Despite popular belief all protein isn’t the same. Just like your fellow members of society have various talents and genetic structures, proteins vary in what encompasses their makeup. This column is dedicated to what proteins are constructed of: amino acids.

Each has its unique set of properties and each resides in certain protein sources at diverging concentrations. In this composite you’ll find what amino acids are, the types, and a description of each one. Let’s Get It.

SECTIONS:

What Are Amino Acids
Types Of Amino Acids
My Thoughts

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What Are Amino Acids

I don’t know about you, but when I hear “acid” I assume it’ll be responsible for some internal harm, like my insides will disintegrate 😆, but that’s not the case here.

I’ll type it until my fingertips burn off; protein is the building block of all muscle. And is formed by chains of amino acids. So that makes amino acids the building blocks of protein.

There are 20+ amino acids we need to develop the 100,000 unique protein constructs within our body [1].

Yes 100,000.

This buffet of finished products means amino acids are necessary for your immune system, neurotransmission, hormonal activity, and of course protein synthesis. A process, along with protein breakdown, that occurs continuously throughout every moment of life. Protein synthesis is ultimately responsible for the building, repair, and maintenance of muscle.

In fact, as vast as protein turnover is, you use more protein than you consume. Meaning our body’s have the ability to recycle amino acids to a measurable degree [1].

A degree is key, for protein metabolism isn’t the most efficient process, so continuous intake is the go, but I digress.

Back to aminos.

There are three categories of amino acids: essential, conditionally essential, and non essential:

Essential amino acids: essential, or indispensable amino acids are unable to be created by your body. Hence essential.. you have to consume these bad boys. Even if you harvest other amino acids in excess quantities these aren’t able to be produced.
Conditionally essential amino acids: conditionally essential amino acids in most cases can be synthesized, but in times of high demand like extreme physical activity, trauma recovery, puberty, etc.. your body can’t keep up with the demand. Then your diet is tasked with supplying the goods.
Non essential amino acids: non essential, or dispensable amino acids can be missed dietarily and your body will be able to scrap needed materials together and compose them.

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Types Of Amino Acids

There are 22 amino acids in total. 9 are essential, 6 are conditionally essential, and 7 are non essential.

Essential Amino Acids

As you recall, essential amino acids can’t be synthesized, so they must come from outside sources. The essential amino acids are:

Histidine - mainly used metabolically and interestingly helps make histamine, which forces our immune response to allergens.
Lysine - a ketogenic amino acid that can’t be converted to glucose, this intermittent fasting friendly slice of protein is a limiting amino acid for grains, corn, nuts, and seeds [5]. Integral to collagen formation and supports the immune system.
Methionine - a limiting amino acid for vegetables and legumes. Methionine bolsters the bendability of skin, hair, builds nail strength, and assists with detoxification.
Phenylalanine - converts to the non essential amino acid tyrosine and is used for the development of dopamine and norepinephrine.
Threonine - a limiting amino acid in grains, threonine is residue for many proteins including tooth enamel. Also big for your immune system and fat metabolism.
Tryptophan - another limiting amino acid, but for corn. Tryptophan is the least abundant of the 22 amino acids. A precursor to serotonin - it helps regulate appetite, mood, pain response, and your sleep.
Valine - valine is a branched chain amino acid (BCAA), more on that later. Along with its muscle building properties it improves mental strength, emotional stability, and muscle coordination.
Isoleucine - (BCAA) essential to nitrogen cleansing, immune function, hormonal secretion, wound healing, hemoglobin, and blood sugar regulation.
Leucine - (BCAA) this ketogenic, highly concentrated in whey protein amino acid is number one on the promotion of protein synthesis list. Leucine helps regulate blood sugar, boosts growth hormone production, expedites wound healing, and limits muscle breakdown.
- Note: a metabolite of leucine is the muscle preserving agent HMB.

Daily Essential Amino Acid Needs; *Tryptophan 5 mg. [25]

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What Are BCAAs

Branched chain amino acids or BCAAs, consist of the three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. You’ll see these on the website of every serious supplement company. Unlike other essential amino acids they pass the liver intact leaving them to be largely metabolized by your muscles.

A useful tip when supplementing with BCAAs is to get them in when you wake up, during a workout, and after wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Note: supplementation isn’t bad, but more beneficial when you’re short on protein and total calories IE on a fat loss diet. If your numbers are up you’ll be fine without using BCAAs.

Another note: a limiting amino acid is one missing or in too low of a quantity to deem a protein source a complete protein source.

Another another note: When you don’t provide yourself with enough essential amino acids you experience symptoms such as: fatigue, vomiting, insomnia, weakness, depression, and stunted growth.

Another note x3: Complete proteins contain all essential amino acids and are usually animal-based like meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and dairy with the exception of soy. The problem with soy protein is it’s a carb source with protein rather than a protein source. Then there’s the issue with its involvement in quelling some vitality of testosterone production [24].

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Conditionally Essential Amino Acids

Remember conditionally essential amino acids usually come in adequate supply, but in times of elevated demand you have to complement the already synthesized. The conditionally essential amino acids are:

Arginine - as a circulatory friend arginine is good for stamina, your immune system, nitric oxide production, and vasodilation.
Glutamine - this amino runs deep as covered in the glutamine column. Glutamine is good for namely limiting muscle breakdown.
Tyrosine - a catalyst for epinephrine, thyroid hormones, and skin color.
Cysteine - instrumental for detoxification, metabolic activity, collagen production, skin elasticity, and skin texture.
Glycine - most abundant amino acid in collagen.
Proline - heavily found in collagen, like glycine.

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PLANS

Non Essential Amino Acids

And the third wheel of this tricycle: non essential amino acids. They are able to be synthesized from absorbed essential amino acids and glucose [4]. The non essential amino acids are:

Alanine - a participant in the metabolism of vitamin b6 and tryptophan, alanine fuels muscles, your central nervous system (CNS), breaks down sugars, and helps reduce cholesterol.
Asparagine - an amino acid with diuretic properties, asparagine is also good for transporting residual ammonia to be discarded from the body.
Aspartic acid - key to the synthesis of methionine, isoleucine, lysine, asparagine, and arginine.
Glutamic acid - common CNS stimulant.
Serine - an actor in the creatine phosphate pathway, vital to fat metabolism, and your immune system.
Selenocysteine - 21st discovered amino acid, found in the 1970s. Rare, but may assist with combating oxidative stress.
Pyrrolysine - 22nd discovered amino acid, found in 2002 and not used in human protein synthesis.

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My Thoughts

I’m not about the vegan life, but those that are are to take the extra step and supply themselves with sufficient complete protein intake. Vegan protein is inherently incomplete so it’ll take a little mixing and matching with lysine, tryptophan, methionine, and/or threonine being limiting amino acids. Supplement companies tend to do this well.

To make muscle building and retention as smooth a process as possible keep your total protein intake up with 0.7 + grams of protein per pound you weigh, minimum. Preferably 1-1.8 grams.

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So, It’s About That Time

Amino acids are the building blocks of the building block of all muscle. So build your proteins in a complete fashion to build muscle. Otherwise you’ll be blocked out of the building. Then you’ll be stuck on the block where building can’t occur. So get your aminos in, put those muscles to use, and Be Great.

Sources:

[1] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234922/

[2] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557845/

[3] sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/amino-acids

[4] sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/nonessential-amino-acid

[5] pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16201743/

[6] pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Lysine

[7] pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6137

[8] pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6140

[9] pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6288

[10] pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6305

[11] pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6287