Amino Acids: A Must-Know Nutrient

For the last 20 years or so, the words "AMINO ACIDS" have been thrown around in the bodybuilding and fitness and health industries. Just about everyone has heard about them, but not many people really know what they are or what they do. I asked one person if they knew what aminos were and they responded "Yeah, they are STEROIDS!"  NO, NO NO, they are NOT steroids or even a drug!!! Amino acids is just another name for protein. But there is more to it.

What Are Amino Acids?

There are 22 Aminos the body needs in order to function properly.

Amino acids represent the source of life.

They are the oldest nutrients that have existed on earth. They have been used as the source of life over the period from primordial life to the present stage of evolution marked by the appearance of man.

Amino acids are the oldest and most important nutrients. There are two theories about the origin of amino acids. The first is that they came from the universe and the second is that they came into existence on the ancient earth.

Amino acids account for 20% of the human body.

Water accounts for about 60% of the human body. About half of the remaining part consists of amino acids (including proteins).

Amino acids perform various important functions for the body and serve as the materials for the body's cells, hormones, and enzymes.

As I mentioned, there are 22 aminos, which are the building blocks of life:

1. Alanine
2. Arginine
3. Asparagine
4. Aspartic acid
5. Cysteine
6. Cystine
7. Glutamine
8. Glutamic acid
9. Glycine
10. Histidine
11. Hydroxyproline
12. Isoleucine - Essential
13. Leucine - Essential
14. Lysine - Essential
15. Methionine - Essential
16. Phenylalanine - Essential
17. Proline
18. Serine
19. Threonine - Essential
20. Tryptophan - Essential
21. Tyrosine
22. Valine - Essential 

Some aminos are ESSENTIAL, which means your body NEEDS them! No if's, and's, or but's about it. It also means your body cannot produce them on its own; they need to be taken in by food and supplement sources. Without the essential aminos, you'll start to have some serious health issues. The others are NON-ESSENTIAL, which means you do not NEED them to survive, but the body can manufacture them when it needs them. They do not need to be taken in; however, it makes sense to get them in so your body doesn't have to go into survival mode and make them.

Next are the BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS, or BCAA, which is the acronym you may hear at the gym and see on the health food store shelves. These are the three branched chain aminos:


Leucine 
Isoleucine
Valine

These aminos maintain muscle tissue, are used as an energy source as needed, and stop catabolism (the breakdown of muscle tissue). Red meat is a great source of BCAA's.

Now comes the hard part: knowing how to take them, when to take them, and how much to take. The answer? It is different for everyone. I do feel everyone should supplement some form of aminos just in case their diet falls short of supplying enough aminos in the right profile. My favorite form are LBA's: Liquid Beef Aminos! Not only is it the closest thing to muscle tissue with all the aminos in the right amounts, but it tastes like Hershey's syrup. Don't let the name BEEF throw you off. The LBA's taste amazing!

I hope this clears up information about aminos without confusing you. For more information and further explainations look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amino_acid.