Amino acids muscle building

introduction

In addition to intensive training, many athletes from hobby and professional areas try to achieve the best possible training effect with optimal nutrition and, if necessary, nutritional supplements. Protein-containing preparations have been used for a long time, especially in sports that focus on muscle strength

• gel-like or
• liquid form

as well as powder mixed with milk and often used as so-called protein shakes to improve performance and support. The ingredients that lead to muscle building are ultimately the amino acids.

Importance of amino acids for muscle building

Amino acids are molecular components of the human and animal organism. They are the building blocks of proteins that occur everywhere in the body and in every imaginable form and function. Several amino acids connected to one another are joined to form a long chain, which is then folded in specific patterns so that the finished, functional protein is created in the end. Proteins can contain 100 to several thousand amino acids. In addition, amino acids can also be used to generate energy.

There are 21 different amino acids in the human body, which, when combined at will, form the variety of different proteins. A distinction is made between so-called 13 non-essential amino acids, which the body can produce itself, and 8 essential ones, which you have to ingest with food. A large number of other amino acids are known, but they are not involved in the formation of proteins and thus not in muscle building.

Since our muscles are simply a collection of proteins, amino acids are the basic requirement if muscles are to be built up. With the help of enzymes, many amino acids are strung together, which in their entirety then form a protein, known as muscle fibrils in relation to the muscles.
The amino acids can be supplied to the body either in isolated form, i.e. as pure amino acids, or in the form of protein. Since our body is only able to absorb individual amino acids from the intestine, the proteins supplied must first be broken down into their amino acid components by our digestive enzymes before our intestines can absorb them. So it takes longer for the protein to develop its effect in muscle building than pure amino acids.

After the muscles have been stressed, the formation of proteins, the muscle fibrils mentioned, is accelerated because the body signals the muscle that it needs to grow. A so-called anabolic time window is created in which the muscle has the chance to form new muscle fibrils and thereby grow if there is a sufficient supply of amino acids. Within the first twelve hours of this time window, it makes little difference when the body receives the amino acids; the effect on muscle growth remains roughly constant. Only if you wait until after these twelve hours before adding amino acids, studies show a reduced utilization of amino acids for the formation of new muscle proteins.

Read more about amino acids and exercise.

Presence of amino acids in food

Apart from the essential amino acids mentioned above, they are naturally occurring substances in food. For example, meat and fish, eggs, dairy products and legumes such as beans and lentils are particularly rich in protein and therefore amino acids.

However, since the need for amino acids can only be insufficiently covered with food in the case of special training loads and demands, there is the possibility of taking special dietary supplements. These preparations, which are mostly available in powder form, but also as capsules or tablets, have high levels of amino acids, some of which have a special composition.

Also read: Protein powder

Special amino acids for building muscle

The first to be mentioned are the BCAAs, what for "Branched-Chain Amino AcidsTranslated, this means branched chain amino acids, a chemical subgroup that corresponds to the acids valine, leucine and isoleucine. All three are essential and are particularly associated with improved muscle building. They

• promote muscle growth
• inhibit muscle breakdown and
• have a beneficial effect on strength endurance

While proteins in the body first have to be broken down into amino acids and get from the intestine via the blood to the liver, from where they are then made available to the muscles, these three can bypass the detour via the liver and make them available directly to the muscles become. That means they work particularly quickly.
In addition, when the muscles are strained, the body tends to break down the proteins as components of the muscles in order to gain energy from them. Here these amino acids act as energy-supplying substances that counteract muscle breakdown during training.
In addition, the branched-chain amino acids are the main components of muscle protein, which is why they are particularly useful for building new muscles. They are among the most important amino acids that lead to direct muscle building. Read more on the subject at: BCAA to build muscle

Arginine can also be found in many muscle building products. Its main effect is not in building muscle itself, but rather in improving blood circulation. Nitrogen-containing amino groups are released from it, which relax the muscles surrounding the blood vessels. The cross-section of our blood vessels is enlarged in this way and more blood can simply be pumped through the body when the blood pressure is lower. This ensures a better supply of the stressed areas with oxygen and energy-supplying metabolites.
This effect is also very important, because without an adequate supply of oxygen the muscles will not have enough energy to develop strength. In addition, it causes the release of growth hormones, which are the body's own messenger substances that promote growth.

