07-10-2008, 08:13 PM
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Status: On The Move
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Age: 35
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Amino Acid Supplementation
Amino Acids
By Zach Long (olinerules87)
Most fitness enthusiasts know that an adequate amount of protein is needed whether one wants to gain muscle mass or lose body fat without drastically decreasing lean body weight. Proteins are made of chains of bonded amino acids that help our bodies grow and repair muscles. Amino acids are divided into two categories: essential amino acids (EAA) and nonessential amino acids (NEAA). The difference between EAA and NEAA is that the human body does not produce enough EAA to meet the body’s requirements and consequently, EAA must be consumed in your diet. The body does produce sufficient amounts of NEAA to meet its demands.
Only six amino acids are directly used by muscles during exercise. These amino acids are alanine, glutamine, aspartate, isoleucine, leucine, and valine. Leucine, isoleucine, and valine are known as branch chain amino acids (BCAA) and serve a much more important role in energy and muscle growth than any of the other amino acids.
After participating in resistance exercises such as weight training, muscle protein synthesis increases and the rate of protein degradation rises. The effect of this is a negative protein balance resulting in a catabolic state. The body requires BCAA because of the negative protein balance; therefore, muscle tissues are broken down to provide the needed BCAA. These catabolic conditions lead to the breaking down of amino acids within the muscle tissue. Amino acids have profound effects on muscular growth and when amino acids levels are lowered, growth suffers. External consumption of BCAA allows the need for BCAA during exercise to be met without having to break down amino acids within muscle tissue. The body will remain in a catabolic state with a negative protein balance until amino acids are ingested. Consuming amino acids will result in a positive protein balance enabling the body to be in an anabolic state. Ensuring that the body is in an anabolic state through correct diet and supplementation along with a proper lifting program will lead to muscular hypertrophy. Tipton et al found that “…ingestion of amino acids is an effective method of maximizing the anabolic effect of exercise.”
When being digested, BCAA bypass the liver and are promptly absorbed by the circulatory system, allowing BCAA to be quickly used for protein production. Protein synthesis has been shown to increase 200% when EAA were available following weight lifting. Several studies have reported that amino acid supplementation leads to greater gains of lean muscle mass. Crowe et al found that “upper body power, time to exhaustion and perceived exertion were significantly improved after 6-week dietary leucine supplementation compared to a placebo.”
Many studies have proven that Leucine is the best amino acid. Leucine is directly involved in stimulating protein synthesis and without it protein production is weakened. Leucine levels must be increased for significant increases for protein synthesis to occur. Muscle protein production is increased by as much as 10 times when leucine is added to a protein rich meal. BCAA supplements containing 30-35% leucine have been shown to decrease protein degradation, increase mental and physical performance, and lessen depletion of muscle glycogen levels. Leucine also provides muscles more ATP than the same weight of glucose. While it is important to look for products with relatively large amounts of leucine, supplementation with leucine alone causes BCAA imbalances. Therefore, supplements should contain high levels of leucine as well as isoleucine and valine.
To meet the body’s requirements for amino acids, high amounts of EAA and BCAA are necessary. Faster absorbing proteins are more effective at delivering BCAA to the muscles, therefore, casein, egg proteins, and other slow digesting proteins are not encouraged for meeting BCAA needs. Hydrolyzed whey protein is the fastest digesting protein and is the best for consuming BCAA. Other options for BCAA are the direct supplementation of amino acids through products such as Prolab’s BCAA Plus, NxCare’s Aminovol, and Universal’s BCAA Stack, just to name a few.
Because the purpose of consuming amino acids is to provide muscles with BCAA so that muscle tissues aren’t broken down, amino acids should be consumed before exercise. Consuming BCAA before exercise delivers these nutrients better because the heart pumps 20-25 liters of blood per minute while exercising compared to only 5 when at rest. While exercising, over 80% of blood flow is directed to the muscles while only 15-20% of blood flow goes to the muscles while at rest. This change in blood flow patterns occurs because muscles need more blood while exercising and the body adapts to meet this need. By taking amino acids pre-workout, amino acids are delivered more efficiently to your muscles. This pre-workout shake won’t lessen the value of post workout nutrition, but will instead boost its effectiveness.
Conclusion
Consuming amino acids before you exercise provides your muscles with the nutrients it needs to increase protein synthesis, reach an anabolic state, and increase muscular hypertrophy.
Sources
Crowe, Melissa. "Effects of Dietary Leucine Supplementation on Exercise Performance."
European Journal of Applied Physiology 97(2006): 664-672.
Charlebois, Derek. "BCAA: More Than Just Amino Acids." Strength & Science Weekly
12. 16 Dec 2006 <http://www.strengthandscience.com/october/article8.htm>.
Charlebois, Derek. "Essential Amino Acids." Strength & Science Online 4. 16 Dec 2006
<http://www.strengthandscience.com/august/article9.htm>.
Mero, A. "Leucine Supplementation and Intensive Training." Sports Medicine 27(1999):
347-358.
Norton, Layne. "Leucine: The Anabolic Trigger." Strength & Science Weekly 11. 16
Dec 2006 <http://www.strengthandscience.com/october/article2.htm>.
Tipton, Kevin. "Postexercise Net Protein Synthesis in Human Muscle from Orally
Administered Amino Acids." Endocrinology and Metabolism 276(1999): 628-
634.
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