All About Amino Acids
After I turned 40 I noticed that it took me longer to recover after workouts. I would be sore and achy for days after weight lifting which started to impact my sleep and make it hard to get comfortable at night. I was already eating a protein-forward diet so I knew I needed something more to help my body recover, build and maintain muscle mass, and get some damn sleep!
Amino acid supplements seem to be all the rage lately so, I started doing some digging and found that they would be helpful for exercise recovery but also so much more than that.
What Are Amino Acids?
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Out of the 20 amino acids, 9 are considered essential and 11 are non-essential.
Essential amino acids cannot be made in the body, so they must come from the diet. The 9 essential amino acids are:
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
Non-essential amino acids can be made in the body. The 11 non-essential amino acids are:
Alanine
Arginine
Asparagine
Aspartic acid (Aspartate)
Cysteine
Glutamic acid (Glutamate)
Glutamine
Glycine
Proline
Serine
Tyrosine
Benefits of Amino Acids
Protein Synthesis: we need amino acids to make proteins in the body. These proteins play a critical role in maintaining the structure and function of cells, tissues, enzymes, hormones, and immune molecules.
Muscle Growth and Repair: amino acids, specifically branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) like leucine, isoleucine, and valine, stimulate muscle protein synthesis which supports muscle growth and recovery.
Exercise Performance and Endurance: BCAAs have been shown to reduce exercise-induced fatigue and improve exercise performance. Supplementing with essential amino acids can help improve your exercise capacity.
Enhanced Recovery After Injury or Surgery: essential amino acids can help repair and regenerate tissues after injury, surgeries, or other traumatic events. They provide the necessary building blocks for the body to heal itself.
Repair and Maintenance of the Gut Lining: amino acids help in the building and repairing of the protective lining of the gut. Leaky gut is when the cells lining our gut are damaged and inflamed causing a breakdown in this protective barrier. Amino acids are essential for repairing the gut and strengthening our gut lining.
Neurotransmitter and Hormone Regulation: some amino acids are precursors for neurotransmitters and hormones that are necessary for proper brain function, regulating our mood, and the coordination of our sleep-wake cycle, stress response, and appetite control.
Antioxidant Production: we need non-essential amino acids, like glutamate, cysteine and glycine, to make a powerful antioxidant called glutathione. Glutathione plays a key role in protecting cells from oxidative damage and supporting the immune system.
Collagen Formation: non-essential amino acids, like proline and glycine, are critical for making collagen which provides strength and elasticity to connective tissues, skin, bones, and blood vessels.
Detoxification and Liver Health: amino acids help the liver process and eliminate harmful substances from the body. Non-essential amino acids are involved in chemical reactions that convert toxins into less harmful forms, making them easier to clear from the body. They maintain and repair liver cells improving overall liver function and health.
Immune System Support: amino acids provide the necessary materials the body needs to produce immune-related proteins, including antibodies and immune system cells. Without amino acids, our immune system wouldn’t be able to produce the antibodies needed to protect us from infections.
Dietary Sources of Amino Acids
Amino acids come primarily from protein-rich foods. Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy are great sources of amino acids. Plant-based sources include quinoa, soy, nuts and seeds, whole grains like oats and rice, hemp seeds, leafy greens and spirulina.
Animal-based proteins are typically a complete protein, meaning they contain all 9 essential amino acids that we must get from the diet.
Most plant-based sources lack one or more essential amino acids, making them incomplete proteins. You can combine certain plant-based proteins to make up a complete protein, like combining rice and beans. Vegans and vegetarians will need to pay special attention to food combinations to obtain all essential amino acids from their diet.
Since we’re on the topic of protein, I can’t help but mention the potential issue with plant-based proteins is depending on the food (ex. grains, legumes) it may carry a heavier carbohydrate load compared to animal proteins which may not align with your health and nutrition goals if you have high blood sugar, insulin resistance or diabetes.
Supplementing with Amino Acids
Amino acid supplements come in pill, powder and liquid forms, and contain different combinations of amino acids.
The timing of amino acid supplements can vary depending on why you’re taking them. Here are some common scenarios:
Pre-workout: Some people take amino acids, particularly branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), before exercise to reduce muscle fatigue and enhance endurance.
During workout: If you’re an athlete or doing long, intense exercise then taking amino acid supplements during your workout can support energy levels and muscle recovery.
Post-workout: Amino acid supplements, especially BCAAs, are commonly taken after workouts to promote muscle recovery and reduce muscle soreness.
My Favorite Amino Acid Supplement
Before you go adding just any random amino acid supplement to your cart I should warn you that some of them taste pretty gnarly! I prefer the liquid version since many amino acid supplements in pill form require several capsules per dose so for me I prefer liquid.
The one I personally use that has tasted the best is the Amino Complex Lemon by Thorne. This is a practitioner-grade supplement that’s NSF certified which means it has undergone rigorous testing and evaluation to meet specific quality and safety standards.
I’m a stickler when it comes to supplements and NEVER purchase them off Amazon because there are constantly issues with adulterated and counterfeit products, quality control, expired or close to expired supplements, poor storage conditions, mislabeling, and incorrect dosing.
Instead, I purchase my supplements through an online dispensary called Fullscript. This is what I use with all my clients too! Fullscript carries a huge range of high-quality, practitioner-grade companies that are third-party tested for safety, quality, and free of contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides.
You can find the lemon flavored Amino Acid Complex in my Fullscript dispensary HERE and get 20% off all your supplements!
About Kyle
Kyle Maiorana is a functional medicine Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and real food advocate who takes a whole-person, root-cause, evidence-based approach to wellness. She works with clients to eliminate gut symptoms for good.
