Protein, whether from your own tissues (e.g., muscle), from whole foods, or from supplements, all consists of amino linked together in chains called peptides or polypeptides.

Amino acids aid in repair, growth, and development of muscle tissue (which is why amino acids are called the building blocks of protein), and also do a lot more. The body, through assimilation of amino acids, produces over 50,000 proteins and over 15,000 enzymes that have far reaching effects in the body.

In addition to aiding in the repair, growth, and development of muscle tissue amino acids can normalize moods, improve concentration, attention, sleep, sex drive as well as producing chemicals that enable our brains to function properly (e.g.,, glycine, GABA and glutamate).

Over one hundred amino acids have been found in nature. In addition to protein synthesis, amino acids have other biologically-important roles. Of these amino acids twenty are considered "standard amino acids" because they are encoded by the standard genetic code. The twenty "standard amino acids" are separated into two categories - essential and non-essential.Other biologically-important roles amino acids play include: lipid transport within cells (carnitine), the disposal of excess nitrogen, synthesization of other molecules (tryptophan is a precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin), etc.

The Essential Amino Acids Include:

• Histidine*
• Isoleucine
• Leucine
• Valine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Phenylalanine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan

The Non-Essential Amino Acids Include:

• Asparagine
• Aspartic acid
• Glutamic Acid
• Glutamine
• Glycine
• Arginine
• Proline
• Serine
• Tyrosine
• Alanine

Essential aminos cannot be produced by the body and must be made available through the diet. Non-essential amino acids can be produced by the body within the liver. The correct ratios of essential and non-essential amino acids must be present in sufficient quantities before any muscle can be produced.