When I was in undergraduate school at Morehead State University taking nutrition classes, I learned that amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Now while that is true, amino acids have a lot more to do with just muscle and protein but also with injury repair, enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, mental stabilization in reality every single function that takes place in your body. the nutrition industry has  categorized selling these Aminos supplements into BCAA and EAS. So let's describe them so you can understand the difference between the two. 

Essential amino acids are truly essential because the body can't make themselves and has been derive from some different source which is your diet. The essential amino acids are made up of an amino acid which include your Phenylanine, Valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, histidine, arginine, leucine, lysine. Each one of these has multiple functions which include just a name a few Pain killer, anti-depressant affect,  prevention of proteins from breaking down during exercise, serotonin or Nero transmitter, process and eliminate fat,  antioxidant, nitric oxidase synthesis, growth hormone release and healing of tissues. I would have to say the biggest thing that I would say to you amino acids do are minimal for both insulin and stress hormone cortisol effect as compared to poor surgery diet with high level of stress.

So let's talk a little bit about branch chain amino acids. BCAA can be metabolized in your muscle rather than your liver . BCAA can be relied upon as actual energy during exercise and therefore help reduce the amount of breakdown and repair needed during exercise and post workout. I have found is that when I consume BCAA after exercise and during,  I have a much faster recovery rate for muscle strength and has even reduce the onset of delayed muscle soreness. 

So what type of BCAA do you take? Well, I do not take the ones that have any artificial sweeteners which include Sucralose or maltodextrin. I use the KION amino's, because it truly comes down to the quality not the cost. KION have a much higher absorption rate of 99% within 23 minutes with less waste ( that is correct only 1%). So what are some of my BCAA regiments? Post workout I take a 5 to 10 gram scoop, if I feel a little under the weather or maybe even with an injury, I will do at least 20 grams. Lastly if I feel a little hungry I don't want to eat something that's out of the ordinary, I can put a heaping scoop into some fizzy water also. So there you go, which is more important BCAA are essential amino acids? Essential does me central, but branch chain amino acids can give you other many key health benefits without eating a full meal which include craving control, delayed onset soreness, recovery from not only injury or work out, improve healing time or when when you feel a little under the weather. Thanks for readying, Dr. Joe