Amino Acid Results: Gaining Lean Muscles, Losing Fat & Improving Endurance

HOW TO USE AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENTS AND GET REAL-LIFE RESULTS

It's not enough to pop a handful of supplements and hope they'll do some good. For best results, supplement your diet with a purpose. Use supplements to help you achieve some specific physique goal, such as losing bodyfat, gaining lean muscle, or boosting endurance.

Among the most beneficial and effective supplements in any sports nutrition program are amino acids. Although they've been around for a long time, a lot of people don't know how and when to use them properly. Amino-acid supplements have some very specific uses in sports and fitness nutrition.

To begin with, amino acids have far-reaching tasks in the body - from building and repairing tissue to producing chemicals that make our brains function. Numbering 22 in all, they are divided into two groups - essential or indispensable amino acids and nonessential or dispensable amino acids. Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body, or are made in very small amounts. You have to get them from protein foods and combinations of vegetable foods. In fact, your body can't manufacture protein unless all of the essential amino acids are present. There are nine essential amino acids: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.

Your body can make nonessential amino acids by itself from vitamins and other amino acids. The term nonessential is rather misleading though, since all amino acids are essential to proper metabolism. Plus, certain nonessential amino acids become very essential during illness. The 13 nonessential amino acids are alanine, arginine, aspargine, aspartic ? acid, cysteine, cystine, glutamic acid, { glutamine, glycine, hydroxyproline, proline, serine and tyrosine. You can use single or multiamino-acid supplements to enhance your nutrition and training, but which ones should you use?

First, give some thought to your goals. Do you need to lose bodyfat, build muscle, curb your appetite, gain more stamina, or all of the above?

Next, look through the following profiles. See where you fit in, and what the amino-acid recommendations are. Once you've identified your niche, follow the guidelines, and you'll be well on your way to achieving your physique goals, especially if you're sticking to the nutrition and training principles set forth in our manuals.

PROFILE #1

You're "leaning out" for a competition, or just want to look great this summer. First rule of thumb: Don't cut your calories to shed fat. You should be gradually increasing calories. Also, you can cut back on your carbohydrate intake while increasing your use of MCT oil to encourage your body to burn fat. Where amino-acid supplementation is concerned, there are three avenues to consider for fat loss:

Growth-Hormone Releasers. Arginine pyroglutamate and lysine monohydrochloride are among the amino acids known to affect the release of growth hormone (GH), which assists in shedding fat and building muscle. I suggest you take two or three capsules upon arising, before training and before bedtime. This usage schedule will help naturally elevate your body's level of growth hormone for greater muscle mass, decreased bodyfat and enhanced repair.

Lean Mass Protector Aminos. During a phase of bodyfat reduction hang on to metabolically active muscle. One important way to do that is by supplementing with an all-purpose amino-acid supplement. This type of supplement is especially beneficial during periods of intense training and strict dieting. To protect lean body mass, many competitive bodybuilders increase their usage several months prior to competition. You can use the same strategy if you're getting rid of excess bodyfat for health and fitness reasons.

Because of their unique molecular structure these aminos must be taken with meals and not on an empty stomach. I recommend supplementation with two or more capsules at each meal.

Appetite Suppressants. Even though you may be trying to lean out, I want you to eat, eat, and eat some more - from all the right foods, of course. I really don't recommend that you suppress your appetite. However, if you have a tendency to over indulge on the wrong foods and want to get that urge under control, an amino acid known as L-pheny-lalanine may help you. Research shows it is among amino acids that can suppress the appetite.

PROFILE #2

You want to pack on lean muscle mass. Nutritionally you should be increasing calories from lean proteins, starchy carbohydrates and fibrous carbohydrates-without skimping. As for aminos, consider the following:

Growth-Hormone Releasers. Not only do these supplements aid in a fat-burning program, but they are also absolutely essential for mass-building. They stimulate the release of growth hormone, which is involved in the repair and synthesis of muscle tissue. The same usage recommendations discussed above apply for muscle-building.

Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). The branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine are directly involved in building muscle tissue. By carrying nitrogen, they assist the muscles in synthesizing other amino acids to promote growth and repair. BCAAs are of special importance because they are metabolized in muscle rather than in the liver. The branched-chains account for 50 to 90 percent of the amino acids taken up by muscle after a protein meal. Once there, they are available to serve as a substrate, or building block, for protein synthesis. They increase insulin, which further stimulates protein synthesis and accounts for their anabolic effect.

The best way to use a BCAA supplement is to take it with meals, and to eat six or more meals per day. Take this supplement at the meal before your workout and the meal after your workout. Also, I suggest taking three to six after your workout along with a good carbohydrate beverage. The carbohydrates will prevent oxidation of the BCAAs, leaving them available for use in protein synthesis. The insulin released from the carbs will help drive the aminos inside the muscle cells as well as stimulating protein synthesis. This is also the best time to replenish glycogen stores. Because all amino acids are involved to some degree in building lean tissue, supplement with an all-purpose amino-acid supplement as well to ensure an extra supply of quality protein.

PROFILE #3

You want all-out endurance for more intense training. Most people usually don't think of protein or amino acids in connection with endurance, but protein is critical in endurance and can be used as an energy source in certain situations. In addition to traditional energy-building foods like carbs, here are the amino acids to consider for all-out aerobic or endurance training:

BCAAs. The branched-chain amino acids are used for energy in endurance exercise lasting at least 60 to 90 minutes. During high-intensity aerobic exercise one branched-chain amino acid in particular -leucine - is rapidly used up. The fragments of its breakdown are used to manufacture another amino acid called alanine, which the liver changes into glucose. That glucose is transported to the working muscles where it is used for energy. The harder you work out aerobically, the more leucine and other BCAAs you use. The use of BCAAs for energy actually helps prevent breakdown of muscle tissue to use as fuel. I suggest you supplement with two or more capsules at each meal.

Other "Endurance" Aminos. Consider using the following nutrients to tweak your body for greater endurance:

Inosine - This nutrient improves oxygen utilization for increased endurance.

L-phenylalanine - This essential amino acid acts as a potent mental stimulant for improved concentration during workouts.

D-phenylalanine - The mirror image of L-phenylalanine, this amino acid inhibits the breakdown of endorphins for a higher pain threshold.

Ferulic acid (FRAC) - This nutrient stimulates the endocrine system to aid recovery and boost workout capacity.

Magnesium and potassium aspartates - Hard training produces certain waste products, including ammonia. By turning ammonia into uric acid, aspartates help filter waste products from the system, giving you extra stamina and extending your endurance. I suggest you take five to ten capsules 30 minutes to an hour before training.

WHERE DO YOU FIT IN?

Perhaps one of these profiles fits you to a tee. Maybe you have something in common with all three. If you need to lose fat, build muscle and increase endurance, supplementing with all products mentioned is certainly advisable.

Keep in mind that amino-acid supplementation is just one part of a total nutrition program. You should first be eating a diet of lean proteins, starchy carbohydrates and fibrous carbohydrates. Then supplement according to your individual needs.