Read more on the topic: Leucine

Another well-known amino acid is carnitine. Carnitine belongs to a group that is not involved in building proteins, but is responsible for an important step in energy supply. It is essential for the transport of fatty acids into the power plants of human cells, the mitochondria, in which energy is obtained from fatty acids. The effect is therefore endurance promoting and helpful in regeneration, for which a fat-burning effect is also being discussed. It therefore has a supporting effect in building muscle.

Glutamine should also be mentioned, one of the most naturally occurring amino acids in the body. It has tons of features and the advantage of being able to be rebuilt into many others including the ones mentioned above. In this way, you also indirectly supplement a large number of the other amino acids.

You can find more information about supplements for building muscle here.

Does it make sense to take amino acids as a dietary supplement?

The answer to this question is yes. Amino acids have their right to exist in the field of dietary supplements. Amino acids, especially branched-chain amino acids, offer protection against excessive muscle breakdown, especially during a diet when the body is kept in a calorie deficit, i.e. when you are supplying your body with fewer calories than it consumes every day.
Historically, the human body is programmed to first mobilize the carbohydrate stores, the so-called glycogen, in the event of a lack of energy and then to gain its energy by breaking down muscle protein before the fat stores are tapped as an energy source. In order to counteract muscle breakdown, it is important to strain the muscles to convey to the body that they are still needed. On the other hand, the muscle should be provided with sufficient building blocks to maintain it. At this point it should be pointed out that dietary supplements are not a substitute for a balanced diet.

There are also branched-chain amino acids in "normal" foods, as well as arginine and carnithine. Especially in beef, but also in milk products or fish.
However, taking amino acids as a dietary supplement offers the possibility of a low-calorie diet. For example, while the above foods always include a certain percentage of fats and carbohydrates, amino acids as dietary supplements have the advantage that these additional calories are eliminated.
Amino acids can be consumed both in the form of capsules and in the form of powdered drinks and are usually consumed before or during training - to ensure the maintenance of the muscles, as well as after training - to help regenerate and re-synthesize the muscles .
Dosage recommendations range from five to twenty grams per day. Up to now there are no known drastic side effects when taking it. However, each consumer must decide for himself whether the cost of the expense is worthwhile compared to the additional benefit.

Disadvantages and Dangers of Amino Acids for Building Muscle

In an appropriate dose and without rare metabolic disorders, proteins or amino acids are not harmful to the body, but extremely useful. However, as with almost every substance, the following also applies here: It's the dose that counts.

If you want to train with preparations containing amino acids, you should know your maximum dose and not exceed it. If there is too much, it can lead to gastrointestinal complaints such as

• stomach pain
• Flatulence and
• diarrhea

come. On the other hand, certain chemical reaction processes can be set in motion, which lead to acidification of the body. It is important to always drink enough water at the same time.

It becomes dangerous in people with previously damaged liver or kidneys. Many amino acids are metabolized in the liver and excreted through the kidneys. This can lead to accumulations that additionally damage the affected organ.

Care should also be taken to use high quality products with accurate labeling. Substances that damage the body were detected in random samples in defective products. However, a balanced, healthy diet cannot be replaced by muscle building products.

Summary

In order to build muscle, the body absolutely needs amino acids. You can use natural foods or substitute supplements to build muscle. The most effective amino acids are:

• Valine
• Leucine
• Isoleucine (BCAAs)
• Carnitine
• Arginine and
• Glutamine

It must be said that taking the corresponding amino acids requires good and targeted strength training in order to exploit the full potential.

A muscle building-promoting effect of the amino acids has been confirmed in independent studies, so that nutritional supplementary measures are particularly useful for ambitious athletes or professionals. However, the protein requirement can generally be covered with a balanced and protein-rich diet, so that there are no performance-reducing effects here.