What are amino acids and what are their beneficial properties?

It’s time to find out what amino acids are, why they are needed and how take them correctly.

Amino acids serve as a “building block” for proteins, because thanks to the unique sequence of 21 data types organic compounds in the body all types of proteins are formed and muscle tissue. In terms of chemical structure, amino acids characterized by the presence of an amino group with a nitrogen atom, which is the basis of this compound.

The presence of a nitrogen atom distinguishes amino acids from others nutrients that we get from food (e.g. carbohydrates), that’s why these are the only compounds that able to form tissues, organs, muscles, skin and hair.

Now, when people hear about protein, they automatically think only muscle and bodybuilding, although amino acids are significant component of the diet of any person, but in particular it is important for those involved in any sport. Amino acids usually fall into 3 categories: irreplaceable, semi-replaceable and interchangeable.

• Essential Amino Acids
  • Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
    • Leucine, isoleucine and valine
  • Other Essential Amino Acids
    • Histidine
    • Lysine
    • Tryptophan
    • Methionine
    • Phenylalanine
    • Threonine
• Essential Amino Acids
  • • Alanine
    • Glycine
    • Aspartic acid
    • Asparagine
• Semi-Essential or Conditionally Essential Amino Acids
  • • Serine
    • Arginine
    • Tyrosine
    • Proline
    • Ornithine
    • Glutamine
    • Cysteine
• The benefits and uses of amino acids
  • Muscular anabolism, decreased muscle fatigue and help in muscle recovery
  • Amino Acids for Weight Loss
  • Diabetes
    • Inflammation and arthritis
    • The immune system
    • Birth rate
• Amino Acid Supplements
  • Amino acids in powder
  • Amino Acids in Tablets
• How to take amino acids?
• Conclusion

Essential Amino Acids

What is meant by the word “indispensable”? “Irreplaceable” means that these amino acids cannot be synthesized in body and must be ingested with food. There is 9 essential amino acids, including the famous group BCAA.

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

Leucine, isoleucine and valine

Of the 9 essential amino acids, 3 belong to the category branched chain amino acids. These are leucine, isoleucine and valine. BCAAs have a unique chemical structure compared to other essential amino acids, and therefore have special properties. Unlike other amino acids, BCAAs are faster and better. absorbed by the body, that is, they are not absorbed in the stomach, but actually go directly to the muscles. To learn more about BCAA, read our article BCAA. What are amino acids with branched chains? ”

Other Essential Amino Acids

Other essential amino acids: histidine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and lysine are necessary for the body to performing a number of physiological functions.

Histidine

Histidine is an aromatic amino acid that performs a number of vital functions in the body, including participating in hemoglobin synthesis, the functioning of the immune system and tissue repair. Histidine is an important amino acid in the period of human growth, as well as during rehabilitation after illness.

Lysine

Lysine plays an important role in the functioning of the immune system. is he also along with semi-essential acids is involved in the synthesis collagen to keep skin, hair and nails healthy.

Tryptophan

Tryptophan is an essential aromatic amino acid that contains indole core. It performs a number of functions in the body, in In particular, it plays the role of a chemical messenger in the nervous system. AT unlike other amino acids, L-tryptophan is not soluble in water and resistant to heat, that is, during processing does not lose much part of the useful properties.

Methionine

Methionine is an unpleasant odor amino acid (contains an atom sulfur), which is a precursor of other amino acids such like taurine. Its antioxidant properties can protect the body, suppressing the action of harmful substances in it. She is also involved in the construction of proteins and the production of various hormones, including adrenaline and melatonin.

Phenylalanine

Phenylalanine is a non-polar amino acid that has benzyl side chain and is known for its antidepressant properties. It plays an important role in the production of dopamine and adrenaline.

Threonine

This amino acid is polar uncharged, and after assimilation is converted to pyruvate, playing an important role in production glucose and ATP energy production.

