EAA - The essential amino acids

Amino acids are essential for metabolism. Since the body cannot produce some amino acids itself, it is necessary to consume them through food or appropriate supplements.

What are amino acids?

Amino acids are protein building blocks, i.e. parts of the protein, and they perform important structural and functional tasks in the body's cells. One important task of amino acids is the production of energy, which we need during training but also in other demanding and stressful situations. Amino acids are also responsible for building new muscle cells and for optimal regeneration.

There are a total of 20 amino acids, eight of which are essential. Essential means that the body cannot produce them itself and must be ingested through food.

Amino acids that are not essential for life can be produced by the body itself and are therefore non-essential.

Which foods contain essential amino acids?

Essential amino acids are found primarily in animal foods. Protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products are full of natural amino acids. There are also a variety of plant-based foods that contain a comparable amount of protein. These include pulses and quinoa, for example. If you eat a varied, protein-rich diet, you don't need to supplement with EAAs. However, it is a good investment if you want to make things easier for yourself and are unable to eat a high-protein diet.

What are EAAs?

EAAs are essential amino acids . They are essential because the body needs them but cannot produce them itself and they must be ingested through food.

There are nine EAAs, methionine, lysine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and threonine.

Methionine, for example, is needed for the formation of adrenaline, L-carnitine and creatine. Creatine ensures the rapid release of ATP, which is used and needed during short-term, strenuous exertion.

The amino acid histidine is rarely counted among the essential amino acids because it is only needed in certain situations and the body can partially synthesize it itself. It is therefore also called semi-essential and non-essential

Effect of EAA

No matter what sport you are doing, whether endurance training or strength training, essential amino acids are essential for your muscles.

EAAs are an important building block for both muscle building and muscle maintenance. EAAs can also improve physical performance by reducing fatigue, which has a positive effect on training because you are fitter and have more strength.

Muscle soreness can become an annoying companion of training, but since EAAs have an anti-inflammatory effect, they have a positive influence on muscle regeneration.

In addition to the benefits for muscle metabolism, EAAs can also be your helper when it comes to weight loss. This happens through the increased production of mitochondria, which are responsible for the mobilization and breakdown of fatty acids.

Conclusion

No matter what your goal is, whether it's building muscle, maintaining muscle, or losing weight, proteins should make up a large portion of your diet so that your body is supplied with amino acids. A sufficient supply of essential amino acids to your body will make it easier to achieve your individual goals. Additional supplementation with EAA can make this a lot easier for you.