Effective doses of L-Arginine range from 5,000 mg (5 grams) to 20,000 mg (20 g). Said doses must be ingested at one time.

Time-released L-Arginine is not effective, as dosages must be delivered and metabolized in 5-20 gram increments.

L-Arginine must be administered in humans in elemental form. Elemental refers to the net dose of an element, and not the gross weight. Example: Many forms of L-Arginine contain 60 to 80 % pure L-Arginine, and the rest is inert filler. If an L-Arginine product label represents the gross weight and not the net weight, the actual amount of L-Arginine is not represented or known to the consumer.

If the net dose of deliverable L-Arginine is less than 5 grams of elemental L-Arginine, the product cannot be considered to be an efficacious L-Arginine formula.

In calculating doses in L-Arginine products, there are 1000 mg in a gram (g).