Amino Acids

If you have been partaking in more physical activity (good for you!) but not feeling the benefit of more energy, you may want to look at your diet and supplementation.  It is not enough to say “exercise more” and not educate people about the additional needs of the athlete.  If you are involved in ANY kind of rigorous activity, that means YOU!

With the additions of Body Sculpting at BCA101, as the weight increases, so will the need for fuel to muscles.  This fuel is in the form of Amino Acids.  The optimum way to ingest complete amino acids is by way of animal derived whole foods and beverages such as beef, fish, eggs and milk.  

While the average inactive individual may meet their daily protein requirements with whole food nutrition, however active individuals may have a difficult time consuming enough quality food to meet their bodies' increased protein demand.  Avoiding fat associated with some of these sources may mean a more efficient way to get added aminos is through supplementation.

In body building, the most recognized amino acids are Branch Chain Amino Acids, Glutamine, Carnitine, Taurine and Arginine.  Be sure to take professional consultation before starting any supplementation program.  Bear in mind, you should NOT just load one single supplement of an amino acid.  If you load too heavily on just one or two aminos but do not include the entire essential 8 somewhere, you can create serious deficiencies.

The 8 essential amino acids are:

• Tryptophan - tryptophan is a precursor for serotonin and melatonin. Abundant sources are chocolate, oats, bananas, dried dates, milk, cottage cheese, meat, fish, turkey and peanuts.
• Lysine - Lysine deficiency can result in a deficiency in niacin (Vitamin B) and this can cause the disease pellagra. It is also beneficial in treating and preventing herpes. Lysine sources include green beans, lentils, soybean, spinach and amaranth.
• Methionine - Methionine supplies sulphur and other compounds required by the body for normal metabolism and growth. It belongs to a group of compounds called lipotropics that help the liver process fats. It is found in fish, whole grains, and dairy.
• Valine: Valine is needed for muscle metabolism, tissue repair, and for the maintenance of proper nitrogen balance in the body. Valine is found in high concentration in the muscle tissue. It is also one of the three branched chain amino acids, which means that it can be used as an energy source by muscle tissue. It may be helpful in treating liver and gallbladder disorders, and it is good for correcting the type of severe amino acid deficiencies that can be caused by drug addiction. Dietary sources of valine include dairy products, grain, meat, mushrooms, peanuts, and soy proteins.
• Leucine: Leucine is a branched chain essential amino acid that stimulates muscle protein synthesis and may be the major fuel involved in anabolic (tissue building) reactions.  During times of starvation, stress, infection, or recovery from trauma, the body mobilizes leucine as a source for gluconeogenesis (the synthesis of blood sugar in the liver) to aid in the healing process. It has recently been suggested that leucine may have beneficial therapeutic effects on the prevention of protein wasting, as it occurs during starvation, semi-starvation, trauma, or recovery after surgery. Insulin deficiency is known to result in poor utilization of leucine; therefore, individuals who suffer from glucose intolerance may require higher levels of leucine intake. Leucine is found in cottage cheese, sesame seeds, peanuts, dry lentils, chicken, and fish.
• Isoleucine: Isoleucine is a branched chain amino acid that is important for blood sugar regulation, muscle development and repair, haemoglobin development, and energy regulation. Deficiencies of isoleucine result in possible dizziness, headaches, fatigue, depression, confusion and irritability. Isoleucine is found in eggs, fish, lentils, poultry, beef, seeds, soy, wheat, almonds and dairy.
• Threonine: Threonine is important for antibody production. It can be converted into glycine and serine. Deficiencies are rare but can result in skin disorders and weakness. Dietary sources of threonine include dairy, beef, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts, and seeds.
• Phenylalanine: Phenylalanine serves in the body as a precursor to the catecholamine family of hormones. These hormones include adrenaline and noradrenaline, which are activating substances in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Deficiencies are rare but can include slowed growth, lethargy, liver damage, weakness, oedema, and skin lesions. Food sources or phenylalanine are dairy, almonds, avocados, lima beans, peanuts, and seeds.