Amino acid nutritional supplements – their sensible use!

Are you planning a low-calorie diet? Do you exercise and want to lose weight and build muscle ? Do you sometimes not sleep well and would like gentle and natural support for your sleep? Many health-conscious people, especially at an advanced age, find dietary supplements with amino acids to be enriching for their health. Users report greater well-being, better sleep and generally better performance. Here we have put together some important information about dietary supplements with essential amino acids. In this article you will find suggestions and tips on the topic of amino acids and protein.

Amino acids and their functions in the human organism

You may also encounter amino acids under the name protein or protein building blocks. These building blocks form the basis of protein. They form chains of different lengths, which are called either proteins or peptides, depending on their length. You probably know protein as a macronutrient under the name egg white. Along with fats and carbohydrates, proteins are part of many foods. But it is also offered in one or another dietary supplement, usually as an amino acid complex . So far, several hundred amino acids are known. They have a variety of functions in our body. What all of these building blocks have in common is that they are regularly transformed or reshaped in one form or another. There are a total of 21 amino acids , each of which (or coordinated) carries out various vital functions in the body. For example, some amino acids

• the building material for physical tissues such as skin, muscles and organs.
• Starting substances for hormones.
• the basis of enzymes.
• the basis for messenger substances in the brain.
• Basic substances for thyroid hormones.
• Basis for the formation of substances that our immune system needs.

But how can we optimally supply ourselves with amino acids ? Above:

1. a healthy and balanced diet with high-quality foods.
2. Dietary supplement to support nutrition.

Essential and non-essential amino acids

The protein building blocks that serve as the basis for body tissue are called proteinogenic amino acids . This group of protein building blocks is further differentiated: Some of them can be produced by our human organism itself. They are called non-essential amino acids . The body cannot produce eight protein building blocks itself. This is the group of essential protein building blocks. The group of essential amino acids includes:

• Valine
• Leucine
• Isoleucine
• Threonine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• phenylalanine and
• Tryptophan

They must be consumed with food. Important for you to know : Over 99% of the essential amino acids can be converted into the body's own protein. This is why some scientists also speak of the human amino acid pattern. This shows that this group of protein building blocks has a special importance for our health and vitality. Studies have shown that the essential protein building blocks work together. The effects therefore only come into their own when the group of eight essential protein building blocks are taken together. This consistent supply is not guaranteed with all forms of nutrition. Vegans often do not consume sufficient amounts of essential amino acids . In order to ensure basic nutrition, supplementing the diet can make sense. We will see that in many life situations there is an increased need for proteins that cannot always be met through food. Even in these situations, you can counteract the deficiency with a high-quality nutritional supplement. In addition to essential and non-essential protein building blocks, there is a third group, semi-essential amino acids . They are produced by the organism itself in certain situations or age groups. In others they also have to be ingested through food.

The different forms of amino acids

What is interesting is that not every amino acid has the same chemical structure. A distinction is made between right-handed and left-handed forms. The left-handed form is identified by L-, the right-handed form by D-. The right-handed and left-handed forms differ considerably in their amino acid effects . In the area of ​​essential protein building blocks, the L forms such as L arginine, L tryptophan, L lysine, L glutamine, L methionine and L phenylalanine are generally associated with positive effects. Some protein building blocks have conspicuous branches in their structure. Branched chain amino acids are valine, isoleucine and leucine. They form their own group. The BCAAs (English for “ Branched-Chain Amino Acids ”) are particularly valued by athletes.

Proteins as building materials

Our skin, our muscles and every body tissue rely on proteins as building materials. One of the ways our organism responds to an amino acid deficiency is by breaking down the body's own protein. Therefore, in certain life situations, muscle loss can occur if there is insufficient protein intake. Aging processes in the skin are also associated with protein metabolism. The connections have not yet been fully researched. As we age, the formation of wrinkles also increases. This may have to do with the fact that proteins are no longer converted into the body's own protein as effectively as when they were young. Many people take amino acids to combat wrinkles and support their youthful appearance.

Protein building blocks as the basis for other important substances

Many functions and conditions in the body are controlled by the presence or absence of a wide variety of substances. For example, our mood, good sleep and calmness are closely related to the substance serotonin. This messenger substance or neurotransmitter ensures that the brain sends certain signals to receptor sites. Essential amino acids such as tryptophan are the basis for the formation of serotonin. This connection is just one example of how protein building blocks are converted into other indispensable substances in the body . There are a variety of other conversion processes. The thyroid hormone T4 is formed from the amino acid tyrosine. Enzymes are important substances that fuel certain reactions in the human organism. They also need one or another amino acid for their formation.

