The Ultimate Guide to Amino Plus: Why You Need Essential Amino Acid (EAA) Supplementation

 Amino Plus is a delicious blend of essential amino acids (EAAs) and electrolytes designed to enhance your workout experience and overall performance. Whether you’re looking to build muscle, improve endurance, or simply optimise recovery, the ingredients in Amino Plus are here to help. Here’s why EAA supplementation is beneficial and how to best integrate Amino Plus into your routine.

 

What Are Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)?

Essential amino acids are the nine amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. They must be obtained through diet or supplements. Unlike non-essential amino acids, EAAs are directly involved in key functions such as protein synthesis, muscle repair, and enzyme production, making them critical for athletes and active individuals, as well as anyone who moves their body (even a little bit!).

 

The Benefits of EAA Supplementation

 1. Enhanced Muscle Growth and Recovery

EAAs, especially leucine, are known to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, a process that promotes muscle growth and repair. This is particularly important after resistance training or high-intensity exercise, where muscle breakdown occurs. Studies show that EAA supplementation can reduce muscle soreness and speed up recovery, helping you get back to your workouts faster.

 2. Improved Endurance and Performance

During exercise, your body’s amino acid levels can deplete, which may lead to fatigue. EAAs help replenish these levels, delaying the onset of fatigue and allowing you to train longer and with greater intensity. They also support the efficient use of glycogen, the body’s stored form of carbohydrate energy, which is crucial during prolonged workouts.

 3. Electrolyte Balance for Hydration

Amino Plus contains not only EAAs but also a balanced mix of electrolytes like sodium and potassium and magnesium. These are vital for maintaining hydration, muscle function, and nerve signalling, particularly during sweaty workouts. This combination helps keep your body performing at its best, reducing the risk of cramps and dehydration.

 4. Fat Loss and Lean Muscle Preservation

EAAs can aid in weight management by helping preserve lean muscle mass while supporting fat loss. Amino acid intake has been linked to reduced appetite, improved metabolic rate, and better body composition, making it a great addition for those aiming to shed fat while maintaining muscle.

 

How and When to Use Amino Plus

 For optimal results, mix one scoop of Amino Plus with 500-750ml of water. The best times to consume are:

- Pre-Workout: Taking EAAs before a workout primes your muscles for exercise, providing the necessary building blocks for protein synthesis and reducing muscle breakdown.

- Intra-Workout: Sipping on Amino Plus during exercise helps maintain endurance, delays fatigue, and ensures a steady supply of amino acids to your muscles.

- Post-Workout: While not essential for everyone, using Amino Plus after a workout can further enhance muscle recovery and growth by replenishing amino acid stores. Less optimal than pre- and intra-, but if you forgot to drink your Amino Plus before or during your workout, you can definitely still see the benefits of having some after!

 

Scientific Backing

 Numerous studies support the benefits of EAA supplementation, and we’ve summarised some of them below:

1.  Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise by K.D Tipton et al. mentions that “ingestion of amino acids during the exercise bout, as opposed to after exercise, may counter the net loss of muscle protein, thereby creating a more favorable situation for muscle growth.” As well as “the effectiveness of the drink appeared to be greater when it was consumed immediately before exercise (PRE) compared with immediately after exercise (POST)” This study used an amino acid and carbohydrate drink, which is why we have added palatinose to Amino Plus. Also stated in this study, “we also demonstrated that nonessential amino acids are unnecessary to stimulate net muscle protein synthesis at rest or after exercise”. This means that the other amino acids found in regular protein shakes (anything that is non-essential) were not found to have an improvement over consumption of EAAs. In conclusion, this paper states that “The ingestion of a relatively small amount of essential amino acids, combined with carbohydrates, is an effective stimulator of net muscle protein synthesis.”

2.      International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Effects of essential amino acid supplementation on exercise and performance by A.A. Ferrando et al. states that “The MPS stimulation by EAAs does not require non-essential amino acids”, “aging requires a greater proportion of leucine to overcome the reduced muscle sensitivity known as “anabolic resistance.””, “EAA requirements rise in the face of caloric deficits. During caloric deficit, it’s essential to meet whole-body EAA requirements to preserve anabolic sensitivity in skeletal muscle.” And “Most prominently, supplemental free-form EAA compositions stimulate protein synthesis and protein turnover throughout the body, including the synthesis of new muscle protein. Stimulation of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) by EAAs can produce gains in muscle mass and quality, which translate to improvements in physical performance and functional outcomes” as well as “free-form EAA supplementation results in a much greater rise in blood EAA concentrations than a meal of greater EAA quantity, as they require no digestion and are quickly absorbed"

3.        Exercise, Amino Acids and Aging in the Control of Human Muscle Protein Synthesis by D.K. Walker et al. states that “exercise combined with EAA should be effective not only in improving muscle repair and growth in response to training in athletes, but that strategies such as EAA combined with resistance exercise (or BFR exercise) may be very useful as a countermeasure for sarcopenia and other clinical conditions associated with muscle wasting.”

 

Incorporating Amino Plus into your workout routine can provide a substantial boost in muscle growth, endurance, and recovery. With a balanced blend of EAAs and electrolytes, it’s designed to meet the needs of anyone looking to take their fitness to the next level. Whether you’re preparing for a challenging workout or looking to enhance your recovery, Amino Plus is your go-to supplement.