Best Amino Acid Supplements

In the wonderful world of supplements, protein typically stands above them all. Coming in various forms, it is hands down the most commonly used supplement in existence, frequently used to promote muscle growth and fat loss. But it isn’t the only supplement that can have a huge impact on the way look.

In fact, while supplements like whey protein isolate and casein are effective, they aren’t necessarily our best option – which is exactly where Amino Acids enter the discussion.

What Are Amino Acids?

You see, protein molecules are made from long chains of amino acids joined together. Some of these Amino acids can be made within the body by specific cells, while others must be obtained through the food we eat.

Those that can’t be made within the body are known as essential amino acids, or indispensable, the classification as essential or nonessential does not actually reflect their importance as all 20 amino acids are necessary for human health – ultimately due to the fact that it is essential, they enter the body through our diet and cannot be produced by the body.

These specific amino acids are often considered the building blocks of the human body, as they play a vast multitude of roles throughout each of the cellular systems. From a somewhat more functional perspective, they are responsible for building and repairing the body’s tissues, maintaining optimal immune system function, and ensuring normal hormone production.

With all this in mind, they are obviously incredibly important.

Interestingly, in conjunction with ensuring their intake through the food we eat, their supplementation has also been shown to impact the body in a number of positive ways.

What Are the Benefits of Taking Amino Acids?

As amino acids play so many important roles throughout the body, their supplementation has been shown to have huge impact across a number of the body’s systems. This has been shown to improve various aspects of both health and performance, making them an excellent addition to the diet.

Amino Acid Supplementation and Muscle Tissue

Considering that the cells of our muscle tissue are literally made from these amino acids, it should stand to reason that they play a number of important roles when it comes to their growth and repair – something that has been shown time and time again within the scientific literature.

Muscle protein is in a constant state of turnover, meaning that new protein is continuously being produced while older proteins are being degraded. The anabolic state has no specific definition, but generally refers to the circumstance in which the rate of muscle protein synthesis exceeds the rate of muscle protein breakdown. This results in a gain of muscle mass.

When performing a general weights training program, the supplementation of Amino Acids has been shown to improve both the rate of muscle growth and strength development when compared to those individuals who complete weight training but do not supplement with amino acids.

Interestingly, these same individuals have been shown to report increased rates of recovery and reduced muscle soreness post workout.

In conjunction with its impact on muscle growth, the supplementation of Amino Acids has also been shown to have a muscle sparing effect during times of severe calori deficits.

This means that when dieting to lose fat loss, amino acid supplements may play an important role in ensuring you keep all of your muscle tissue – something that can be quite difficult when calories are low ^[1].

Amino Acid Supplementation and Fat Loss

Due to their impact on the muscular system, amino acids have also been shown to cause a large increase in our metabolic rate (the amount of energy our body burns at rest to maintain general function).

​This increase ultimately means that we burn more energy each and every day, irrespective of the amount of exercise we are doing. Over time, this can make it much easier to lose unwanted fat mass, making it an extremely potent fat burner ^[2].

It is important to note that the impact of amino acid supplements on fat loss appear to be increased when used as part of a healthy diet and exercise regime, where they spare muscle and increase metabolism.

Amino Acids and Nervous System Function

Essential amino acids are also used to build neurotransmitters within the human body. Neurotransmitters are important molecules that act as messengers within the brain, transferring messages between neural tissue.

With this in mind, amino acids supplementation has been shown to increase the efficiency of the nervous system, increasing its ability to transfer messages. This has been suggested to hold specific importance when t comes to learning and memory ^[3].

Best Amino Acids Supplement Reviews

As with most things, some amino acids are unquestionably better than others. As such, we have gone ahead and outlined what we believe to be the top three amino acids supplements available on the market at the moment.

NOW Sports Amino-9 Essential Powder

NOW is a company that consistently put out excellent products at very decent price points – and this amino acid supplement provides us with a perfect example of that.

Using high quality ingredients, this amino acid powder provides with a health dosage of all 9 essential amino acids, ensuring optimal recovery and function, while coming in at a very decent price point.

BSN Amino X Essential Amino Acid Powder

BSN is a company that has been around for a very long time. While they traditionally market to more athletic individuals, their supplements have the potential to have huge impact on health – no matter who is taking them.

This Amino Acid supplements provides us with a high-quality option that has been extremely well received within the health and fitness community. While it is slightly more costly than some of its competitors, you can be assured of both its quality and its effectiveness.

True Nutrition Amino Acid Powder

True Nutrition have become quite well known within the wonderful world of supplements for putting out quality supplements at very affordable price points – in which this amino acid powder is a prime example.

Using high quality ingredients and a no fluff approach, this is a great option for those looking to introduce amino acids into their supplement regime without blowing their budget.

Take-Away Message

Amino acid supplements are a fantastic way to improve our ability to grow muscle tissue, while also speeding up recovery, promoting additional fat loss, and enhancing nervous system function. As an added bonus, they are relatively inexpensive and incredibly simple to take.

The three options outlined within this article are what we believe to be the best three amino acids supplements available on the market on the moment. If you have had experience with ANY of them, we would love to hear about it – so please drop us a comment and we will get back to you ASAP.