Bodybuilding, Nitrix Oxide and diving...

[AM1]

I haven't read the thread so apologies if I'm repeating something.

Not sure about the supplements but I can comment that a friend of mine got badly bent about 6 years ago whilst bodybuilding and diving - the doctor attributed this to his diet, which included hardly any carbs.

Anyway, you need to be fat to be a British diver!

Regards

AnneMarie

Originally Posted by calski

Hi Everyone

I've done a quick search through the forums for NO (Nitric Oxide) and can't see anything which answers my question.

Basically, I am a keen weight trainer / amateur bodybuilder and as such take a whole range of supplements. One of them is an NO based product which increases muscular vascularity and thus "pumps" whilst working out. I take this 30 minutes prior to a gym session (5 - 6 times per week).

My question is whether I am increasing / decreasing the likelihood of a bend. Originally, I thought I was probably increasing the chances of a bend but having read some of the posts from other threads, I'm not so sure.

Since many (most) NO products are now banned in Ireland (No-Xplode, Superpump250 etc etc...) I have to order via the UK and collect them when I go home. I wasn't planning on taking any NO supplementation with me when I travel to Egypt with ancl but since reading the posts outlining potential benefits, I'm giving it some thought.

Are there any doctors / medical professionals / bodybuilders on YD who know about this or have an opinion? A friend of mine in the US feels there are no risks but he's a bodybuilder, not a medical professional / scientist.

Thanks in advance!

calski

[Ahmed Adly]

Originally Posted by AM1

I haven't read the thread so apologies if I'm repeating something.

Not sure about the supplements but I can comment that a friend of mine got badly bent about 6 years ago whilst bodybuilding and diving - the doctor attributed this to his diet, which included hardly any carbs.

Anyway, you need to be fat to be a British diver!

Regards

AnneMarie

I had strict diet a few years ago which was a zero carb diet. I did trimix on a regular basis and never had any problems. I bet I did at least 50 dives under 60m during this period.
Also I could not guess what carbs have to do with dcs. Maybe Gene could dig something out about it.

[Sipadan]

Just to reiterate, it's not as simple as NO = good or NO = bad. The results of the research I (and many others) was involved with showed that varying the route of NO donor administration, dose and/or type of donor molecule could alter physiological response. In some cases, in opposite directions!

In the papers cited, the production of the body's own nitric oxide supply was inhibited. This is very different to adding nitric oxide to the body from an outside sourse. This kind of data is very intersting, but difficult to extrapolate from one situation to another.

[Gene_Hobbs]

Originally Posted by Ahmed Adly

I had strict diet a few years ago which was a zero carb diet. I did trimix on a regular basis and never had any problems. I bet I did at least 50 dives under 60m during this period.
Also I could not guess what carbs have to do with dcs. Maybe Gene could dig something out about it.

Not much available on nutrition and diving but what we do have so far is in our suggested reading list.

The collection continues to grow so maybe one day...

[calski]

Ok...

So...

Basically, I guess the question remains open ended... I'm going to take an NO supplement (or NO catalyst?) before diving. The period of when I ingest this will vary for example, I take it maybe 24 hours before a dive, but this will have been say the 5th time I've taken it in a week so levels of the amino acids producing NO will be raised.

Am I increasing / decreasing risk of a bend through the use of these supplements?

It sounds to me (and I'm not a medical person) that I'm decreasing the risk through increasing, not restricting, the amount of NO in my blood.

If I take the supplement 30 minutes prior to a dive, then NO levels will definitely be increased, thus decreasing the risk (in theory - maybe - we're not sure 100%)...

A fair summary?

I'm not necessarily trying to pin down a definitive but get a "feel" really.

[e14724]

Just dont do any the day of a dive?

How many days a week do you dive?

[calski]

It's not so much that I am worried about it on a day to day basis but something I was mulling over recently.

I then read through some other threads and rather than simply increase the risk of DCS, there seems to be a possibility that it might decrease the risk.

Ergo... if it does, I'll take some out to Sharm when I go in July and will be diving everyday.

[liamm]

As an aside, do you actually notice much difference when using these products???

[calski]

Originally Posted by liamm

As an aside, do you actually notice much difference when using these products???

I do. I have to say I was skeptical when I first started taking them but they do make a big difference.

NO-Xplode (illegal in Ireland) was my first try. It really gave me a big buzz, helped me focus and there were definite gains in both vascularity and strength.

SuperPump250 (again, illegal in Ireland) is even better (IMO) and does much the same thing, only with better results.

The latest one I've tried "Juggernaut" (not yet illegal in Ireland) tastes fracking awful BUT, certainly kick started my chest session yesterday!

The products are basically stimulants so contain a lot of caffeine but I really notice a difference when I don't take them, which is probably the most compelling proof that they do something.

[Ferg3333]

[quote=liamm;909131]

Originally Posted by Sipadan

NO dilates blood vessels. I don't know much about DCS biology, but this is generally thought to be a good thing, so it might actually reduce your chance of a hit.
quote]

I dive with asthma (controlled) and have been warned not to take my reliever inhaler (ventolin/salbutamol etc) before or directly after i dive as it dilates blood vessels in the lungs and so could lead to bubbles being passes from the venous side to the arterial side - similar to the effect of a PFO. Could NO lead to similar?

Diving docs generally recommend the blue (salbutamol inhaler) before diving for controlled asthmatics???