Free-form amino acids don’t have chemical bounds to other molecules. They quickly pass through your stomach to the small intestines where they are absorbed into the blood stream. After that amino acids are processed by the liver. It is useful for the quick absorption to take 3-4 g. of amino acids. When the amino acids appear in the muscle tissues it helps you recover from your workout.
Amino acids and energy
There is a misunderstanding concerning muscle contraction and the energy substrates intake while performing heavy and very intense weight training. During your workout which includes repetitive power the biggest part of your energy is received from non-carbohydrate sources.When your muscles contract they take adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This substance provides all your living cells with energy for the first few seconds. In order to fill these stores the compound creatine phosphate (CP) is used. That’s why creatine supplements are so popular among bodybuilders and the athletes that are involved in strength training. Creatine contains three amino acids: arginine, methionine and glycine. You should elevate these amino acids in your blood stream in order to increase the levels of CP and ATP. You can substitute the amino acid supplements by taking special food. But this substitution will require more time and digestion and also the food may contain fats and carbs which are unnecessary.
So it is useful to take free form amino acids, alone or together with creatine supplements for increasing your energy, power and strength.
Amino acids for fat loss
There are two main processes that appear due to fat loss: the increased mobilization and circulation of fats that were preserved in your body; all these fats should be transported and used for energy at the mitochondria (greatest source of cells). There are some nutrients that may be useful for converting fat into energy. One of them is the amino acid methionine that can meliorate the fat transport and metabolism if you take the appropriate amount. If you want to lower the calorie intake during your dieting you can choose amino acid supplements containing BCAA’s and glutamine. They also help you improve your muscle growth, liver and immune system that are necessary in building your body.
Amino acids for muscle catabolism
Your body can break down the muscle tissue in order to use it as an energy source during hard workout. This process is called gluconeogenesis. It assists in the production or generation of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources. The reaction of the body which is useful for bodybuilding is called the glucose – alanine cycle, in which the BCAA's are detached from the muscle tissue and parts of them are turned into the amino acid alanine. It is delivered to your liver where it is converted into glucose. So if you take supplemental BCAA's your body won’t start to break down the muscle tissue in order to create extra energy. You should consume this supplement during and after your workout to eliminate the muscle breakdown (it is necessary to take up to 4 g. of BCAA’s). Also muscle catabolism may lead to the shrinkage of your muscles, muscle pain and injuries.
Amino acids as the anabolic
In most cases resistance training increases protein synthesis and degradation in trained muscle fibres. You can achieve muscle growth (hypertrophy) if the increased protein synthesis becomes the normal state of body protein synthesis and degradation. The normal hormonal environment (that is insulin and growth of hormone levels) during the resistance training helps create anabolic processes in muscle fibres while blunting muscle protein degradation. You should add to your diet amino acids that will be transported into muscles, increase your energy or anabolic hormones that can extend efficiency of your workout by increasing the rate of muscle anabolism and/or decreasing muscle catabolism. It means that for building your muscles and achieving strength you need to make a positive protein balance in your body.
| 
