tuneTypical Dose
1000-3000
Supplement
Lysine
L-lysine
Evidence TierCWADA NOT PROHIBITED
watchEffect Window
Acute glucose effects can occur within meals. HSV recurrence outcomes require multi-month tracking.
check_circleCompliance
WADA NOT PROHIBITED
Overview
Clinical Summary
Lysine is an essential amino acid best known for recurrent HSV prevention, with smaller acute signals for post-meal glucose handling.
Evidence is context dependent. Trials most often evaluate exercise outcomes such as fatigue, blood flow, or muscle soreness, and some show small benefits at adequate doses. Minority uses include support for wound healing, immune function, and sleep quality. Effects vary with baseline protein intake, training status, and coingested nutrients.
Essential amino acid with arginine-competition HSV rationale and insulin-independent glucose-lowering signals in meal tests.
Outcomes
What This Is Expected To Influence
Primary Outcomes
- Recurrent HSV outbreak prevention
- Postprandial glucose attenuation and glycemic support
Secondary Outcomes
- Mixed effect during active HSV outbreak treatment
- Anxiety/stress support in lysine+arginine protocols
Safety
Contraindications and Interactions
Contraindications
- Severe renal impairment without clinical oversight
- Known ingredient hypersensitivity
- Replacement of indicated antiviral or diabetes care
Side effects
- Nausea
- Abdominal discomfort
- Diarrhea at higher doses
Interactions
- No robust major drug interactions established
- May alter glucose excursions. Monitor with glucose-lowering therapies
- High arginine intake may offset HSV-focused benefit rationale
Avoid if
- Inability to monitor endpoint response
- Severe kidney disease without supervision
- Expectation of stand-alone disease control
Evidence
Study-level References
lysine-SRC-001Multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
Sourceopen_in_newGriffith RS, et al. Success of L-lysine therapy in frequently recurrent herpes simplex infection. Treatment and prophylaxis. Dermatologica. 1987;175(4):183-190. PMID:3115841
Population: Patients with frequently recurrent HSV infection
Dose protocol: Oral lysine treatment and prophylaxis phases (multi-month protocol)
Key findings: Reduced recurrence rates versus placebo in pooled analysis
Notes: Older trial reporting and protocol details less standardized by modern CONSORT norms
Paper content
Reduced recurrence rates versus placebo in pooled analysis
lysine-SRC-002Double-blind crossover prophylaxis trial
Sourceopen_in_newThein DJ, Hurt WC. Lysine as a prophylactic agent in the treatment of recurrent herpes simplex labialis. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1984;58(6):659-666. PMID:3335859
Population: 65 participants with recurrent herpes labialis
Dose protocol: Chronic dosing tiers including <1000 mg/day and >1000 mg/day
Key findings: Benefit suggested mainly at >1000 mg/day
Notes: Dose-response insight but older design and reporting limitations
Paper content
Benefit suggested mainly at >1000 mg/day
lysine-SRC-003Double-blind randomized treatment trial
Sourceopen_in_newMcCune MA, Perry HO, Muller SA, O'Fallon WM. Treatment of recurrent herpes simplex infections with L-lysine monohydrochloride. Cutis. 1984;34(4):366-373. PMID:6401021
Population: 41 adults with active recurrent HSV episodes
Dose protocol: 400 mg oral lysine monohydrochloride five times daily
Key findings: Shorter mean healing time and higher day-6 healing proportion in lysine group
Notes: Small sample and episode-phase variability
Paper content
Shorter mean healing time and higher day-6 healing proportion in lysine group
lysine-SRC-004Double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter trial
Sourceopen_in_newMilman N, et al. Therapy of oral herpes simplex recidivans with L-lysine. Acta Derm Venereol. 1983;63(3):246-250. PMID:6678707
Population: 52 participants; 6-month treatment
Dose protocol: 1200 mg/day oral lysine
Key findings: No significant objective efficacy. Subjective symptom benefit noted
Notes: Better duration but objective endpoints largely null
Paper content
No significant objective efficacy; subjective symptom benefit noted
lysine-SRC-005Acute human metabolic intervention study
Sourceopen_in_newKalogeropoulou D, et al. Lysine ingestion markedly attenuates the glucose response to ingested glucose without a change in insulin response. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82(5):1063-1067. PMID:16280436
Population: Healthy adults undergoing oral glucose challenge
Dose protocol: Oral lysine co-ingested with glucose
Key findings: Postprandial glucose attenuation without insulin increase
Notes: Acute challenge design limits long-term extrapolation
Paper content
Postprandial glucose attenuation without insulin increase
lysine-SRC-006Acute crossover metabolic trial
Sourceopen_in_newGannon MC, Nuttall JA, Nuttall FQ. The metabolic response to ingested glycine and lysine in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;76(6):1302-1307. doi:10.1093/ajcn/76.6.1302. PMID:12450897.
Population: Healthy adults during oral glucose tests
Dose protocol: 1 g and 2 g lysine with 25 g glucose
Key findings: Glucose response reduced about 11-20% with no insulin rise
Notes: Small and acute setting
Paper content
Glucose response reduced about 11-20% with no insulin rise
lysine-SRC-007Randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial
Sourceopen_in_newKuo CS, et al. L-lysine supplementation for 2 months decreases glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels in diabetic patients. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:725784. doi:10.1155/2014/725784.
Population: 31 participants with type 2 diabetes
Dose protocol: 1000 mg lysine twice daily for 2 months
Key findings: Reported lower fasting glucose and HbA1c in a small type 2 diabetes cohort.
Notes: Interesting longer-duration signal, but too small and isolated to outweigh the limited overall diabetes evidence base.
Paper content
Fasting glucose and HbA1c improved; no major adverse findings reported
lysine-SRC-008Randomized placebo-controlled study
Sourceopen_in_newSmriga M, et al. L-lysine and L-arginine reduce anxiety and basal cortisol levels in healthy humans. Biomed Res. 2007;28(2):85-90. PMID:17510493
Population: 108 healthy adults with high trait anxiety
Dose protocol: 2.64 g/day lysine + 2.64 g/day arginine for 7 days
Key findings: Reduced chronic anxiety trait and stress-cortisol response
Notes: Combination intervention and short duration
Paper content
Reduced chronic anxiety trait and stress-cortisol response