Do you need more protein?

The average total protein requirement is around 0.8 g/kg body weight. Personal individual needs vary. Different constitutions and life situations have a direct impact on the need for amino acids and protein.

1. Calorie-restricted diets

Have you ever had a very frustrating experience with a strict diet? Have you consistently reduced your calorie intake and still barely lost any weight? Did you gain weight despite exercising ? Did you even later gain more weight in a short period of time than you weighed before the diet? You've probably experienced the infamous yo-yo effect. The organism was not supplied with enough protein during the diet. As a result, a protein deficiency arose and your organism broke down the body's own protein, especially in the muscles. The muscles are predominantly responsible for our body's energy consumption. With less muscle, you will have burned progressively fewer calories and gained more weight after the diet. Important for you to know: Low-calorie diets should always be accompanied by sufficient protein intake. The essential amino acids are of utmost importance because they can best be converted into the body's own protein. In this situation , nutritional supplementation with amino acids can offer you valuable support. Although you can't lose weight just by consuming amino acids , the protein building blocks still provide important substances that stimulate your metabolism. In combination with sport you can quickly see results.

2. Sports

Athletes also generally have a higher need for protein. This is especially true if you want to lose weight and build and maintain muscle through your sporting activities. Endurance athletes also regularly report performance-enhancing effects in connection with the intake of amino acids and protein. Athletes supplement their diet in a variety of ways: Some choose a very specific amino acid, such as arginine, to achieve a specific effect. For example, arginine is said to expand the vessels through increased nitrogen formation and thus ensure an increased pump during weight training. There are also empirical values ​​and studies on possible performance-enhancing effects for athletes for the BCAAs already described in nutritional supplements. Others do not rely on a specific amino acid or a small group, but rather on the combination of the essential protein building blocks .

3. Age, illness and stress

Since amino acids affect a wide variety of physical functions and processes, many people value dietary supplements with protein building blocks. This supplement is very helpful in old age, in particularly stressful and stressful situations and in exhausting illnesses. A possible explanation for this effect is that stressful situations also create an increased need for important amino acids and protein . In some circumstances, as you get older, protein is no longer absorbed as effectively as it was when you were younger. A dietary supplement could supply the important building blocks more specifically and quickly than is perhaps the case with general foods. The building blocks in normal foods must first be extracted and processed using energy before they are available to the body. Protein building blocks in nutritional supplements, on the other hand, are generally available more quickly, especially if they can support each other's effects.

4. Sleep better with amino acids?

For example, some users use the amino acid tryptophan as a dietary supplement if they have problems sleeping. This has a direct effect on the formation of serotonin and thus appears to reduce sleep disorders. The result is gentle and natural sleep support. Try it out and see for yourself the effect of amino acids on sleep disorders .

Dosage and application

There are hardly any amino acid side effects associated with a high-quality dietary supplement. Exceptions only apply when taking different medications at the same time, such as MAO inhibitors and antidepressants that affect serotonin levels. Even if you have previously damaged kidneys, you should be careful with additional protein intake through dietary supplements; you should consult your doctor about this. You can follow the WHO recommendations for the dosage and daily requirement of essential protein building blocks and take the following amounts per day and per kilogram of body weight:

• Valine 26 mg
• Isoleucine 20 mg
• L Lysine 30 to 64 mg
• Phenylalanine 38 to 52 mg
• Threonine 16 mg
• Methionine 21 mg
• T tryptophan 4 mg
• Leucine 10 to 50 milligrams
• Isoleucine 20 milligrams

Select high-quality products for amino acid nutritional supplements

Not all nutritional supplements are the same. This also and especially applies to dietary supplements with amino acids. High-quality premium nutritional supplements are based on the recommendations of scientists and recognized institutions such as the WHO. They put the protein building blocks together sensibly. For example, the essential amino acids and proteins are supplied at the same time in a nutritional supplement for a particularly effective effect . High-quality nutritional supplements are easy to take and are often available in different dosage forms. You can buy them as capsules or in powder form, among other things. In addition, these premium dietary supplements do not contain any additives. Additives can have a negative impact on the bioavailability of a nutritional supplement. Bioavailability is the measure of how well the human organism absorbs and utilizes the substances in the dietary supplement. However, additional substances used when processing a dietary supplement can hinder the absorption of amino acids in the dietary supplement. Even if they are actually only intended to speed up production. Trust valuable nutritional supplements made in Germany - they are safe and tested products that you should take!