Today we bring you interesting information: it is time for us to talk about some essential "elements" for our life and their value lies in the fact that they are one of the bricks that build our wonderful body. In this entry, we will know how important amino acids are, with a special focus on BCAA in the process of maintaining and developing the human body.

What are Amino Acids

Amino acids (sometimes abbreviated as AA), are organic molecules that form the basis of proteins and play a key role in almost all biological processes of the human body, helping in the transformation of food, which contributes to the development and growth of the cells of the body, repairing their tissues and other body structures, being, in turn, a primary energy source.

They are indispensable for nutrients to be properly absorbed, metabolized and a correct absorption of vitamins and minerals can be achieved. They contribute to the functions of the Blood System and are part of the production process of hormones essential for reproduction, growth, and mental health.

The lack of amino acids is evidenced by the decrease in the production of proteins and glycogen, which disadvantages muscle development. The consequences of such insufficiency, will vary depending on the amino acid in particular; the most common are digestive problems, dermatitis, dementia, decreased production of structural components of tissues, cells, and muscles.

Classification of Amino Acids

Amino acids are classified into three groups:

Essential amino acids: They are not produced by the body, they are obtained through food (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine). Within this group of nine elements, we find the so-called AIFRED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS, which differ from the others by the spatial position of their molecules, since these three amino acids have no linear shape, on the contrary, branch out, that is, they do not form a chain.

They are also known as BCAA (Branched- Chain Amino Acids), and are Valine, Leucine, and Isoleucine, which have the ability to promote muscle recovery and decrease physical fatigue, hence their high demand in the sports world and for the group of people engaged in fitness, who need to recover, maintain, and develop muscle mass.

Besides, BCAA can help stimulate the immune system and contribute to the process of fat loss and increased physical energy. Different studies have shown that Leucine is the amino acid with the unique ability to cause muscle protein synthesis.

Non-Essential Amino Acids: These are those produced by the body and food intake is not required to achieve its production. These amino acids are glutamic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, alanine, cysteine, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine.

Conditional Amino Acids: They are produced in the body; but for some cause or disease, they are no longer synthesized in the body and then it is necessary to consume it through foods or nutritional supplements These are arginine, cysteine, glutamine, glycine, ornithine, proline, tyrosine, and serine.

Where the amino acids are located:

Just as there are foods that help increase levels of some hormones naturally, amino acids can be found in the following sources:

Animal source: these are present in foods such as dairy, eggs, bluefish, white fish, seafood and lean meats.

Plant source: can be found in soybeans, beans, lentils, whole wheat, or nuts. Vegetables and fruits have a very low amino acid content.

Alternate source: In this sense, it is also an option to consume Nutritional Supplements, which contain the aforementioned BCAA, whose components are three branched-chain amino acids.

On the label of the container, I bought it says 2:1:1... What is that?

Currently, there are a wide variety of nutritional supplements on the market with different proportions of amino acids, described in their composition table; for example 2:1:1; 4:1:1 or 8:1:1 and in unusual presentations such as 10:1:1 and 12:1:1. Concerning formula 2:1:1, it refers to the amount of the type of amino acid that exists in the supplement. This means that for every 2 servings of Leucine, there are 1 of Valine and 1 of Isoleucine, where the amount of Leucine, will always be higher than the other components of the formula since this is the amino acid with the greatest impact on muscle reconstruction. Another way to understand the formulation is when the label of a supplement says it contains 10 g of BCAA, in a 2:1:1 ratio, this means that it has 5 g of Leucine, 2.5 g of Valine, and 2.5 g of Isoleucine.

We hope that the information provided in relation to amino acids, their typological classification such as BCAA and their relevance in the development, maintenance, and regeneration of our organism has been useful to you. We invite you to share with us in the comment box, which foods and supplements are your favorite for obtaining amino acids.