amino acids gide

Learn the FACTS about Glutamine, BCAA's, Arginine, Lysine, Methionine, Carnitine, Cysteine, and HMB.

By: Big Cat
Amino Acids are wondrous things. Once you learn what they do in the body, you're almost struck with amazement.
They fulfill the basic foundations of well-being like vitamins and minerals whilst also optimizing those micronutrients and providing the fuel for growth, health, good functioning of the body and genetic transcription. If I were to go into a rant about amino acids and their many functions I could easily fill a book.
As a matter of fact, if I went into describing the uses of every amino acid separately I'd already have a nice novella. That's why I'm only going to discuss the ones that could be of potent benefit to the athlete. That's probably still going to justify several pages.
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What Are Amino Acids?
Well, amino acids in food make up protein. When protein is digested it is once again broken down into specific amino acids, that are then selectively put together for different uses. These new proteins formed in the body are what make up most solid matter in the body: skin, eyes, heart, intestines, bones and, of course, muscle.
That's why understanding what each of these aminos can do and getting more of them in your diet can be very beneficial to reaching specific goals, such as muscle building. Of course, one mustn't exaggerate, because a good protein balance is what provides health and stability, without it any of the amino acids can become toxic.
An issue that has been brought up in the case of phenylalanine, but holds true for all amino acids. To counter potential harmful effects, getting enough vitamins and minerals is important because they insure proper conversion of protein to amino and vice versa.
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Depending on who you talk to, there are around 20 to 22 standard amino acids. Of those 20-22, 8 to 10 of them are considered essential, which means that you need to get a certain amount of them in your diet to function properly - our bodies cannot synthesize them from other materials, so we only get them from food.
Since aminos are the building blocks of protein, I'm sure you get plenty of all of them, but this article will show you the benefits of supplementing with extra free form amino acids, going in to deep detail of what too much or too little of several of them can do, what they do in the body and how much and when you should use them.
Next to the 8 essential amino acids, there are around 14 non-essential amino acids and a whole host of other metabolites classed as amino acids which are derived from the 8 essential ones. Next to the 8 essential aminos, I will try to discuss a number of them that have made the headlines recently: L-Glutamine, L-Arginine, L-Carnitine, L-Cysteine, and HMB.
Don't All Amino Acids Start With The Prefix "L-" ?No. Almost every amino acid occurs in two forms, L and D. The L- and D- forms of amino acids are molecular mirror images (i.e., stereoisomers called chiral enantiomers) of each other. In addition, DL forms do exist (combinations of the two, called racemic mixtures).
"Chirality" describes the "lefthanded/righthanded-ness" of a molecule that is observable by the ability of a molecule to rotate a plane of polarized light either to the left (Levorotatory) or to the right (Dextrorotatory) - hence the letters L & D.
All of the alpha amino acids in proteins are "left-handed". Therefore, they are all L-amino acids. D-amino acids are never found in proteins, but they do exist in other places in the body, in foods, in antibiotics, in other plants and animals, etc.
L-form amino acids are usually tasteless, whereas D-forms tend to taste sweet. For example, spearmint gum and caraway seeds, respectively, contain L-Carvone and D-Carvone. These smell different because our taste receptors contain chiral molecules which behave differently in the presence of enantiomers.
The 8 Essential Amino Acids
Understanding the essentials and trying to optimize them in your diet should be basic knowledge for any bodybuilder.
A complete spectrum of amino acids and optimum health can only be brought forth by gearing your protein intake to these 8 aminos. So even if you aren't even considering supplementing with free forms, at least peruse these next 8 paragraphs and learn.
Histidine
In the human body, histidine is needed for the growth and repair of tissue of all kind. It plays a key role in the maintenance and manufacture of glial nerve cells called oligo-dendrocytes which wrap themselves around your nerves to form a protective sheath called myelin.
This prevents unintended impulses that can obviously lead to serious defects in the brain and spinal cord. As if it didn't have enough work, histidine is also a manufacturer of both red and white blood cells.
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It also helps in radiation protection and removing excess heavy metals (such as iron) from the body. In the stomach, it produces gastric juices that may speed up and improve digestion, so it's a helpful tool in fighting indigestion and gastro-intestinal disorders.
It is a precursor to the non-essential amino acid histamine, which is released by the immune system as a response to allergic reactions. It has also been linked in recent studies to longer orgasms and better sexual enjoyment for those of you who are having a little trouble in that area...
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Bodybuilders
Minimal, only in improving digestion.
Dosage
Minimum of 1000 mg daily, but the recommendation is 8-10 mg a day per kilogram of bodyweight. Chances are you get at least two or three times that in your diet.
Overdosing
Too much histidine may lead to stress and the aggravation of mental disorders such as anxiety and schizophrenia.
