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Amino acids and functional sports 

Amino acids and functional sports 

The use of amino acids within sports is more and more common thanks to their many advantages.

The first experiences related to the use of amino acids for helping athletes to attain muscle recovery date back to the 60s. The amino acids used at the time were the so called branched-chain ones, which are the 3: isoleucine, leucine and valine.

This is because these 3 amino acids make up more than 50% of our skeletal muscle. When under stress they wear out and need to be quickly restored. 

This reasoning is absolutely valid and logical, but during recent years a new trend has been developed (even if it has always existed). Attention is being given not only to the muscle because when under stress the body functions and organs involved are many, but all of them also need to recover.

This theory is perfectly applicable to performance sports, gym exercises, CrossFit methods and all functional training sports which are strongly related to high performance exercises that require energy balancing after intense stress (not only on the muscles) to which the body is subjected to, during long sessions.

After high intensity training the body’s energetic-anabolic needs are replenished by the pool of essential amino acids.

Essential amino acids

Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body and that is why they need to be introduced exogenously. The body is later able to produce other needed amino acids by using the essential ones.

Essential AAs are leucine, isoleucine, valine (these are the branched-chain ones we have already mentioned), lysine, phenylalanine, threonine, histidine, methionine and tryptophan.

All of these have their distinctive features that are proportionately formulated as follows:

  • Threonine regulates the entire protein turnover and is fundamental for attaining fiber renewal especially when it comes to collagen and elastin formation, which also have a positive influence on the tendon system. This amino acid is also a powerful detoxifying agent within the hepatic system together with methionine that purifies the body from the presence of heavy metals.
  • Lysine is a powerful hormone GH regulator which is indispensable for the immune system;
  • Phenylalanine is a powerful neuromodulator especially for the production of adrenaline and dopamine (which in turn stimulate energy levels) but also a regulator of thyroid hormone secretion.

KeForma food supplements

After analyzing amino acid properties, KeForma has formulated AMINO 9 , to replenish histidine levels, an AA that performs many functions among which histamine modulation, especially when it comes to hemoglobin formation.

Tryptophan amino acid is included within the formulation to benefit from its neuromodulation and stimulant properties. Its doses are low because excessive serotonin stimulation may reduce concentration and balance levels which are very important during an athlete’s performance.

KeForma’s AMINO 9 AA pool contains around 45% of branched-chain amino acids (that as already emphasized are the most important for our muscles) and offers a new way of understanding the amino acid supplement method (even if its concept is deeply rooted within the biochemical traditions).

These supplements are particularly suitable for high intensity sports that require energy not only derived from carbohydrates but also from AAs which regulate all body functions not just muscle recovery.

Using this type of supplement is not just designed for the “simple” regulation of body functions after training. AMINO 9 is also a great food supplement for those who have a low protein intake or when protein sources within meals do not include highly organic values (as for example vegetable proteins).

In these cases, AMINO 9 supplements increase the pool of essential amino acids within the body, implementing nutritional values of each meal and allowing the body’s anabolic recovery system to increase.

Besides this, and because of our hectic life, it’s more and more difficult to plan for high protein snacks. This unfortunately happens also to those who practice sports.

By using a food supplement like KeForma AMINO 9 those who desire the best body toning levels will only need to eat one fruit that contains a pool of 5 g. of amino acids.