Do Cranberries Have Citric Acid?
How to Take L-Arginine for Running
How to Thin Compound W
How to Use Super Advanced Whey Protein
How to Make an Anti-Fog Lens Cleaner
MayoClinic.com: Arginine (L-Arginine)
How to Make L-Arginine Taste Better
Written by Max Whitmore
L-arginine is an amino acid that contributes to muscle growth. Body builders often use it in powder form to supplement their training regimen. Although l-arginine is part of the family of amino acids, the substance is actually alkaline in nature 1. As a result, l-arginine powder has an extremely bitter and unpleasant taste, which is difficult to mask. To make it taste better, you need to neutralize the alkalinity of the l-arginine with an acid, such as lemon juice.
Add a serving of l-arginine powder to a drinking glass. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for dosing.
Pour enough grape juice into the glass to dissolve the powder. The grape juice should change color indicating the alkaline content of the powder. The grape juice will also add flavor.
Add drops of lemon juice to the grape juice using an eyedropper. Add a dropper full at a time and swirl. When the juice changes back to its original purple, you have effectively neutralized the l-arginine.
Dilute the juice with water or more grape juice, if desired. The mixture will have a strong lemon flavor, but will not be sour. Diluting will make it less intense.
If you don't like grape juice or want to avoid the sugar, dissolve the l-arginine powder in water or the non-alkaline beverage of your choice and add the lemon juice "blind." The juice will still neutralize the alkalinity but you will not have the color change to indicate that you have added enough.
The grape juice should change color indicating the alkaline content of the powder. The grape juice will also add flavor. To make it taste better, you need to neutralize the alkalinity of the l-arginine with an acid, such as lemon juice.
L-arginine powder
Pure 100-percent lemon juice
Water, optional
The Biology Project: Basic Amino Acids
Virtual Chembook Elmhurst College: Neutralization Acids and Bases
Max Whitmore is a personal trainer with more than three years experience in individual and group fitness. Whitmore has a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Cincinnati, fitness certifications and dietetics training from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. Whitmore has written for several online publishers.
Nungning20/iStock/Getty Images