If you are a person trying to lose fat, gain muscle, and improve overall health, then you need to know about and understand amino acids and their effects on your bodily functions and health.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. When dietary protein is broken down in your body, it is broken into its smallest molecules – amino acids –which your body can absorb and use for its own protein needs. There are about 20 different amino acids. In general terms, the functions of amino acids are as follows:
Regulate the sleep cycle and wakefulness.
Synthesizing hormones.
Stimulate the synthesis of muscle proteins.
Improve the circulation of oxygen in the muscles.
Regulate brain activity (such as alertness and feelings of depression)
Produce and store energy.
If you have ever read a little about them or heard someone talk about them, it can sometimes sound a little confusing. What I mean by this is that amino acids are divided into three groups:
Essential amino acids,
Non-essential amino acids, and
Conditionally essential amino acids
The names of these groups can be misleading, in that all amino acids are essential for proper bodily function - the names are derived from where we get them. Essential in this context means we need them in our diet.
Non-essential amino acids
Eleven amino acids are known as non-essential amino acids - our bodies can produce these naturally from other nutrients in our diet, and it is not essential for these compounds to be physically present in the foods we eat, but they are just as important for our health as other amino acids!
Conditionally essential amino acids
Of these 11 non-essential amino acids, some are often referred to as conditionally essential – because they are amino acids our bodies produce, but under some circumstances, such as sickness, injury, additional stress, or very intense exercise our body can benefit from additional quantities, usually supplied through a supplement. These are arginine, cysteine, glycine, glutamine, proline, tyrosine. If you believe your health or fitness regimen may require supplementation of one or more of these, you should do additional research or discuss with a health care professional or dietician.
It is interesting to note that dietary deficiencies do not normally interfere with the body’s production of the 11 non-essential (including conditionally essential) amino acids.
Essential amino acids
That brings us to the group called essential amino acids (sometimes written EAA). This is the group that you most often find in supplements, particularly marketed as post workout or recovery products. These are: phenylalanine, lysine, threonine, methionine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, tryptophan, and histidine.
What are they responsible for in your body?
Phenylalanine is necessary for the formation of chemicals used by the brain (neurotransmitters and hormones), such as dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenalin. Similarly, phenylalanine is involved in the formation of thyroid hormones;
Lysine plays a vital role in building muscle, maintaining bone strength, aiding recovery from injury or surgery, and regulating hormones, antibodies, and enzymes;
Threonine helps in the formation of vitamin B12 and promotes digestion and helps prevent disease in the liver, as well as promotes collagen production;
Methionine helps with metabolism and burning fat;
Tryptophan helps in the formation of serotonin and melatonin;
Histidine is essential for properly functioning immune, digestive and reproductive systems. Histidine also plays a role in blood cell development, healthy sleep/wake cycles, tissue and nerve cell maintenance and growth;
Leucine helps moderate blood sugar levels, synthesize proteins, repair muscles, heal wounds and produce growth hormones;
Valine enhances energy levels, increases endurance and stimulates faster muscle recovery and repair, helps lower high blood sugar, increase growth hormones (in infants and children especially) and soothe an anxious nervous system;
Isoleucine helps circulate oxygen in muscles, metabolism of lipids, making them available for energy and also aids in immune health.
What about BCAA’s, and why are they different?
The last three listed - leucine, valine and isoleucine - are a sub-group of essential amino acids known as branched chain amino acids or BCAAs.
BCAAs are smaller even than the other amino acid molecules and are specifically organized in a branched-chained shape. They can be absorbed directly into your bloodstream, unlike other essential amino acids which have to be metabolized by the liver before use, and are therefore quickly available for use.
They are responsible for protein synthesis, decreasing muscle break-down, improving muscle output and decrease muscle fatigue. As mentioned, we need all amino acids, but BCAAs are often singled out as the best for recovery. There is truth in that because of their immediacy and the functions they support.
BCAAs and exercise
BCAAs are a hot topic for those who are physical fitness enthusiasts particularly those looking to increase or maintain muscle mass, while managing or losing fat.