Medical Uses
Used in the treating of arthritis and nerve deafness.
Sources
Found in dairy, meat, poultry, fish as well as rice, wheat and rye.
Deficiency
Unknown.
Lysine
L-Lysine is one of the aminos that is of utmost importance to growth and development. It is used in the body for calcium absorption, which results in bone and muscle growth as well as fat mobilization for energy uses.
It maintains the nitrogen balance and helps to maintain lean body mass in periods of extreme stress and fatigue. It is also needed to produce antibodies, hormones (GH, testosterone, insulin, you name it), enzymes, collagen and to repair damaged tissue, much like histidine and most of the essential amino acids.
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Next to maintaining it, it also helps to build new muscle protein. And the cardiovascular benefits include the maintenance of healthy blood vessels.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Bodybuilders
Next to the maintenance and manufacture of muscle protein, Lysine plays a role in revitalizing the body to combat fatigue and overtraining and it maintains a positive nitrogen balance, creating an anabolic environment within the body.
Dosage
Normal recommendation is 12 mg per kilo of bodyweight, but daily intake exceeds that, and even when taking in 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, a couple of extra mg won't hurt. It's a priority amino acid to the athlete. but beware of overdosing.
Overdosing
Could result in higher LDL cholesterol, diarrhea and gallstones.
Medical Uses
Treating of cold sores and lack of energy.
Sources
Cheese, eggs, milk, meat, yeast, potatoes and lima beans.
Deficiency
May lead to enzyme disorders, lack of energy, hair loss (common for protein shortage), weight loss, no appetite and loss of concentration.
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Phenylalanine
Phenylalanine is, or rather was, a hot topic. Some people seem to react rather badly to it, and a lot of heck was raised about it being used in products. Things have calmed down and studies have shown that there is no harm in it for healthy people.
It elevates the mood by stimulating the nerve system, and may be important to staying motivated for whatever reason. It aids memory and together with its derivative, glutamine, is considered a smart-vitamin (though they aren't vitamins).
It increases levels of epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, and dopamine in the anterior pituitary. All three are important neurotransmitters needed for optimum operation of the nerve system. It also helps the absorption of UV rays in sunlight, which in turn gives a higher rate of Vitamin D, a strong body hormone.
Its main metabolite is tyrosine which increases levels of dopamine and nor-epinephrine, as stated above. It's also one of the manufacturers of glutamine, the amino acid that makes up the largest part of the amino acid pool.
Phenylalanine often gets a bad wrap in the press. It is used as a non-carbohydrate sweetener in many soft drinks (combined with aspartic acid, as aspartame) and made headlines recently when some claimed it was hazardous to the brain, and then later it was linked to carcinogenic risk.
Toxic levels of phenylalanine can indeed be lethal, but trust me, so can anything else. If I put a gun to your head and made you drink twenty gallons of purified water, you'd be dead too. And that's water. Imagine what vitamins or minerals could do?
Yet somehow I doubt anyone feels vitamins are an evil poison, put on earth to kill you. Well, neither is phenylalanine. It's an essential amino acid, and most nutritionists will tell you that you are more likely to be deficient than run the risk of overdosing.
Toxic doses exceed 3 to 4 times the amount you would get on average from a diet containing 250-300 grams of protein daily. So that extra diet Coke won't kill you.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Bodybuilders
Apart from motivation and extra Vitamin D, Phenylalanine is of the use because of the nerve upgrading which will allow for maximal contraction and relaxation of the muscles. The DL-form is often supplemented as an endurance enhancer. Because of the toxicity level, this is never done long-term.
Dosage
Recommendation is 14 mg per kilo of bodyweight. You'll be getting more than that no doubt, and I see no need to increase that. Especially with the potential side-effects.
Overdosing
This is not a wise supplement to be taking by pregnant women and diabetics. It results in higher blood pressure, headaches, nausea, heart trouble and nerve damage.
Medical Uses
For treatment of arthritis and depression.
Sources
All dairy products, almonds, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
Deficiency
Its rare, but if it occurs it leads to weakness, lethargy, liver damage and stunted growth.
Methionine
I'll no doubt refer to the subject again when we discuss ZMA in a future article, but methionine assists in the breakdown and use of fats, which in turn yields a higher testosterone rate.
Together with zinc, that's how ZMA does its thing. It also eliminates excess fat from the bloodstream, resulting in less potential adipose (fat) tissue. It is key in digestion and the removal of heavy metals from the stomach and liver. It is a good anti-oxidant because it readily supplies sulfur, inactivates free radicals and helps with memory recall.
