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What are amino acids?
Proteins are the nutrients that are probably most associated with athletes, especially in figure and strength disciplines. No wonder, because their basic role is building functions. However, it is not about proteins themselves... The basic building unit is amino acids, from which proteins are built. It is these that power and create our cells and tissues. They also largely determine the conditions of the processes responsible for regulating body weight. Each of them is unique in its own way and serves our body.
Amino acids – a quick overview
Amino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins, which we so desire to shape our bodies. We have even begun to divide the food products that are their source into full-value and incomplete-value. The first of these are considered products of animal origin, defining their usefulness based on the aminogram , or the amino acid pool (amino acid content in the product). There are really a lot of proteins with different structures and functions, although their basis is precisely twenty amino acid compounds.
The division of the mentioned components is important, because we are able to synthesize a significant part of them ourselves, and therefore our body covers the demand - these are endogenous amino acids . However, there is another group, which we call exogenous , essential or relatively exogenous amino acids. We are not able to produce these ourselves, or at least not in the appropriate quantities. In addition, these quantities may vary depending on the circumstances in which we find ourselves. This includes, for example, disease states or increased physical activity. Therefore, in order to meet the increased demand, they must be supplied from outside through food or additional supplementation. These are the ones to worry about the most. When looking at the aminogram, we also take into account primarily exogenous and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) .
Proteins that we supply to the body are broken down into basic building blocks. Some of them even act as elements of hormonal biosynthesis, where the ideal example of this is the relationship between tyrosine (amino acid) and adrenaline (hormone). With increasing physical activity, the demand for nutrients also increases, and therefore also for amino acids . It is some of them that allow us to maintain a positive nitrogen balance, which in fact creates great conditions for muscle development. Not to mention hormonal regulation or stimulating anabolic hormones. They are primarily attributed with an anti-catabolic function, which protects against excessive breakdown of muscle fibers, and an anabolic function (building phase). Interestingly, when the effort is intense and energy resources are running low, our body must look for alternative sources of energy. Unfortunately, it turns out to be very lazy and first reaches for muscle proteins, instead of, for example, fat tissue deposits. In order to obtain a complete anti-catabolic effect, you need to take care of the right amounts of building and energy components and choose the optimal training plan for this. You can't deny their participation in the regeneration mechanism, which you need to take care of if you think about any training results.
Exogenous amino acids (EAA) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) – the most valuable?
These are the elements that we are forced to supply from the outside because we are unable to synthesize them ourselves or produce them in optimal quantities. This group includes:
Leucine
Isoleucine
Valine
Lysine
Methionine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Note that the first three amino acids listed are found in supplements called BCAA . They are characterized by a rather specific structure, having branched side chains. Branched-chain amino acids belong to EAA , although it is them that we care about the most in the context of the developmental needs of the body, such as regulating body weight or improving physical parameters. They mainly fulfill an anabolic role, while stimulating hormones that promote the acceleration and increase in the growth of lean body mass. On the other hand, we have a regenerative effect, especially when it comes to post-exercise recovery. By using them around training, we significantly affect the quality and efficiency of training.
BCAAs can be a significant energy boost during intense exercise due to the burning of so-called carbon chains. At the same time, they limit the catabolic energy intake from our protein elements. However, taken after training, they will not only stimulate the anabolic phase but also greatly improve the regeneration of damaged protein structural elements. The lack of even one of the branched-chain amino acids is very quickly received by our body. In such a case, there is no question of maximum and at the same time fast regeneration, which greatly affects the improvement of musculature.
It's not just about building muscle mass. Physical exercise is a stress on the motor apparatus, and therefore also damage to muscle fibers. This is a natural phenomenon, and anabolism without catabolism (and vice versa) would not exist. After exercise, repairs and filling of losses take place, and muscle fibers are strengthened and thickened. In the long run, this obviously results in improved muscle endurance and strength. In short: we will be able to perform longer and harder workouts, which will be an even stronger development stimulus.
The ideal solution is a complete amino acid package.
It is worth taking a correction to the WHO (World Health Organization) standards , because they are established for average, non-training people. A person who exercises regularly, with increased physical activity, lives 2-3 times more intensively, and therefore their demand is at a much higher level. Significant anabolic mechanisms can only take place when the body has a full aminogram. Of course, in order to have and at the same time use all types of components, attention should be paid to various factors. One of the most important are anabolic pathways, in which transmitters, production and action of specific hormones and inhibiting elements (e.g. limiting amino acids) must also be taken into account. A perfect example here would be an insufficient amount of leucine, which is generally considered to be the amino acid with the most anabolic potential. This primarily concerns the so-called threonine-serine protein kinase, which has a huge impact on translation and transcription processes. Well, this kinase is largely dependent on the availability of leucine, so its absence severely limits the translation necessary for the growth of muscle tissue and the development of muscle cells. Yes, leucine increases the activity of mTOR kinase. There are many factors to pay attention to... However, it is an indisputable fact that amino acids are very useful, and even dependent on training progress in various disciplines. The logical conclusion would be to provide various types of amino acid components with increased physical effort.
Author of the entry: Janusz Ziółkowski - nutrition expert
Website address: mojecialo.com
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