Part II: further mechanisms and therapeutic potential of the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway.” British journal of clinical pharmacology vol. 83,1 (2017): 140-151. doi:10.1111/bcp.12918