Amino acid products are very popular in the fitness industry, but you'll notice that Essential Amino Acids are often more costly than Branched Chain Amino Acids. But we need to know if it's worth paying a little extra for EAAs over BCAAS. To start us off, we need to understand exactly what an Amino Acid is. An Amino Acid is a monomer which makes up a protein. There are 20 individual Amino Acids in total, but as we're speaking about health and fitness, we'll be discussing the essential nine. In the fitness industry, there are two main types of Amino Acid products: Branched Chain Amino Acids, (BCAAs) and Essential Amino Acids (EAAs). But what is the difference between them?
To make it more confusing... All BCAAs are EAAs, but not all EAAs are BCAAs...
Here's the explanation... The three BCAAs are: Leucine, Valine and Isoleucine. The remaining 6 essentials are: phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine, lysine, and histidine. Altogether, as a complete set of 9, these are the essential Amino Acids.
BCAAs currently dominate the supplement industry, and are very popular with all kinds of athletes. That is because the three Branched Chain Amino Acids are the most important of the nine, and therefore were mass produced in this way. Leucine is the first BCAA, and is known as the most important of all the Aminos, and so it has the largest share of the ratio in Amino Acid products. Taking BCAAs is definitely beneficial, but taking only three Amino Acids means neglecting 2/3 of the potential! If you're serious about your Health and Fitness, don't deprive yourself of the other Essential Aminos which will enrich your workouts!
The three branched-chain essential amino acids are widely used to alleviate fatigue, improve athletic performance and stimulate muscle recovery after exercise. Branched-chain amino acid supplements improve performance and muscle recovery and decrease muscle soreness. Supplementing with branched-chain amino acids is superior to rest, in promoting muscle recovery and reducing soreness after exhaustive exercise. Additionally, taking 4 grams of leucine increases strength performance, so essential amino acids can even benefit non-athletes too! So this is the benefit of BCAAs...
As for EAAs... Muscle loss is a common side effect of prolonged illnesses and bed rest. Essential amino acids have been found to prevent muscle breakdown and preserve lean body mass. Taking 15g of mixed essential amino acids maintains muscle protein synthesis, while the process decreases without them. Essential amino acid supplements have also been found to be effective in preserving lean body mass, regardless of athletic ability.
Let's take a closer look at the role of Amino Acids, and why you should be including them in your diet and supplement in-take. Amino Acids play vital roles in the body, as they are the building blocks of proteins, as well as being key ingredients for a healthy metabolism. The human body is incapable of producing the Essential Amino Acids, and so it is important that they are delivered to your body through your diet. Of the 20 total Amino Acids, the human body is only able to produce 10, none of which are any of the nine essential Amino Acids! The great majority of us will not be able to source these essential Aminos through our diets, and without them, the body is prone to suffer muscular deterioration! Not only this, but without a healthy store of Essential Amino Acids, excess consumed proteins can be stored in the body as fat!
There are nine essential amino acids, which you must get through your diet: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. They’re vital for functions such as protein synthesis, tissue repair and nutrient absorption. Some may also prevent muscle loss and improve mood, sleep, athletic performance and weight loss. Fortunately, these vital compounds are found in many animal- and plant-based foods, helping you meet your daily needs through a healthy and balanced diet. They're also readily available in Essential Amino acid products that you can find at Powerbody!