Intense exercise puts high demands on the body to rebuild cellular damage, and muscles are treated as sacrificial when compared to other systems and organs, which can lead to the breakdown of muscle for protein to support repair of other systems - the opposite of what is desired in most cases! Post or pre workout ingestion of amino acids, particularly the quick to digest and easy to use BCAAs, can help supply the nutrients necessary for repair and avoid triggering muscle breakdown. This is one reason why BCAAs are particularly popular with body builders.
Besides maintaining muscle, body-builders often also use BCAAs because they compete with tryptophan for entry into the brain, thus reducing the production of serotonin which can cause fatigue, and thus allowing longer and more intense workouts.
Amino acids and Diet
If you have a well-balanced, highly inclusive diet – you are almost definitely getting the amino acids you need. However, individuals who work their bodies harder (sports, weightlifting, etc) or have undergone something like surgery or recovering from an illness or have a lot of additional stress in your life, or if you are a vegetarian or vegan, or if you are simply on a journey to change your body composition to have more lean muscle and less fat – then supplementing with amino acids, and/or BCAAs can certainly be very beneficial.
Foods that contain these are: red meat, chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, eggs, milk cheese, yogurt. Some non-animal foods that are high in protein are: peas, chickpeas/garbanzo beans, lentils, soybeans, peanuts, cooked kidney beans, black beans, edamame.
Symptoms of a lack of essential amino acids can be fatigue, depression, anxiety, weakness, low appetite, insomnia.
The Takeaway
If we understand how important various proteins are to our bodies – we can begin to see protein differently than perhaps we have in the past. People have worried about the calories in protein, the fat in protein, the potential to raise cholesterol and blood pressure, but in truth, choosing healthy lean proteins does not lead to ill-health, it is quite the opposite. Protein is so important to our bodies, that is, if we do not give our bodies enough, then our bodies will begin to break down our own muscle to satisfy its more essential nutritional requirements, undermining any muscle growth and retention that we desire. Sufficient dietary intake of amino acids, including BCAAs prevents deficiencies that cause muscle breakdown. How much you need depends on your lifestyle or exercise regime - you should certainly consider dietary changes or supplements if you experience any of the symptoms listed above.
Because BCAAs are absorbed and used quickly they can be especially beneficial in recovery from vigorous exercise. If you find yourself fatigued during exercise you may find taking BCAAs before may help because it reduces the brains absorption of tryptophan and the production of serotonin.
In my Life
I have been working out for many years and while I don’t struggle too much with soreness, I can tell, on days that I have worked extremely hard, that my muscles are fatigued, and that I will unlikely be able to get the same intensity out of my body for my next workout. Therefore, I often add amino acids to my water to drink during my workouts. They are good for energy and endurance and ultimately recovery from exercise. Part of what has led to this decision is that I work out very early in the morning, almost always in a fasted state - which I prefer- but I have realized that sometimes during intense routines, I can start to lag (both physically and mentally) toward the very end of my workout. I also know that I need to provide my muscles with all the protein they need to actually grow and amino acids are a good, clean, effective source, without adding a lot of calories to your diet.
If you are a person who has a small pre-workout meal that contains protein, then you are likely giving your body the fuel it needs for energy and endurance and that it is enough to get you through with an effective workout, pre workout protein even starts in the aid of recovery, Therefore having a protein shake that contains BCAAs or just a BCAAs supplement on its own post workout is probably sufficient for your muscle recovery and growth. I often take BCAAs again at the end of my workout, either alone (if I know that I have the opportunity to eat shortly after my workout), or with a protein powder if there is no time for food.
I also sometimes take L-glutamine (a conditionally-essential amino acid) in capsule form) as a recovery option. I find it does really help reduce muscle soreness and helps improve recovery after an intense workout. It has also been shown to have benefits for gut health and brain function.
I have found applying research through trial and error helps me find what works best for me. All bodies are different and it takes time to learn what works best for you, or that what may work well for others does not work for you – and is therefore a waste of your money and time.
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