Muscle Building Aminos: An Overview

Muscle Building Aminos - An Overview

The amino acids found in food make up proteins and are absolutely vital for life. When digested they are used to build and form new tissue and cells that are essential for all living things. In humans these proteins are used to build and maintain the skin, eyes, heart, muscles, bones etc.

As amino acids are so important for life itself it is beneficial to know a little bit more about how amino acids work and how they affect muscle building.

There are 20 standard amino acids, of which 8 are known as essential amino acids. These aminos cannot be synthesised by the body and must therefore be consumed as part of our diet. The other 12 amino acids are known as non-essential as they can be synthesised if not consumed in a regular diet.

As 8 amino acids are essential it is important to know exactly what these are and what foods contain them if you want to get the most out of your diet and supplement regime.

Eating a balanced diet is always the first step to being generally healthy and reaching your specific goals of building muscle or losing fat and this is no different to attaining your amino acids. However the following 8 amino acids are of particular importance:

Branched Chain Amino Acids
The three branched chain aminos are Leucine, Valine and Isoleucine. Branch chain aminos (also known as BCAA supplements) make up roughly 1/3rd of skeletal muscle and are the most important amino acids in the manufacture and maintenance of muscle tissue.

Leucine
Leucine has been shown to increase protein synthesis when taken as an individual supplement post workout. Research has studied the effects of carbohydrate, carbohydrate & protein and carbohydrate, protein & leucine post workout. It was shown that the carbohydrate/protein/leucine supplement increased protein synthesis and reduced muscle breakdown to a greater extent than either of the other two supplements.

Isoleucine
Isoleucine is very similar to leucine. Isoleucine promotes muscle recovery, regulates blood-sugar levels and stimulates HGH release.

Valine
Valine works in conjunction with the other BCAAs to help build and preserve muscle tissue.

Lysine
L-Lysine is a necessary building block for all protein in the body. L-Lysine plays a major role in calcium absorption, building muscle protein, recovering from surgery and the body's production of hormones, enzymes, and antibodies. Lysine maintains a positive nitrogen balance in the body creating an anabolic (muscle building) environment. Lysine can be found in spinach, eggs, meat and poultry.

Histidine
Histidine is a precursor to histamine, a compound released by the immune system when an allergic reaction occurs. Histidine also protects nerve health and is essential for the growth and repair of tissue. Most normal individuals attain enough Histidine through their normal diet.

Histidine is also a precursor to carnosine biosynthesis; the only other amino acid is for this is beta-alanine. Histidine is therefore very important for carnosine production. An increase in carnosine levels can boost the buffering capacity of muscle by 20%, which in turn dramatically increases muscular performance and work capacity because of the delay of muscular fatigue.

Histidine can be found in dairy, meat, poultry, fish and wheat amongst others.

Phenylalanine
Phenylalanine improves mood, memory and general motivation. Phenylalanine also eventually increases levels of dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline) through its convertion to L-Tyrosine in the body. These are powerful neurotransmitters needed for normal operation of the nerve system.

Phenylalanine also helps manufacture glutamine; important for muscle growth. Phenylalanine can be found naturally in dairy, almonds, seeds and avocados amongst others.

Methionine
Methionine is an important amino acid to bodybuilders. Methionine aids in the breakdown of fats and can lead to increased testosterone production. Methionine also decreases levels of fat in the bloodstream potentially decreasing adipose tissue (fat tissue). Methionine is also one of three (with arginine and glycine the other two) amino acids that make up creatine in the body.

Methionine can be found in eggs, meat, fish and lentils

Threonine
Threonine is used in the function of the immune system and the production of antibodies. Threonine is also used to form collagen and elastin; two very important binding substances.
Threonine can be found in dairy, meat and eggs

The non-essential amino acids
Not all the non-essential amino acids will be mentioned but simply an overview of the most important for bodybuilding purposes.

Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acids in the body and as such is involved in more metabolic processes than any other amino. As glutamine is involved in metabolic processes (the rate at which building or wasting processes occur) it is of particular importance to bodybuilders.

Here are some of the benefits of glutamine:

A substrate for DNA synthesis
Major role in protein synthesis
Primary source of fuel for enterocytes (cells lining the inside of the small intestine)
Precursor for rapidly dividing immune cells, thus aiding in immune function
Regulation of acid-base balance in the kidney by producing ammonium
Alternative source of fuel for the brain and helps to block cortisol-induced protein catabolism
Glutamine therefore is very important for overall health and the preservation of muscle tissue. But glutamine is non-essential so do we need to supplement with it?

Glutamine Pros & Cons
Glutamine is non-essential so it is already produced in the body when needed – so why supplement with extra glutamine? Further to this, glutamine is also used as a fuel source around the body, in fact sometimes more readily than some simple sugar carbohydrates. Therefore the body will just use supplemented glutamine as energy rather than storing it or using it for the processes named above.

Do we need to supplement with glutamine at all? During a bulking phase probably, well let’s say more than probably, not. During a bulk excesses of food are eaten so there is a more than plentiful supply of glutamine in the body.

However during a phase of dieting glutamine may be beneficial. During a diet carbohydrates will be low and glutamine can be used as a source of fuel therefore sparing muscle protein to be used as energy. The result is prevention of muscle breakdown whilst losing bodyfat.

To summarise, glutamine can be a beneficial supplement when used correctly and wisely, just like all other supplements.

Arginine
Arginine is the immediate precursor of nitric oxide, urea, ornithine and agmatine and is necessary for the synthesis of creatine. For being a precursor of NO, (relaxes blood vessels), arginine is used in many conditions where vasodilation is required. An increase in nitric oxide levels has become widely known as ‘the pump’, where blood flow is substantially increased to muscle tissue creating muscle fullness and a pumped feeling.

Supplemental L-arginine in high doses is used to increase blood flow to muscles, which in turn can boost nutrient uptake, decreasing recovery times.

Arginine also plays an important role in hormone production including growth hormone (GH).

Arginine can be found in cottage cheese, milk, beef, poultry, salmon, shrimp, tuna, wheat, oats, nuts and seeds. However to attain the extreme effects of vasodilation arginine supplements must be taken due to the highly concentrated dose.

HMB
Beta-Hydroxy beta-methylbutyric acid (HMB), or beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine and is synthesized in the human body. It plays a part in protein synthesis. Similar to all of the non-essential amino acids, HMB does increase protein synthesis and can be used to spare muscle protein from being degregated in a glycogen depriced state (diet). Therefore HMB supplements would only be recommended in a cutting phase.

Conclusion
As you can see, the essential amino acids are just that, essential. These need to be consumed on a regular basis in both a bulking and cutting phase. For everyone that eats meat on a regular basis you will be eating ‘complete proteins’ but for all you vegetarians be sure to rotate your sources of food as plant sources never contain complete proteins and therefore not all amino acids.

In respect to some specific aminos such as L-arginine, L-glutamine and HMB there is some evidence that they will prevent muscle breakdown during a cutting phase, however their effectiveness during a bulk and the subsequent overeating of protein that occurs is somewhat unproven.

The benefits of BCAAs are undoubted. Taking BCAAs post workout has been shown to stop muscle breakdown from activity and start muscle building quicker than not taking them.

In respect to building muscle and keeping it the main point you have to remember time and time again is that amino acids come from eating protein. Eat enough protein and the aminos will do their job; even though this is a blunt statement it holds true. Where supplemental amino acids excel is the extra few percent that can build slightly more muscle mass during a bulk and preserve slightly more muscle mass during a diet. In the long term this may add up to significant gains.