NNB Nutrition's VasoRush™ is a peptide-bonded di-citrulline and di-arginine ingredient built for pumps. It absorbs faster via PEPT-1 and drives more cGMP per unit of nitric oxide, meaning more vasodilation, not just more NO.
The pre-workout pump category has spent two decades fixated on nitric oxide. NNB Nutrition is finally ready to enter and reframe the conversation. VasoRush™ is NNB's new peptide-bonded di-citrulline and di-arginine ingredient, built around a deceptively simple idea: nitric oxide isn't actually the end goal. Vasodilation is.
There's a big distinction here, and NNB is pushing to re-educate the industry and consumers on what we're really looking for. Every pre-workout and pump formula on the market competes on how much nitric oxide it can produce. But ironically, nitric oxide levels can't even be reliably measured in the blood!
VasoRush™: NNB Nutrition's Peptide Pump Ingredient That Pushes Vasodilation
VasoRush competes on how much vasodilation you get per unit of NO produced, which NNB argues is the more important variable. The mechanism behind that argument is cGMP (cyclic guanosine monophosphate), the downstream signaling molecule that tells blood vessels to dilate, and NNB's in-house pre-clinical data shows VasoRush producing higher, more stable cGMP levels than the current benchmark ingredients in that category.
VasoRush also fits into what's become a clear strategic thread at NNB: peptide-bonded amino acids that outperform their free-form equivalents via the PEPT-1 transporter. Their DL185® Dileucine built that proof of concept for muscle protein synthesis, and VasoRush applies the same delivery logic to the NO pathway. This article introduces VasoRush and the mechanisms it enhances, but before diving in, sign up for PricePlow's NNB Nutrition alerts so that you don't miss new announcements:
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What Is VasoRush?
VasoRush™ is a combination of di-citrulline and di-arginine in a 2:1 ratio, with each component delivered as a bonded dipeptide rather than a free amino acid. Di-citrulline pairs two citrulline molecules together, and di-arginine does the same with arginine. That structural change is what drives the absorption advantage and the downstream cGMP story NNB is building the ingredient around.
NNB Nutrition's official spec sheet covering dosing, pre-clinical results, and formula stacking guidance for the new di-citrulline and di-arginine peptide ingredient.
The compounds occur naturally in peptide structures found in food and human biology, and NNB states they qualify as legal dietary ingredients without requiring new regulatory registrations. The current studied dose is 5.2g per serving taken pre-workout, with one to two servings per day. NNB is actively testing smaller effective doses, so that number may decrease as development continues. Beverage and RTD applications are also being explored, pending solubility and pH stability testing at the current dose.
This is an ingredient built for vasodilation and speed -- getting better pumps, faster:
The PEPT-1 Advantage: Why Dipeptides Absorb Faster
The speed advantage in VasoRush starts in the gut. Free amino acids rely on amino acid transporters to cross the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Dipeptides take a different route: the PEPT-1 transporter (oligopeptide transporter 1), located in the intestinal brush border membrane, moves di- and tripeptides across the mucosal barrier without requiring prior hydrolysis to free amino acids.[1] PEPT-1 operates as a high-capacity electrogenic proton-coupled symporter, enabling uptake rates that conventional amino acid transporters can't match.[2]
NNB's DL185® Dileucine established this mechanism's commercial value: two leucine molecules bonded together achieved 185% faster absorption than free leucine via the same transporter, with measurably better downstream outcomes for muscle protein synthesis. VasoRush applies the same logic to the NO pathway. Faster absorption means arginine and citrulline substrates reach eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) sooner, which means earlier NO production. NNB's pre-clinical data shows that initial NO spike occurring inside 30 minutes.
The cGMP Story: More Vasodilation Per Unit of NO
This is VasoRush's most unique argument, and understanding it requires a quick walk through the mechanism.
When eNOS produces nitric oxide in the endothelium, it diffuses into vascular smooth muscle cells and activates guanylate cyclase. That enzyme converts GTP into cGMP, which then reduces intracellular calcium, relaxes smooth muscle, and produces vasodilation.[3] Nitric oxide sends the signal, but cGMP executes it. More cGMP per unit of NO means more vasodilation per unit of NO. Less cGMP means a lot of NO gets produced but doesn't fully translate into actual blood vessel dilation.
That's the gap VasoRush targets. In NNB's in-house pre-clinical testing, VasoRush produced higher and more stable plasma cGMP levels over a 6-hour post-exercise window compared to a premium modified arginine ingredient. The comparator showed a sharp initial cGMP spike that dropped significantly around the 60-minute mark before partially recovering, while VasoRush maintained elevated cGMP throughout. The practical upshot: more consistent vasodilation across longer sessions, less of a spike-and-crash pattern between sets, and reduced dependence on arginine availability or endothelial function at any given moment.
NNB Nutrition's breakdown of why elevated cGMP matters more than raw nitric oxide output, covering blood flow, pump stability, side effect risk, and endurance output.
