Amino acids are used by the muscle for a variety of tasks, but primarily they are used as fuel for your tissue. There are several aminos, each with their own purpose, but as a whole they are the building blocks of protein, which is used by your body as an energy source to build and maintain muscle. There are actually 8 essential amino acids, three of which are called branch chain amino acids (BCAA’s).
Most people are unfamiliar with the term “amino acid,” but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn more about them. To help you, we’ve written this article to discuss more about the 8 essential aminos and the other non-essential aminos used inside of your body. The first three we’ll talk about are the BCAA’s and are Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. Leucine is the most easily metabolized and is used to promote the release of human growth hormone, which is an important hormone for muscle growth and repair. Isoleucine is used to regulate blood sugar levels, which as a by-product helps to regulate your energy throughout the day. Isoleucine also has the benefit of helping increase endurance and healing muscle tissue. Lastly, Valine is an environmental stabilizer that feeds your muscles so that they can remain, rather than be used by the body for food.
Lysine is the next essential amino and is used for muscle regeneration and calcium absorption. Methionine, Phenylalanine, which is used for an adrenaline response, Threonine, and Tryptophan, which is a precursor to the happy producing chemical Serotonin, make up the rest of the essential amino acids.
The other non-essential amino acids are Alanine, Asparagine, Aspartate, Cysteine, Glutamate, Glutamine, Glycine, Proline, Serine, Tyrosine, Arginine, and Histidine. Although there is no need to bore you with the specific details of each chemical, it is important to know that each of them serves as a foundation for larger functioning within the human body.
Body builders know about the benefits of amino acids and usually supplement their diet with them on a daily basis. Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners and triathletes also use amino acids to promote recovery and increase endurance. Since aminos are used by the body to build, repair, and strengthen, they are one of the most important supplements to start with when looking at a weekly regimen. Many protein mixtures contain some form of amino acids, but generally they aren’t enough to take advantage of the power of nature’s building blocks.
With amino acids, you can improve your energy levels so that you don’t feel fatigued after a long day at work or a long run around the neighborhood. If you have suffered from a devastating injury, supplementing with amino acids can help to improve the recover process. You can also use amino acids to help regulate hormone levels, as mental disease can often be linked to an amino acid deficiency.
Lastly, if you are a body builder, you’ll love the way that amino acid supplements help you keep muscle rather than watch it be devoured by your body as a food source. You can improve recovery so that you can spend more time in the gym and less time resting, which enhances growth and creates the body you work so hard to achieve.
I know many triathletes that use amino acid supplements so that they can recover from long road runs or bike rides. They use them after a race so that they can get back to training and feel better without walking around with a limp. Even those that aren’t hardcore athletes can benefit from amino acid supplementation. You can find both BCAA and regular amino supplements at health food stores, but your best bet is buying them online where you can save quite a bit of money.
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