Essential Amino Acids

Essential amino acids are those that can be synthesized by the body. You may have the following question: “If they are produced in the body, then why should we take them extra? “. The fact is that during physical exercises, after the energy in the form of carbohydrates is exhausted, the body begins to look for other sources of nutrition. Amino acids can act as a source to provide muscle everything you need to continue your workout. However, the body often unable to produce amino acids fast enough for meeting increased during training needs, because we must consume them in larger quantities no matter are they interchangeable or not.

Alanine

Alanine – one of the simplest organic compounds from the point of view of the chemical structure, which is classified as non-polar amino acid. Alanine plays a key role in glucose-alanine cycle between the liver and body tissues. Easier saying, it reacts in the tissues to form pyruvate, and then glucose to use as a source energy.

Glycine

Glycine is the smallest of all amino acids that is associated with collagen production, as well as proline and lysine. Besides that, she acts as a neurotransmitter in the spinal cord, trunk brain and retina.

Aspartic acid

This amino acid is involved in the urea cycle in the body, as well as in a process called gluconeogenesis (metabolic pathway leading to glucose formation). In addition to this, aspartic acid acts as a neurotransmitter that stimulates certain receptors in the nervous system.

Asparagine

Asparagine is necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system, and It also plays an important role in the synthesis of ammonia.

Semi-Essential or Conditionally Essential Amino Acids

These amino acids can be produced by the body in a certain amount, however, in some circumstances, this amount not enough for normal physiological functioning, for example, during illness or during intense training.

Serine

Serine is a proteinogenic amino acid that performs a number of biological functions in the body. It plays an important role in metabolism, enzymatic reactions and brain function.

Arginine

Arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide. It reduces time recovery from injuries, accelerates the healing of damaged tissues and helps to reduce and stabilize blood pressure.

Tyrosine

Tyrosine is a proteinogenic amino acid that plays an important role. role in signaling in cells.

Proline

This amino acid has an extremely rigid structure, which is used for the synthesis of collagen necessary for maintaining healthy hair, skin and nails.

Ornithine

Ornithine plays a key role in urea biosynthesis, as well as supposed to prevent fatigue during training sessions. The urea cycle is a series of biochemical processes in resulting in the formation of urea to remove ammonia from organism.

Glutamine

Glutamine is one of the most popular semi-essential amino acids among athletes who are involved in regulation acidity in the kidneys, creating cellular energy and stimulating muscle metabolism.

Cysteine

Cysteine ​​plays an important role in enzymatic reactions in the body. Believed to be involved in binding metals, and is also a precursor to certain antioxidants.

The benefits and uses of amino acids

Now let’s figure out what amino acids are for and for achieve what goals they are effective. Amino acids are an integral part of our body and those processes that are in it occur daily. Maintaining the proper balance of amino acids by supplementation has shown great benefits for the body from stimulating muscle growth to improving functions the immune system.

1. Muscular anabolism, decreased muscle fatigue and help in muscle recovery

The biggest benefits of amino acid supplements are their ability to stimulate muscle anabolism, restore muscle and prevent muscle fatigue.

Leucine, isoleucine, valine, asparagine, and aspartic acid and glutamine – these are the 6 amino acids that are metabolized in the muscles at rest. They support numerous metabolic processes, for example, play the fundamental role of substrates for protein synthesis and energy production are also precursor of glutamine and alanine.

During the first 10 minutes of exercise in the body an alanine aminotransferase enzyme reaction occurs with the goal of maintaining a high level of certain amino acids during workout. The intermediates that form in The result of this reaction can cause fatigue. However glutamine performs a number of functions in the body that allow use it as a food source, therefore glutamine supplements can increase muscle energy and muscle level metabolism during training.

These beneficial properties of amino acid supplements make them ideal not only for bodybuilders, but also for runners, sprinters, as well as for people leading an active lifestyle.

In 2000, an experiment was conducted to determine the reaction muscle protein intake of amino acids. Six men and women consumed a drink containing 6 g of essential amino acids or placebo drink, 1 hour after training. Those who took amino acids, an increase in phenylalanine was observed, which is not occurred among those who took a placebo. This increase caused an anabolic response in the muscles, so it was concluded that amino acids stimulate protein anabolism and protein synthesis in the muscles.

