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This chart compares the percentage increases in
performance capacity of national level weight lifters during an intensive
training period achieved with the intake of branded-chain amino acids vs. a
placebo.
Proteins are essential constituents of our body
structure, and of our muscles in particular. We need to absorb an adequate
amount of them every day through our diet - just under 1 gm per kilogram of
body weight, i.e. approx. 60 gm for a person weighing 70 kg.
There are
numerous forms of proteins, each of which is made up of a special succession of
smaller "building blocks", the amino acids. During the digestive processes the
body "breaks down" the proteins (which we absorb through food) into their many
constituent amino acids, which are then reassembled to construct the proteins
it needs. This process is called anabolism. The proteins forming the various
parts of the body are not structures that remain unchanged for a long time.
They are subject to continual reshuffling called "protein turnover" - a
continual process of breakdown (catabolism) and reassembly (anabolism) takes
place in the body. This is why our muscles lose tone and volume if they remain
immobile for long, whereas their mass can be increased by physical exercise and
training provided that they are nourished correctly, ie. supplied with the
"building blocks" (amino-acids) they need to maintain and develop their
structures. Sportsmen need more proteins than the rest of us, because physical
activity increases both catabolism and anabolism.
However,
indiscriminate protein intake (which can be obtained, for example, simply by
eating more meat) can harm the body; that is why specific, well-balanced
supplements containing particular amino acids are preferable.
THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO-ACIDS
There are some 20 kinds of
amino acids, half of which are called "essential"; they must be obtained from
food, because the body is unable to make them alone from its constituent
elements. Three of these essential amino acids - leucine, valine and isoleucine
- are called "branched-chain" amino acids because of their special structure.
They have special characteristics; they are not simple "building blocks" which
make up our bodies, but are more like "wheelbarrows and site foremen" because
they aid the protein synthesis processes, as a considerable body of scientific
research has demonstrated. A large number of them is also used to produce
energy. Sportsmen and women therefore consume more branched-chain amino acids
than anyone else, whether they engage in sports involving strength or
endurance.
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Author: Ann Brady
Copyright www.exercise.co.uk
2001
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Copyright Exercise, Fitness & Leisure 2001
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