How Amino Acid Supplements Help The Body

Athletes are known for their hectic training schedules. And if you will ask modern athletes, it is no longer just how hard you work but also how smart you approach the game. Part of becoming a good athlete is by having the proper meal that you can incorporate into your training. However, it is a common scenario wherein athletes can’t overeat because they also have to watch their macronutrient intake. The solution to this problem is by taking the necessary nutritional supplements. One of the most popular supplements is an amino acid supplements.

Here’s how amino acid help athletes.

Amino acids are readily available for the body

The reason why athletes take protein supplements and make sure that they eat enough meat throughout the day is because of the amino acids. Protein breaks down into amino acids in order to become useful to the body.

Branched chain amino acids are considered as the most popular amino acids out there. These are leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

Basically, the difference between whey protein and BCAAs is that the latter can already be absorbed by the skeletal muscles directly. There’s no need for the supplement to go to your liver. Fast absorption also means there’s a lesser chance of muscle catabolism.

Muscle growth

Muscle growth is usually something that a lot of athletes are looking for. Often times, hypertrophy also translates to the additional strength needed in their line of work. What amino acids do is to help repair the muscle fibers and make sure that it recovers well.

Burn more fats

Amino acids can help you burn more calories. Once you have developed muscles in your body, it is possible to burn more calories. This means that an athlete can optimize his weight by having a higher percentage of muscle mass while gradually decreasing the fat deposits.

Improved utilization of energy

It has been recorded that those that have taken amino acid supplements also showed an increase in their muscle endurance. One of the problems faced by athletes is the decreasing level of their glycogen. What amino acids do is to improve how you use energy. Primarily, your body goes after the carbs and fats instead of the glycogen stores in the body.

Increase mental focus

Mental focus is also important when it comes to an athlete’s performance. Amino acids can help improve your short term memory and even enhance the focus which is needed in different sports.

Helps reduce fatigue

A lot of athletes give up mentally due to the presence of tryptophan that enters the blood brain barrier and later turns into serotonin. When you have amino acid supplements, it is possible to prevent tryptophan from entering the brain decreasing the perception of fatigue. This means that an athlete can perform well especially during crucial moments of the game.

There are a lot of whey supplements today that have incorporated branched chain amino acids. The reason behind this is clear. Amino acid supplementation is needed in order to optimize athletic performance. In reality, amino acid intake can make the difference between winning and losing.