Far too often we hear about amino acids these days, just about as much as protein, or at least I do. But what exactly are they? General knowledge is that they’re the “building blocks” for proteins, but what exactly does that mean and what purpose do they serve? So many people supplement with a well known amino acid “glutamine” but why glutamine and not the others? Are they not important? I decided to break down the small functions each amino acid provides to our bodies and why getting as much of them as we can is very important to building and sustaining muscle and overall healthy bodies. Now these aren’t all of the functions these amino acids provide but I listed the major key ones I think are important.
1. Alanine (non-essential)
- Provides energy for the muscle
- Primary amino aid in converting glucose into energy we need also eliminating excess toxins from the liver
- Boosts immune system for producing antibodies
- Part of connective tissue
- Plant source – avocado
2. Arginine (conditionally-essential)
- Promotes normal immune system activity
- Assists with regeneration of damaged liver
- Most potent amino acid in releasing insulin
- Necessary for production and release of GH
- Pre cursor of nitric oxide which causes a blood vessel relaxation = better pumps
3. Aspartic Acid (non-essential)
- Increases stamina
- Aids in the removal of ammonia
- Involved in DNA and RNA metabolism
4. Asparagine (non-essential)
- Asparagine is made from Aspartic Acid plus ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate)
- Aids in removing ammonia from the body
- May increase endurance and decrease fatigue
- Involved in DNA synthesis and protein synthesis
5. Cysteine – Cystine (non-esential)
- Antioxidant
- Protective against radiation, pollution, ultra-violet light.
- Natural detoxifier
- Essential in growth, maintenance, and repair of skin
6. Glutamic Acid (non-essential)
- Helps stop alcohol and sugar cravings
- Increases energy
- Accelerates wound healing and ulcer healing
- Detoxifies ammonia in the brain by forming glutamine, which can cross the blood-brain barrier, which Glutamic Acid cannot do
- Plays major role in DNA synthesis
7. Glutamine (non-essential)
- Important to glycogenic amino acid, meaning that it is essential for helping to maintain normal and steady blood sugar levels
- Involved with muscle strength and endurance
- Glutamine has the highest blood concentration of all the amino acids
- Involved in DNA synthesis
8. Glycine (non-essential)
- Part of cytochromes, which are enzymes involved in energy production
- Inhibits sugar cravings
- Involved in glucagon production, which assists in glycogen metabolism
9. Histidine (essential)
- Essential Essential One of the 3 major Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA), all of which are involved with muscle strength, endurance, and muscle stamina
- Muscle tissue uses Isoleucine as an energy source
- Required in the formation of hemoglobin
10. Isoleucine
- Muscle tissue uses Isoleucine as an energy source.
- One of the 3 major branched-chain amino acids, all of which are involved with muscle strength, endurance, and muscle stamina.
- BCAA levels are significantly decreased by insulin. Translation: High dietary sugar or glucose intake causes release of insulin, which, in turn, causes a drop in BCAA levels. Therefore, right before exercise, it is not wise to ingest foods high in glucose or other sugars, as the BCAA's, including Isoleucine will not be readily available to muscles.
11. Leucine (essential)
- As one of the 3 branched-chain amino acids (the other 2 being Isoleucine and Valine), Leucine has all of the properties discussed with Isoleucine, as it pertains specifically to the branched-chain amino acid functions.
- Potent stimulator of insulin.
- Helps with bone healing.
- Helps promote skin healing.
- Modulates release of Enkephalins, which are natural pain-reducers.
12. Lysine (essential)
- L-Carnitine is formed from Lysine and Vitamin C.
- Helps form collagen, the connective tissue present in bones, ligaments, tendons, and joints. *stretch marks are formed when the skin is stretched very quickly that the skin doesn’t have time to form its layer of collagen causing a stretch mark. If you have stretch marks already and want to prevent from getting future ones you might try adding more Lysine into your diet.
- Assists in the absorption of calcium.
- Essential for children, as it is critical for bone formation.
- Involved in hormone production.
13. Methionine (essential)
- Assists in breakdown of fats.
- Precursor of the amino acids Cysteine (and Cystine) and Taurine.
- Helps reduce blood cholesterol levels.
- Antioxidant.
- Assists in the removal of toxic wastes from the liver.
14. Phenylalanine (essential)
- Enhances mood, clarity of thought, concentration, and memory.
- Suppresses appetite.
- Major part of collagen formation.
- Powerful anti-depressant.
- Used in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease.
15. Proline (non-essential)
- Critical component of cartilage , and hence health of joints, tendons and ligaments.
- Involved in keeping heart muscle strong.
- Works in conjunction with Vitamin C in keeping skin and joints healthy.
16. Serine ( non-essential)
- Boosts immune system by assisting in production of antibodies and immunoglobulins.
- Myelin sheath (the fatty acid complex that surrounds the axons of nerves) is derived from serine.
- Required for growth and maintenance of muscle.
17. Threonine
- Required for formation of collagen
- Helps prevent fatty deposits in the liver
- Aids in the production of antibodies
- Acts as a detoxifier
18. Tryptophan (essential)
- Precursor to the key neurotransmitter, serotonin, which exerts a calming effect.
- Effective sleep aid, due to conversion to serotonin.
- Reduces anxiety.
- Treatment for migraine headaches.
- Stimulates growth hormone.
- Along with Lysine, Carnitine, and Taurine is effective in lowering cholesterol levels.
- Can be converted into niacin (Vitamin B3).
- Lowers risk of arterial spasms.
- The only plasma amino acid that is bound to protein.
19. Tyrosine (conditionally essential)
- Increases energy, improves mental clarity and concentration.
20. Valine (Essential)
- One of the 3 major Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) . . .the other 2 being leucine and isoleucine . . . all of which are involved with muscle strength, endurance, and muscle stamina.
- Actively absorbed and used directly by muscle as an energy source.
- Any acute physical stress (including surgery, sepsis, fever, trauma, starvation) requires higher amounts of Valine, Leucine and Isoleucine that any of the other amino acids.
- Carnitine, and Tryptophan).
If you read this thread thank you very much. I know being here means you care about company and brand just as much as I do. Being such a huge fan and competitor myself I take pride in the supplements I use. Animal Whey being one of them. If you’re not supplementing with Animal Whey I would highly suggest reconsidering it. Animal whey cost the same amount per serving of my previous protein supplement but has a shit ton of flavor options. And when it came down to it I looked at the Amino Acid content and the numbers weren’t even close. Animal whey contains more Amino Acids per serving than the majority of other protein supplements out there. This just shows that these proteins are coming from different, diverse sources which is a good thing. Again thank you for taking the time to read through this.
Kobe