How Amino Acids Benefit the Body during Athletic Recovery Amino acids are the basic building block of the proteins that make up your body. However, your anatomy does not just create amino acids out of thin air; it absorbs these nutrients through food and supplements. More specifically, it takes in nine essential amino acids that it then uses to manufacture a full range of over 20 amino acids. During the process of digestion, the amino acids in food are broken down, and then redistributed accordingly into protein structures. Therefore, increasing your intake of amino acids benefits the body, especially if you want to build muscles. Muscle Mass Since muscle is made of protein, and protein is made of amino acids, make sure that you include plenty of amino acids as part of any regular exercising pursuit. Most people know that when you work out your body burns calories, but if you exercise a lot, you may start to burn off more lean muscle as your body attempts to hang on to its fat stores.š Professional body builders recommend supplementing your workout with a nutrient-rich diet. Increase Endurance A healthy intake of protein also helps your workout last longer, because you get the amino acids from a source other than your muscles. Eating a lot of protein bars, for example, gives your body a place to obtain amino acids during situations of physical duress. One study conducted by the Saga Nutraceuticals Research Institute in 2009 concluded that subjects who supplemented their workout plan with amino acids fared better than those who did not.² Branch Chain Amino Acids Some essential amino acids occur naturally in groups, specifically leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These three amino acids are known as branch chain amino acids or BCAAs. Nutritionists consider BCAAs to be an ideal type of protein because they take less time to break down.³ A large portion of the skeleton is made out of BCAAs, which can be absorbed by drinking the whey protein available in milk, as well as in supplements such as high protein bars. Healing Injuries Doctors sometimes prescribe the protein known as glutamine to patients that are healing from surgery or a recent injury. Glutamine is associated with healing and resistance to infection. A member of the nonessential amino acid group, our body usually makes its own glutamine, but sometimes in extreme situations this physical ability may be weakened. Then it can help the recuperation process to add more glutamine to your diet. Vegetarians Consumers who choose to not eat meat should consider a nutritional supplement such as healthy energy bars to round out their amino acid intake. Even if you end up eating more protein than you need, your body can convert it into nitric acid, which helps stabilize blood pressure. Talk to a doctor if you are concerned about your protein intake. Amino acids make up the intricate strands of protein that compose your entire body. Since they can only be absorbed through food and, in some cases, vitamins or supplements, it is probably a
good idea to include a lot of them in your diet. This rings especially true for health enthusiasts, or anyone who wants to build a leaner, stronger physique. Company Bio: Promax Nutrition makes nutrition bars that have been voted the best-tasting since their inception in the mid-90s. Gluten-free, kosher, and vegetarian, Promax Bars contain no artificial sweeteners, gelatin, high fructose corn syrup, maltitol, or trans fats. Those watching their carb intake should try the Carb Sense bars! Visit http://www.promaxnutrition.com and buy a few boxes today. Sources: 1. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bcaas-the-many-benefits-of-amino-acids.html 2. http://www.livestrong.com/article/259161-what-are-the-benefits-of-amino-acidsupplements/ 3. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-amino-acid-supplements-6116.html