Arginine aspartate is a combination of 2 amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) present in the body: aspartic acid and arginine.
Arginine is an essential amino acid for children (cannot be produced by the body, so you have to get it from food or supplements) and semi-essential for adults (is produced in insufficient quantity by the body, so you need to get more from food or supplements).
One of the most important functions of arginine is its involvement in the Urea cycle, where it has an important role in the removal of toxic ammonia from the body (via the kidneys) by its conversion to urea [Bessman 1957].
It also has several other important functions in the body, including healing wounds and injuries, maintaining sexual hormone function and widening and relaxing arteries and blood vessels (improving blood flow).
It may enhance energy production and use in the body and speed recovery after exercise [Burtscher 2005].
Arginine may reduce blood pressure by helping improve blood flow in the arteries of the heart, as well as reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes [Gambardella 2020].
Arginine also promotes cellular and organismal growth and supports the release of growth hormone [Oh 2017, Kanaley 2008].