It is a precursor to cysteine, which is the amino that produces glutathione to detoxify the liver. It's also one of the three aminos that are needed to manufacture creatine monohydrate within the body, an essential compound for energy production and muscle growth.
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Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Bodybuilders
Fat metabolization, better digestion and anti-oxidizing properties make this a valuable compound.
Dosage
12 mg per kilo of bodyweight. If you think it may be a good idea to supplement this, you may as well invest in some ZMA. The supplement is cost-effective and yields higher results than just Methionine.
Overdosing
None, except in case of a shortage of B-Vitamins, in which case you are an easy target for arteriosclerosis.
Medical Uses
Used to treat depression, arthritis and liver disease.
Sources
Meat, fish, beans, eggs, garlic, lentils, onions, yogurt and seeds.
Deficiency
Causes dementia, fatty liver, slow growth, weakness, skin lesions and edema.
BCAAs
Branched Chain Amino Acids are held in high regard in bodybuilding circles and justly so. They are the three most important amino acids in the manufacture, maintenance and repair of muscle-tissue. All three exert a strong synergistic effect.
Using just Valine or Iso-leucine does little as far as anabolics is concerned but both, when dosed in the right amounts, enhance the effect of the all-important Leucine. As with certain other supplements, the relative dose is more important than the overall dose.
It is believed that a 2-1-2 equilibrium in Leucine/Iso-leucine/Valine dosing yields the best results. The dosages listed are the FDA recommendations for taking the individual BCAA's. BCAAs are used medically to treat headaches, dizziness, fatigue, depression and irritability as a result of protein deficiency.
BCAAs are always best used together. A little useful stack advice: BCAAs stack well with B-complex vitamins.
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Leucine
Leucine, the strongest of the BCAAs, is responsible for the regulation of blood-sugar levels, the growth and repair of tissues in skin, bones and of course skeletal muscle.
It's a strong potentiator to Human Growth Hormone (HGH). It helps in healing wounds, regulating energy, and assists in the preventing the breakdown of muscle tissue.
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Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Bodybuilders
Leucine may be one of the strongest natural anabolic agents in the world. It will not give you amazing results, however, simply because you are already taking in quite large amounts of it.
Dosage
16 mg per kilo of bodyweight.
Overdosing
Unknown, may increase ammonia.
Medical Uses
Prevention of muscle-wasting in states of deprivation.
Sources
Found in nearly all protein sources, including brown rice, beans, nuts, and whole wheat.
Deficiency
Unknown.
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Isoleucine
Very similar to leucine in most every way. Isoleucine promotes muscle recovery, regulates the blood-sugar levels and stimulates HGH release. But isoleucine holds its own in terms of wound healing.
It helps in the formation of hemoglobin and is strongly involved in the formation of blood-clots, the body's primary defense against infection through open wounds.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Bodybuilders
Of similar importance as leucine, Very important as part of the BCAA stack.
Dosage
10-12 mg per kilo of bodyweight.
Overdosing
Causes elevated urination. No serious problems. May become serious if you have kidney or liver disease.
Medical Uses
Wound healing.
Sources
Chicken, cashews, fish, almonds, eggs, lentils, liver, meat.
Deficiency
Unknown.
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Valine
Valine helps the repair and growth of muscle tissue, as commonly attributed to BCAAs. It maintains the nitrogen balance and preserves the use of glucose.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Bodybuilders
In combination with Isoleucine and Leucine.
Dosage
16 mg per kilo of bodyweight.
Overdosing
Crawling sensation in the skin is common, hallucination, may be hazardous to people with kidney and liver disease.
Medical Uses
None, not separately.
Sources
Dairy, meat, grain, mushrooms, soy, peanuts.
Deficiency
Leads to MSUD.
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Threonine
An essential amino acid that is not manufactured within the body, ever. Since its main sources are animal (dairy and meat) this doesn't bode well to vegans. It's found in heart, skeletal muscle and nerve tissue in the central nervous system.
Threonine (reminds me of that chick on "Star Trek: Voyager") is used to form the body's two most important binding substances, collagen and elastin. It is also essential to maintain proper protein balance.
Threonine is involved in liver functioning, lipotropic functions (when combined with aspartic acid and methionine) and in the maintenance of the immune system by helping in the production of antibodies and promoting growth and activity of the thymus.
But perhaps its most useful property of all is that it allows better absorption of other nutrients, so protein sources containing threonine are more bio-available than others.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Bodybuilders
Absorption of protein, maintenance of muscle and important to good health.
Dosage
8 mg per kilo of bodyweight, generally advised in amounts of 100-500 mg when supplemented.
Overdosing
Not known.
Medical Uses
Treatment for mental health.
Sources
Meat, dairy, and eggs.
Deficiency
Irritability and being difficult, nothing severe. Less immunity against disease.