Sports Nutrition: Amino Acids and BCAAs

THE AMINO ACIDS

An effective way to incorporate quality protein in the diet is through the intake of amino acids , which are responsible for forming proteins for our body. There are 20 types of amino acids and there are some that are essential, since the body does not create them on its own, which is why it is necessary to include them in our diet.

These essential amino acids (histidine, leucine, threonine, lysine, methionine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan) can be found in plant foods such as amaranth, quinoa, soybeans, brown rice, peas, oats, beans, lentils and nuts, among others.

THE BCAAs

BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) are 3 essential branched-chain amino acids: Valine, Leucine and Isoleucine . These must necessarily be obtained through a healthy diet or the intake of supplements that include them.

BCAAs are responsible for building a third of the skeletal muscles in our body, contributing significantly to muscle recovery, improving aerobic and anaerobic sports performance, promoting the production of other amino acids such as glutamine, activating metabolism to build muscle at through the mTOR metabolic pathway, preserve muscle glycogen and improve the functions of the immune system.