Amino acids-
What in the world are they?
And five life-changing reasons you need them in your life.
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Amino acids, you might have heard of them?
I know with all the vitamins and health supplements out there it can be a bit confusing.
Never fear, my friend.
Today we are breaking down the basics of amino acids and why you should be taking them.
Hey everyone, I’m Dr. Jordan Wagner.
I’m an emergency room doctor who treats everything from COVID to gunshot wounds, burns, you name it.
I created this video series to answer your questions
and the questions that I get from patients each and every day, like you.
If you find this video helpful please hit that subscribe button so you
are notified when I post new videos.
Before we get into the top five reasons you should be concerned about your daily amino acid intake.
It's important to know what in the world amino acids are
and why they play such a major role in our lives.
First off, amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins.
Proteins are the building blocks of life.
When proteins are digested or broken down, we are then left with amino acids.
Our bodies then take these amino acids to make proteins to help our bodies grow,
repair tissue, build muscle, and perform many other body processes.
They can also be used as a source of energy for us.
Amino acids are classified into three groups: essential amino acids,
nonessential amino acids, and conditional amino acids.
What we’re really going to focus on are essential amino acids.
Why?
Because our bodies can’t produce them like nonessential amino acids.
We can only get essential amino acids from outside sources
such as foods like meat, eggs, quinoa, and soy.
Or a diet supplement drink mix.
To break it down even further, there are 9 essential amino acids. These include histidine,
isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Wow.
That's a lot of words.
You don't need to know all of those.
Just know that they are essential and are key players in our body function
as I mentioned before.
But what if I told you there are five additional benefits that you probably didn’t even know about.
Ready to hear five life-changing benefits of amino acids?
Number one: Mood and sleep
Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids, is needed for the production of serotonin,
a chemical that acts as a neurotransmitter in your body.
Serotonin regulates our mental health such as our mood, sleep, and other day-to-day behaviors.
When it comes to happiness and how you feel every day,
serotonin is also important for reducing depression and regulating anxiety.
Several studies have shown that supplementing with tryptophan can
reduce symptoms of depression, boost mood, and improve sleep.
Number two benefit of amino acids that you may not have known about, they promote weight loss.
Yep.
Some human and animal studies have demonstrated that essential amino acids
may be effective in stimulating fat loss.
An eight-week study found supplementing with 14 grams of branched-chain amino acids per day
significantly decreased body fat percentage, compared to whey protein or sports drinks.
Number three: Decreased muscle soreness
It’s not uncommon to feel sore a day or two after a workout,
especially if your exercise routine is new.
Here’s a suggestion, try sipping on some amino acids to help alleviate
post-workout muscle soreness.
This soreness is called delayed onset muscle soreness, which develops 12 to 24
hours after exercise and can last up to 72 hours, and we all know that feeling.
While the exact cause of delayed onset muscle soreness is not clearly understood,
researchers believe it’s the result of tiny tears in the muscles after exercise.
You can add amino acid supplement drink mix
to your gym water bottle and even sip on it as you work out.
My favorite amino acid supplement that I am currently using for my
workouts is a product called Perform by The Amino Company.
Working overnight at the hospital I usually find myself working out at off times, thus I use
Perform, as it gives me a type of mental clarity and concentration that I need for my workouts.
I like this formulation due to the fact it contains the ideal ratio of neurotransmitter
precursors for optimal brain function as well as creatinine and caffeine in it.
It also works to reduce fatigue and dehydration, and it minimizes recovery times.
It's all vegan, it's gluten-free and keto-friendly.
I’ll put the link in the description below for you guys to check it out
and you can use the code Wagner15 for 15% off.
BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids have been shown to decrease muscle damage.
Therefore, supplementing with BCAAs, especially before exercise, may speed up recovery times.
Number four: Increase muscle growth
One of the most popular uses of branched-chain amino acids is to increase muscle growth.
The BCAA leucine activates a pathway in the body that stimulates muscle protein synthesis,
which is the process of making muscles.
In one study, people who consumed a drink with 5.6 grams of BCAAs after their resistance workout had
a 22% greater increase in muscle protein synthesis compared to those who consumed a placebo drink.
That being said, this increase in muscle protein synthesis
is approximately 50% less than what was observed in other studies where
people consumed a whey protein shake containing a similar amount of BCAAs.
Number five: Amino acids benefit people with liver disease
That's right.
Liver disease.
Branched-chain amino acids may improve health in people with cirrhosis,
a chronic disease in which the liver does not function properly.
It’s estimated that 50% of people with cirrhosis will develop hepatic encephalopathy, which is
a loss of brain function that occurs when the liver is unable to remove toxins from the blood.
While certain sugars like lactulose are the mainstays of treatment for hepatic encephalopathy.
Therefore, researchers have recommended amino
acids as a nutritional intervention for liver disease patients to prevent complications.
Alright, I know I just threw a ton of information at you.
But, amino acids are essential.
We all need it in our diet.
Consuming essential amino acids is crucial to our health.
Eating a variety of foods that contain protein each day is the best way for
people to ensure that they are getting adequate amounts of essential amino acids.
With today’s modern diet and access to a wide variety of foods,
a deficiency is rare for people who are generally in good health.
And as a friendly reminder, you should always talk to your doctor before using supplements.
Alright, it's been a quick amino acid breakdown with me, Dr. Wagner.
Do you take any type of amino acid supplement?
I do.
Or do you rely on natural sources to ensure you’re getting adequate amount of amino acids?
Please leave me a comment below.
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Thank you so much for watching everyone and stay healthy, my friends.
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