In addition, in 2003, one of the scientific reviews said, that an increased concentration of leucine in the body is capable of stimulate muscle protein synthesis during catabolic a condition caused by restriction in food or tiresome workouts.

2. Amino Acids for Weight Loss

Amino acids are useful not only for those who want to build muscles and improve their recovery, but they are also shown as an agent that helps to lose weight. In one of studies observed 2 groups of people who want to lose weight and change body composition. The first group used a high diet amino acid content, and the second is low.

After 16 days, it turned out that the group taking the larger amino acids lost significantly more fat and less muscle mass than the other. Overall, evidence suggests that a diet high in protein and amino acids and low carbohydrate content provides greater fat loss while maintaining while in the body protein.

3. Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not able to effectively regulate blood sugar and produce insulin. When we consume carbohydrates, glucose in the body increases. In diabetes, the body is not capable of proper produce insulin to restore sugar levels to normal, resulting in hyperglycemia. Amino acids have a positive effect on blood sugar. For example, arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide, a transmitting substance, which has a direct effect on sensitivity to insulin.

4. Inflammation and arthritis

Another beneficial property of amino acids is that they can reduce the activity of inflammatory processes in the body. In one study, conducted in 1973, it was proved that amino acid esters and sulfur-containing amino acids, in including cysteine ​​and methionine, are effective anti-inflammatory agents that are able to reduce the effects of edema and anaphylactic shock, and even reduce inflammation and improve the condition with adjuvant-induced arthritis.

5. The immune system

Although this may be news to you, but nutritional deficiencies protein or amino acids weakens the functions of the immune system and increases susceptibility to diseases. In particular, modern studies show that arginine, glutamine and cysteine ​​play an important role in the functioning of the immune system. For example, these amino acids involved in the activation of various natural lymphocytes killer cells and macrophages interfere with redox regulation cell functions, gene expression and lymphocyte proliferation, and also affect the production of antibodies, cytokines and other cytotoxic substances. Today, scientists conclude that supplements, containing a certain set of amino acids can improve the condition immune system and reduce morbidity and mortality.

6. Birth rate

Recent studies prove that supplements with amino acids able to raise the birth rate. For example, in one of these The study involved 132 men with impaired fertility. AT for 3 months they took supplements with amino acids and trace elements. A control group was a group of 73 men with reduced fecundity (subfertility) who took a placebo. All test results of the test group showed significant improvement in conception compared to control group. Within 6 months after completion experiment in a group of men taking supplements was recorded 34 cases of conception.

I hope you have no more questions why you need amino acids, if any, you can always ask a question in comments.

Amino Acid Supplements

If you get all the necessary nutrients with food, then you may not need supplements. However, it’s worth remembering that during training, the body’s need for amino acids increases, so if you train a lot and want to build muscle or lose weight, then most likely supplements will be necessary for you. There are many options for amino acids, go to any store, they can be in powder form, in the form of tablets or capsules.

Amino acids in powder

Amino acids in powder form come in a variety of flavors, so you can easily add them to your favorite juice or water.

Amino Acids in Tablets

You don’t have a minute of free time and you need to urgently accept daily dose of amino acids? Pill-shaped supplements perfect suitable for such situations.

Keep in mind the role of amino acids in sports nutrition very large, the more of them, the better. No use taking high-carb mass gainer, it’s easier to buy a kilo of sugar and stir it with protein comes out cheaper.

How to take amino acids?

Supplements with amino acids are best taken in the morning, before workouts, after workouts, and before bedtime to reduce muscle fatigue and maximize muscle anabolism and recovery.

How to take amino acids of one kind or another, always indicated on the bank. For example, BCAAs are best taken in the morning after awakening, before and after training. Complex aminka use between main meals, as well as before and after training. For proper consumption of other species, it is necessary to consider which more supplements you consume.

Conclusion

We hope you find the article helpful and you answered when asked if you need supplements with amino acids. They are vital during training, and also if you don’t get enough amino acids for the body from food. Supplements with amino acids will help you prevent injuries and achieve your fitness goals.