Essential and Non-essential amino acids

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virtualcyber

New Member
Are all amino acids alike in effect? Maybe not ... Just an interesting abstract.


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"Essential amino acids and muscle protein recovery from resistance exercise."

Borsheim E, Tipton KD, Wolf SE, Wolfe RR.

Metabolism Unit, Department of Surgery, Shriners Hospital for Children/Galveston, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77550, USA.

This study tests the hypothesis that a dose of 6 g of orally administered essential amino acids (EAAs) stimulates net muscle protein balance in healthy volunteers when consumed 1 and 2 h after resistance exercise. Subjects received a primed constant infusion of L-[(2)H(5)]phenylalanine and L-[1-(13)C]leucine. Samples from femoral artery and vein and biopsies from vastus lateralis were obtained. Arterial EAA concentrations increased severalfold after drinks. Net muscle protein balance (NB) increased proportionally more than arterial AA concentrations in response to drinks, and it returned rapidly to basal values when AA concentrations decreased. Area under the curve for net phenylalanine uptake above basal value was similar for the first hour after each drink (67 +/- 17 vs. 77 +/- 20 mg/leg, respectively). Because the NB response was double the response to two doses of a mixture of 3 g of EAA + 3 g of nonessential AA (NEAA) (14), we conclude that NEAA are not necessary for stimulation of NB and that there is a dose-dependent effect of EAA ingestion on muscle protein synthesis.
 
a possible explination that imedeately came to my mind was that the body is able to constantly produce non-essential amino acids. In otherwords, they are ALWAYS present in the blood stream and are ALWAYS available for use in the body at any time (providing adequate calorie intake at all times). Hence supplementation with something that is present in adequate amounts anyway will have little effect.
Conversly, essential amino acids are not produced by the body (hence the name) and so are not present unless supplied. Of course supply of essential amino acids will have benefit!!!
I cant understand the purpose of this study. It was general knowledge before they started research!
 
Keep in mind that most research published is done by graduate students. When trying to get your Ph.D, you must put to gether a study, and then carry it out, under the direction and supervision of your advisor. Often, advisors will simply tag their name on dozens of studies just so it looks like they are more widely published...but that is another story.

Usually, the student's name will appear first in the list of authors, and the advisor's name will appear last.

Anyway, if you do not have a good understanding of the subject matter (yes, some grad students are barely passing) you end up with studies, based on previous studies that you are simply replicating with some small twist.

Ground breaking research is rare and expensive. Plus, there is a mindset that often prevents grad students from thinking outside of the box. A box built by the "gate keepers" of the higher levels of academia.
 
I was just speculating that if a particular brand of protein powder, when denatured, produces more EAA than other brands, then it might be considered "better" ...

I think that is probably a bad way of looking at it, because (1) I have not a real good idea of what I am talking about (2) even if I were well informed, NEAA still might be needed by the body -- which means those brands which supply lots of NEAA may not be considered inferior.

So, I was probably barking up the wrong tree.
 
You're not barking up the wrong tree. Its just that the amounts of protein that lifters take far exceeds the body's ability to use, so it burns most of it off as heat. Now, if you were to only consume 20 grams of protein per day, the essential amino acid ratios would be important. But even then, a glass of milk, a piece of meat, or even an egg supplies great essential amino acids. Their essential amino acid profiles are why they are considered high biological value. The RDA for protein (0.75 grams per kilogram) is based on milk protein.

So, you are using the right logic, but it simply doesn't apply to some one consuming more than 0.75g/kg of protein.

You will note that this study used only 6 grams. The reason they used so little was so they could see the effects of the amino acids when far too little is available.
 
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