N.O. boosters are dietary supplements that are supposed to contribute to a better supply of nitric oxide to the body. This in turn should lead to a widening of the blood vessels and thus to an improved blood flow.
N.O. boosters are popular with athletes. They hope for more "pump" from it. This is the term used to describe the feeling that many athletes have during muscle training, which is usually perceived as very pleasant and thus increases motivation, when the muscles expand significantly due to the inflowing of blood.
Die Abkürzung NO steht für Stickstoffmonoxid: ein farb- und geruchloses giftiges Gas.
Der Pharmakologe Ferid Murad entdeckte Ende der 1970er-Jahre, dass organische Nitrate NO freisetzen, welches für eine Erweiterung der Blutgefäße sorgt.
Ferid Murad, Robert Furchgott und Louis Ignarro erhielten 1998 der Nobelpreis für Physiologie und Medizin. Es war ihnen gelungen, die Rolle von NO als Botenstoff im Organismus sowie die Bedeutung von NO für die Blutversorgung erstmals nachzuweisen.
“Nitric oxide (N.O.) is a poison gas - and at the same time indispensable for life. It regulates blood pressure, helps with learning and erects the penis." (Wissenschaft.de)
The residents of the Tibetan highlands have around ten times more N.O. in their blood than the residents of the lowlands: This doubles the blood flow and enables an adequate supply of oxygen. So they are well adapted to life at around 4000 meters.
N.O. is also important for the normal function of the intestines, lungs, kidneys, liver and pancreas as well as for supporting diarrhoea illnesses.