Research in animal models supports this pathway's potential, showing that combined citrulline and arginine together produce faster and more marked increases in plasma cGMP and NOx than either compound alone, with corresponding improvements in blood flow.[4] VasoRush's peptide delivery makes the case that getting those substrates into circulation faster and more reliably amplifies what the cGMP pathway can do with them.
Pre-Clinical Results
NNB's in-house pre-clinical testing measured VasoRush outcomes at five time points post-exercise: 0, 30, 60, 120, and 360 minutes. It was paired against another premium third-party pre-workout ingredient. Key findings include:
- Rapid NO elevation in plasma within 30 minutes (NO rose from approximately 22 to 27 µmol/L)
- Sustained elevated nitric oxide for up to 6 hours (22 µmol/L at the 6-hour mark, significantly above control)
- 20.6% increase in cGMP vs. control
- 12.5% improvement in running endurance
- 10% increase in overall nitric oxide levels
These are NNB's in-house pre-clinical findings, and independent published human trials haven't been conducted yet. That's expected for a brand-new ingredient, and it means these numbers should be treated as early directional data rather than established clinical benchmarks. Additional studies are planned as VasoRush moves toward commercial launch.
Why Free-Form Falls Short
Plasma NO and cGMP data tracked over 6 hours post-exercise, comparing VasoRush against control and a premium modified arginine ingredient.
The context for VasoRush's argument is the mixed track record of free-form citrulline and arginine. Free-form arginine has a well-documented bioavailability problem: it's extensively catabolized by arginase in the gastrointestinal tract and liver before it reaches circulation, which limits how much ever arrives at eNOS as a usable substrate.[3]
L-Citrulline (and citrulline malate) became the category standard partly because citrulline bypasses that first-pass problem. But a critical review of the citrulline malate literature found the ergogenic evidence equivocal, with methodological inconsistencies, variable dosing, and quality control issues in commercial citrulline-to-malate ratios making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about efficacy.[5] More recently, a randomized controlled trial on combined free-form arginine and citrulline malate found no significant performance improvements in aerobic or anaerobic measures at typical doses, with only a marginally shorter time to peak power in one anaerobic test as a notable result.[6]
VasoRush's peptide delivery addresses the root problem. Getting these substrates into circulation faster and more reliably is the core upgrade, before the cGMP efficiency argument even enters the picture.
Formula Applications and Stacking
VasoRush targets pre-workout and pump formulas, especially in ready-to-mix powders. NNB recommends combining it with HydroPrime® to maximize the muscular pump during exercise, or pairing it with DL185® Dileucine when muscle growth is also a goal.
For brands watching the RTD and functional beverage space, the potential is real but contingent on solving VasoRush's solubility and pH stability at 5.2g. NNB's PeptiClear™ concept demonstrated what peptide-delivery ingredients can look like in a clear ready-to-drink format, and it raises the same question for the pump category. Whether VasoRush is ready for liquid applications at commercial launch is still being determined.
Pure. Potent. Precise. Applied to the Pump Category
VasoRush is the latest entry in NNB's growing peptide platform. DL185® established the PEPT-1 proof of concept. PeptiClear™ extended proof that peptide delivery can be done in the RTD space. VasoRush now brings that same logic to the pump and vasodilation category, which is the largest and most competitive segment in the pre-workout market.
The throughline across NNB's work is consistent with their core positioning: find a mechanism the market hasn't fully explained, engineer a molecule that delivers on that mechanism better than commodity ingredients, and let the differentiation do the commercial work. Their 2026 ingredient lineup, which also covers Icariin D2 and 4-Hydroxy-L-Isoleucine across sexual health and glucose metabolism reflects that same approach. VasoRush is their pump entry into that 2026 class.
Conclusion: VasoRush Is Coming to SupplySide Global 2026
Shawn Wells and Dustin Elliott reveal NNB Nutrition's Pure, Potent, Precise revolution at SupplySide Global 2025, discussing precision fermentation, Pürest Creatine, OnSwitch beverage innovation, and the future of pharmaceutical-grade supplement ingredients on Episode #192 of the PricePlow Podcast
VasoRush is currently in the coming-soon stage, with a targeted commercial debut at SupplySide Global 2026. Dose optimization and supporting clinical data are still in progress, but the core premise is already in place: a peptide-bonded di-citrulline and di-arginine ingredient that absorbs faster via PEPT-1, produces higher and more stable cGMP for more efficient vasodilation, and gives formulators a genuinely different story to tell in a category that needs one.
For more context on the thinking behind NNB's ingredient pipeline, check out Episode #192 of the PricePlow Podcast, where Shawn Wells and Dustin Elliott walk through the Pure, Potent, Precise philosophy in depth (filmed at SupplySide global 2025).
Brands looking to explore VasoRush for upcoming formulas can reach NNB Nutrition through their website at nnbnutrition.com. Subscribe below for continued PricePlow coverage as VasoRush moves toward launch:
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