Amino Acids
Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins, according to the National Institutes of Health. There are around 20 amino acids that regularly make proteins, which the body arranges in thousands of different ways. There are three types of amino acids; essential, non-essential and conditional. (1)
Amino acids are the main component of proteins, and a balance is essential to achieve maximum benefit from food. If one or more amino acids are missing, your body has to wait for it to be available before it can convert food into high-quality protein. Supplementing with an amino acid complex can help you avoid this delay. An amino acid complex supplement can help you to maintain an anabolic or muscle-building state which increases muscle tissue, lean body mass and speeds up exercise recovery.
Different types of amino acids
Amino acids combine to form hundreds of different proteins in the body. Eleven amino acids help make other amino acids in the body using amino acids, carbohydrates and nitrogen. These are called non-essential amino acids.
Non-essential amino acids
- Alanine
- Arginine
- Asparagine
- Aspartic acid
- Cysteine
- Glutamic acid
- Glutamine
- Glycine
- Proline
- Serine
- Tyrosine
The other nine are essential amino acids, and your diet must supply them. The amino acids reassemble into new proteins containing hundreds or even thousands of amino acids linked together.
Essential amino acids
(EAAs)
- Isoleucine – Valine – Leucine – these are BCAAs
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Histidine
L-glutamine, L-ornithine, L-arginine and L-tyrosine act as growth hormone releasers, which promote muscle strength, muscle size, body fat loss, exercise tolerance and endurance They also help heal injuries.
Conditional Amino acids include
- Taurine
- Ornithine
- glycine
- glutamine
- tyrosine
- arginine
- proline
- serine
- cysteine
Conditional amino acids are called conditional because it is not essential to have them in the diet as such until that is, you are unwell or stressed which is when your body will require these amino acids.
Amino acid complexes
Amino acid complexes are balanced blends of free-form and peptide-bond amino acids. The supplements allow you to consume the building blocks of protein in a convenient tablet or liquid form. Chromium picolinate is a popular amino acid complex.
Benefits
1) Maintains muscle mass and contributes to muscle growth
Amino acids support muscle building and help prevent muscular breakdown. They promote heightened muscle mass. (2)
Similarly, creatine may also help to increase muscle mass by increasing endurance. HMB (Hydroxymethylbutyrate) is a chemical produced when the body breaks down leucine. Creatine and HMB can work together to help build lean muscle.
2) Muscle recovery and repair
Research suggests that amino acid supplementation attenuates DOMS and muscle damage when ingested during recovery days. (3)
3) Supports hormone function
Amino acids can stimulate the pituitary glands, increasing the secretion of some stress and sex-related hormones, including growth hormones. Amino acids, or maybe a single amino acid, increase the level of cortisol and testosterone in the blood.
Some things to consider
You should consult your doctor before taking amino acid supplements to increase your protein intake. Your kidneys work harder when you consume protein because breaking down protein creates toxic by-products that your kidneys remove from your body. If you take too much protein, it can negatively affect kidney function.
Individuals with food allergies can have adverse reactions to amino acid supplements. For example, whey and casein proteins can trigger dairy allergies, while soy amino acid supplements can harm individuals with soy allergies. A healthcare professional can recommend a suitable amino acid supplement for individuals with allergies. (2)
Taking protein powders such as mass gainers and substances like bee pollen can help you get the amino acids you need.
Resources
Last accessed online 29/05/2020
- https://www.livescience.com/52652-nutrition-glossary.html
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/267249-amino-acid-supplements-for-women/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17342883
