Amino Acids For Body Fuel – Essential Amino Acids Guide
Our capability to perform physical activities well, such as biking, exercising, and running, would depend on the ability of our body to absorb and extract energy from the food that we ingest. As possible sources of fuel, the fat, carbohydrates, and proteins found in the food we consume follow diverse metabolic routes in the human body, however they all eventually produce water, carbon dioxide, as well as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is a chemical energy. ATP molecules are like batteries, hence whenever we require energy, we utilize these ATP molecules.
The choices of food we put into our body resupplies the fuel or energy that we necessitate to continue functioning normally. This energy comes in three forms – fat, carbohydrate, and protein. Our body could store a number of these fuels in such a way that they would offer our muscles a fast and instant source of energy.
Amino Acids Make Up Proteins
Protein provides the muscles’ building blocks. In a molecular level, amino acids are the building blocks of protein. However, all 20 amino acids are different from each other, the quantity of each amino acid that the body requires would differ based on the overall consumption of proteins as well as the protein requirements needed for our fitness level and lifestyle. Check this essential amino acids guide.
The 20 amino acids produce proteins in the human body for it to carry out various chemical and physiological processes which includes the development and maintenance of muscles. They are into three categories – essential amino acids, non-essential amino acids and conditionally essential amino acids.
Essential Amino Acids Guide
There are nine amino acids that are deemed as essential and are obtained from the food we eat since the body cannot produce them. Our body needs these synthesize proteins so as to support and foster anabolic muscular growth s well as lessen catabolic muscle breakdown. Here are the 9 EAAs:
- VALINE: Helps stimulate the growth and restoration of muscles and is plays a part in the production of energy
- PHENYLALANINE: It plays a crucial role in the formation and function of enzymes and proteins as well as in the production of other AAs
- THREONINE: A vital part of structural proteins like collagen and elastin, which are imperative elements of connective and skin tissues. Additionally, it also aids in the immune function of the body and fat metabolism
- TRYPTOPHAN: It is required to maintain the proper balance of nitrogen and as antecedent to serotonin which regulates appetite, mood and sleep
- METHIONINE: It helps in the detoxification and metabolism process in the body, and for growth of tissue as well as the absorption of minerals, selenium and zinc and selenium
- HISTIDINE: Utilized to produce histamine, histidine is crucial to our body’s immune response, sexual function, digestion as well as in our sleep-wake cycles.
- LEUCINE: Vital for protein synthesis and repair of muscles, leucine helps in regulating the levels of sugar in the blood, and helps in stimulating healing of wounds
- ISOLEUCINE: This EAA is involved in the metabolism of the muscle metabolism, immune function, energy regulation and hemoglobin production
- LYSINE: Lysine is crucial for immune function, energy production, as well as in the production of elastin and collage