Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Proteins are made up of about 20 "common"
amino acids. Basically there are two types of amino acids: esential and non-essential.
Essential
Amino Acids- There are 9 amino acids that are considered essential to the human body. These aminos must be supplied
by the diet because the body does not make or cannot make sufficient quantities to meet the body's needs.
Non-Essential
Amino Acids- The remaining 11 common amino acids are considered non-esential amino acids because the body can synthisize
them itself from nitrogen, carbohydrates and fats.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids(BCAA)- Of the 9
essential amino acids, three of them are considered branched-chain amino acids or BCAA. Isoleucine, leucine and valine make
up one third of muscle protein and serve as a source of alanine and glutamine, amino acids that are lost from the body during
and after excercise. BCAA help to preserve glycogen stores and helps to reduce the amount of protein breakdown.
