Originally Posted by canklecat

I wouldn't compromise oral hygiene for nitric oxide. The body makes NO on the fly while we're exercising, especially in sunlight. Nitric oxide is volatile, can't be stored or effectively supplemented (some differences of opinion there based on various studies), so all we can do is hope we're healthy enough to manufacture the stuff as needed.

There are factors than can reduce available NO -- which that article lists -- but oral hygiene is probably way down near the bottom of those factors. Being 61 with Hashimoto's (auto-immune disorder with a dysfunctional thyroid) and taking multiple meds for chronic inflammation and respiratory problems are much more significant factors for me.

If anything, omitting oral hygiene steps may result in chronic infections that can cause serious health issues. For years I've used strong mouthwash, followed by a water pick, brushing and finishing with hydrogen peroxide rinse. This routine helped relieve some chronic gum inflammation that, along with chronic sinus inflammation, was aggravating a lifelong problem with severe headaches due to trigeminal neuralgia and vagus nerve pressure and inflammation. I'm not going to risk that for a marginal gain in nitric oxide.

The body makes NO other ways. To give a little, possibly imaginary, boost I often use a creatine/BCAA powder in water before and during workouts and intervals or hard rides. Seems to help. Also tends to make me need to pee a lot more often.

For whatever reason, possibly available NO, my BP tends to be lowest immediately after exercising, especially outdoor bike rides at moderate effort. My BP will spike during interval training, as high as 160/100, but it drops again quickly. After a long moderate effort ride my BP will sometimes hover around 90 to 100 over 50-60. Oddly, my heart rate tends to stay elevated for hours after exercise, usually 90-100 bpm, before dropping back into the 60s.

Supposedly nitric oxide and Vitamin D for bone health are enhanced by exposure to sunlight. So this year I'm cutting way back on the sunscreen and UV apparel. For rides up to an hour I'm going without sunscreen. So far, so good. My doctor prescribed massive amounts of Vitamin D and calcium supplements, but there's little evidence that the body actually uses D supplements beyond a tiny amount in multivitamins or fortified milk and dairy products. It'll be interesting to see my next bone density scan in a year or so.

There's also a theory that body fat and too much sugar and junk carbs somehow contribute to the tendency to sunburn and get skin cancer. My anecdotal experience indicates a possible correlation. I used to burn easily, but back then I was 50 lbs overweight and ate a lot of sweets and junk carbs. Since I've been back down to 150 lbs, I don't seem to sunburn easily. Maybe just a coincidence.