by Hans Hell

Created on: October 08, 2010

Essential Amino Acids explained and how supplement can maximize the result from resistance-training.

What is EAA?
- EAA stands for Essential Amino Acids. The essential amino acids are: phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan and valine (arginine and histidine are essential for children). Essential means vital, and the body itself cannot synthesize them, those must be ingested from food.

What makes EAA different from other supplements?
- EAA has shown to stimulate protein synthesis strongly, much stronger than for example; whey protein. We have seen that the effect is greatest immediately before working out; but that the effect also exists when you take it after a workout, but on a smaller scale.

I am quite dizzy by the concepts protein synthesis, protein balance and protein degradation. What do the expressions stand for?
- Protein synthesis is the formation of new protein. In training contexts, we are usually interested in muscle protein synthesis, also known as the formation of new muscle protein. The so called protein balance is made up of protein synthesis and protein degradation. If protein synthesis is greater than protein degradation, the protein balance is positive and more protein is formed than broken down.
In other words; positive protein synthesis = muscle building.

Is EAA something strange or dangerous that you should avoid?
- No, it's just common amino acids found in food. The difference is that these are picked apart in a manner that promotes muscle growth better.

What about the EAA and body burden, for example the liver or the kidneys?
- No problem. The load is less than the same amount of essential amino acids from whole foods.

What doses are recommended to digest of EAA?
- It's recommend 10 grams immediately before training, and the same dose again immediately after the workout. To keep in mind is that there is the dose directly before the workout which has been shown the greatest effect. The studies have used 6 grams, 10 grams and 20 grams. It was found that 6 grams gave a good effect; 10 grams gave even better effect while 20 grams did not provide better effect than 10 grams. There’s probably a cap somewhere between 6 and 10 grams. To keep in mind is that it's the amino acid-levels in the blood that influence and make the huge difference; there is nothing that says that the acute effect of EAA would be related to body weight in the same way as daily intake of protein. And therefore, higher doses

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