Amino Acids?

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LopezMona
LopezMona Posts: 142 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
are amino acid supplements good to take? If so how often?
I work out 6 out 7 days 2 hours a day weight training and cardio. I don't eat enough protein in day which protein provides amino acids to the mucles I know natural is always better but can I take amino acids?

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  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
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    That's what proteins are, a combination of amino acids.
  • LopezMona
    LopezMona Posts: 142 Member
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    @Mycophilia so are supplemental amino acids okay to take daily then?
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Some people think they help with DOMs. Others say they are a waste of money. They really are not a replacement for protein by any means.

    My real question would be how intense are these 2hrs a day for 6 days a week? If you are going to be exercising that much you really need to be hitting your protein amount and fueling your body properly. An extra rest day would be more beneficial than amino acids in my opinion...you can still walk/be active, but 6 days a week of even a moderate effort 2hr workouts is going to wear you down pretty good.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    edited April 2015
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    -double-
  • leahraskie
    leahraskie Posts: 260 Member
    edited April 2015
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    You probably should be getting all the amino acids you need from food... I'd consider it a waste of money. I'm sure there are some foods that have higher sources of some of the essential ones which would just be cheaper than taking a supplement.

    EDIT: Vegetables and grains have good combinations of amino acids so you don't need to be eating animal protein to get amino acids.
  • LopezMona
    LopezMona Posts: 142 Member
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    Thanks!
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
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    Taking amino acid supplements is an extremely expensive option compared to real food. You should explore why you’re having issues with eating enough protein. Beyond that, look into protein shakes/bars before worrying about amino acids.
  • Alipop
    Alipop Posts: 15 Member
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    I take Branch chain amino acids during my workout (amino build- Muscletech). BCAAs protect your muscles from catabolism (breaking down) plus seem to protect hormone levels that trigger protein synthesis. I also supplement with protein powder (with no carbs in it) to help me reach my goal of 0.8g per lb of body weight. I really like the flavour of my BCAAs so I drink more water now.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    esjones12 wrote: »
    Some people think they help with DOMs. Others say they are a waste of money. They really are not a replacement for protein by any means.

    My real question would be how intense are these 2hrs a day for 6 days a week? If you are going to be exercising that much you really need to be hitting your protein amount and fueling your body properly. An extra rest day would be more beneficial than amino acids in my opinion...you can still walk/be active, but 6 days a week of even a moderate effort 2hr workouts is going to wear you down pretty good.

    This. Unless you are a competitive athlete, there is zero need to be training that hard.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    Alipop wrote: »
    I take Branch chain amino acids during my workout (amino build- Muscletech). BCAAs protect your muscles from catabolism (breaking down) plus seem to protect hormone levels that trigger protein synthesis. I also supplement with protein powder (with no carbs in it) to help me reach my goal of 0.8g per lb of body weight. I really like the flavour of my BCAAs so I drink more water now.

    Well said!

    I also drink BCAA during my workout most times, and sometimes again later in the day while I'm at work. I find that I do like the flavour, and it encourages me to drink more. I work fast food, and have access to free pop...but I can usually resist if I'm drinking BCAAs

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    edited April 2015
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    If you are not training completely fasted it's very likely that you are will have adequate circulating amino acids which would likely make additional BCAA supplementation useless. So for example if you eat a mixed meal or have some whey protein pre-training you're already covered and stacking BCAA on top of this is probably useless.

    Ditto if you're getting adequate protein intake throughout the day. Since in your OP you claim that you aren't getting enough protein in daily, I would supplement with whey protein and not BCAAs.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    Mycophilia wrote:
    That's what proteins are, a combination of amino acids.
    Yep.
    https://www.google.com/#q=what+foods+are+high+in+protein
  • lulucitron
    lulucitron Posts: 366 Member
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    My protein powder has glutamine in it, so that works along with the protein I eat during the course of a day. I don't supplement otherwise.

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