Amino Acids are the building blocks to all the proteins in your body. Proteins span your entire system from your heart, liver, kidneys, and mucosa, proteins are everywhere. Amino acids also play important roles as co-transporters for many of our cellular functions. So it’s no surprise how important these amino acids are in consumption via a protein source, or from amino acids supplementation.

Now, there are two main categories of amino acids that have been labeled recently, branched-chain amino acids and essential amino acids. The branched amino acids, or BCAA’s, are within the essential amino acid matrix. There are 20 amino acids, of these 20, 9 are essential amino acids. The definition of essential is defined as amino acids that are not produced by your body and have to be consumed in our diets. There is some controversy here but this is a rule we can generically stick by. Of those nine, three are BCAA’s, leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

Branched-chain amino acids have been extensively studied in exercise and sport. But the entire complex of essential amino acids is needed to have the ability to assist your body on a daily basis. We will continue in our journey together for amino acids and their complexity in our intricate daily lives on a macro and microcellular level.