amino acid supplements

Amino acid supplements come in the form of pills, capsules, or powders containing a particular concoction of amino acids. Manufacturers usually claim the supplements have special properties, for example, to cure herpes, strengthen fingernails, cure split ends in the hair, improve sleep patterns, or relieve pain and depression. Dieters may take them to spare their bodies' protein while losing weight. One particular combination of amino acids (which includes arginine, lysine, and ornithine), is sold as a slimming aid, accelerating weight loss. There is little scientific evidence to support these claims.

Most amino acid supplements are sold as anabolic agents to help in body-building; arginine and ornithine are two constituents frequently promoted as ‘natural steroids’ (a distinctly misleading name since they are chemically very different from steroids). Since amino acids are the building blocks of protein, the main component of muscle, it is not surprising that many people believe that, by taking extra amino acids, they can develop larger muscles. But it is important to note that a muscle grows only in response to extra physical demands placed on it. Excess amino acids not needed for growth or repair of body tissues are broken down and excreted as urea, converted into glucose and used as an energy source, or converted to body fat. There is some evidence to support the use of amino acid supplements when there is a natural stimulus to increase muscle bulk, for example during the initial stages of training. There is no scientific evidence, however, to support claims that amino acid supplements improve strength, power, muscle growth, or work capacity. Most nutritionists state emphatically that a normal, healthy person eating a well-balanced diet does not need amino acid supplements. Overconsumption causes health risks. Unbalanced amino acid mixtures or single amino acids may be toxic. If amino-acid supplements are used as the basis of a high-protein, low fat diet they can be downright dangerous because they can cause abnormal heart rhythms. See also ketogenic diets and tryptophan.

Dietary supplements that come in the form of tablets, capsules, or powders containing a particular concoction of amino acids, usually claimed by the manufacturers to have special properties. Most amino acid supplements are sold as anabolic agents to help in body-building; arginine and ornithine, for example, are frequently promoted as ‘natural steroids'. Since amino acids are the building blocks of protein, the main component of muscle, many people believe that just by taking extra amino acids they can develop larger muscles. However, a muscle grows only in response to extra physical demands placed on it. Excess amino acids not needed for growth or repair of body tissues are broken down and excreted as urea, converted into glucose and used as an energy source, or converted to body fat. Amino acid supplements may be beneficial when there is a natural stimulus to increase muscle bulk, for example, during the initial stages of training. There is little support for the claims that amino acid supplements improve strength, power, muscle growth, or work capacity. Most sports nutritionists agree that a normal, healthy person eating a well-balanced diet need never consume amino acids supplements (see also sports nutrition). Overconsumption may lead to health risks. Many amino acids are toxic when taken in excess.