L-Ornithine: Stress, Sleep and Fatigue Trials | Dose Track
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L-Ornithine: half-life, strengths and approval status

Amounts studied · Approval status · Half-life notes

What is L-Ornithine?

L-ornithine is a non-essential amino acid that the body does not build into proteins. Foods contain only small amounts; as a supplement it has been studied for stress, sleep and fatigue.

Also known as: ornithine, L-ornithine hydrochloride.

Amounts studied

An 8-week trial used 400 mg a day (Miyake 2014); a crossover trial used a single 400 mg dose after drinking alcohol (Kokubo 2013). These are study protocols, not a recommendation.

Approval status and how it is used

It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.

What studies show: in an 8-week placebo-controlled trial in 52 healthy Japanese adults with mild stress and fatigue, 400 mg a day lowered blood cortisol and the cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio, reduced anger scores, and improved how well people felt they slept (Miyake 2014). In a crossover trial in 11 adults who flush with alcohol, 400 mg taken after drinking reduced next-morning fatigue and saliva cortisol; a second part in 16 adults found it did not speed up alcohol breakdown (Kokubo 2013). Both trials were small and short, and their authors worked for Kirin, a Japanese food and drink company.

Safety: the trial abstracts do not report side effects. The sources here do not describe drug interactions.

L-Ornithine half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeNot listed
  • Time to peak (Tmax)Not listed

We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for L-ornithine that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one.

How to track L-Ornithine in Dose Track

  1. Add L-Ornithine as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each dose when you take it so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

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Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of L-Ornithine?+
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for L-ornithine that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one.
Does L-ornithine improve sleep?+
One 8-week trial in 52 Japanese adults found better self-rated sleep and lower cortisol with 400 mg a day. The trials so far are small and were run by researchers from one company.
Can I track L-Ornithine in Dose Track?+
Yes. L-Ornithine is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each dose next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Miyake M, et al. Randomised controlled trial of the effects of L-ornithine on stress markers and sleep quality in healthy workers. Nutr J. 2014;13:53.
  2. Kokubo T, et al. A randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled crossover trial on the effects of L-ornithine on salivary cortisol and feelings of fatigue of flushers the morning after alcohol consumption. Biopsychosoc Med. 2013;7(1):6.
  3. FDA. Questions and answers on dietary supplements.

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