Essential amino acid, a protein source of building muscle but excessive can increase excretion of calcium; reduce kidney function and a burden to the digestive system.

Essential amino acid, a protein source builds cells and repairs tissue, assists with wound healing and increases athletic performance. It is the main stay of any bodybuilder or athlete body building nutrition supplement program. Bodybuilders, power lifters, athletes recognize the irreplaceable value of protein source of essential amino acid in building and maintaining muscle.

Protein is muscle and muscle is protein. It is essential to consume adequate amounts of protein to avoid the body breaking down the protein in muscle tissue to use that essential amino acid for other organs. It can lead to deficiency and adverse health effects. These effects can include and are not limited to fatigue, allergies, loss of memory, and even heart disease. Vegetarian body builders will simply not build more muscle mass despite increase exercise.

How much is considered adequate of essential amino acid? No easy answer to the “right ratio” as it varies from person to person and can also vary within the very same person during different periods of time. It also depends on your physical activities, age, weight and many other factors.

Hazards of excesses of protein source of essential amino acid:

• The formation of toxic substances can become a burden to our digestive system.
• Can increase excretion of calcium.
• Particularly from animal source protein, there are evidence of linked of high protein diets with osteoporosis.
• The excess of nitrogen in urine has been linked with reduced kidney function in old age.

Protein source

Twenty (20) amino acids are needed to build the various proteins used in the growth, repair, and maintenance of body tissues.

1. Non-essential amino acid - eleven (11) of these can be made by the body itself. They are arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine.
2. Essential amino acid - nine (9) must come from the diet and complete proteins are derived from dairy, meat, fish, poultry and soy. They are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. Histidine, our body does not always require dietary sources of it.

All the 20 amino acid are necessary for health and are part of the enzyme and hormonal system.

Food for thought:

• Plant sources of protein are often deficient in essential amino acid and can only be overcome by consuming a wide variety of plant foods. However it is the best protein source.
• Next to water, proteins make up the greatest portion of our body weight. They comprise tendons, muscles and ligaments; organs and glands; hair and nails.
• Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your muscles and it is about 1/3 of entire amino acid pool.
• Your body must have the right combination of essential amino acid and supporting nutrients to optimize healthy protein maintenance.

IMPORTANT:
Adopt a balance approach in body building nutrition and supplement with a body building workout routine.

Disclaimer:
This list of essential amino acid is at present incomplete and may contain errors. The information presented is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease nor a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice.

It is presented for information purposes, to increase the public knowledge of developments in the field of supplements and should not be adopted without a consultation with your health professional.

Use of the information provided is at the sole choice and risk of the reader.

Page topic – essential amino acid