Amino Acid supplements: What are they and should you be taking them?

Our fitness expert explores how amino acid supplements can help boost energy and improve fitness

With so many supplements on the market, it’s hard to know what works, what you should (or shouldn’t) be taking and how it can all benefit your health. Amino acids are often associated with fitness, as branch chain, amino acids are used to help muscle repair for athletes, but they actually have a much wider purpose.

We’ve taken a deep dive into many supplements recently, including magnesium, Vitamin D, ashwagandhaand hyaluronic acid. Our series continues with amino acid supplements. Below, we’ll delve into what they do, how to take them and whether you need them. We’ll also be taking a look at the best amino acid supplements available to buy.

How we test

All the amino acid supplements featured are currently being tested by a range of women between 40-65. We will be updating this article in due course with our honest reviews. We do not get paid to give positive reviews – if we recommend something it’s because our testers believe it works well for them and has positively affected their health.

What are amino acids?

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which helps with muscle growth and repair, as well as providing energy. Our bodies have thousands of different proteins, all with different jobs. Amino acids form sequences to create these proteins.

Think of amino acids as bricks, all building different shops (proteins) within a village (your body)!

Our bodies need 20 different types of aminos, but we can’t make 9 of them. These are known as essential amino acids and come from the food we eat. The best source of amino acids are animal food sources. Examples include

Other sources of amino acids include

Some foods offer some, but not all, the 9 essential amino acids, such as nuts, seeds and beans. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, it’s a good idea to include a wide range of non-animal based protein sources listed above to ensure you’re getting all the essential amino acids you need.

What are amino acids supplements good for?

Amino acid supplements are useful for improving sleep, mood and athletic performance. They also help with digestion, energy levels and repairing body tissue.

Now, you might be reading this thinking your athletic career days are behind you, but I’m not talking Olympic-level fitness (though aminos are useful for those people too). Athletic performance might mean someone who enjoys park runs, a golfer who plays regularly, or someone who swims three times a week.

 A good, nutritious diet is always the best option for getting amino acids, but amino acid supplements can also be useful for vegetarians, vegans, or those who have digestive issues such as IBS or similar. If you struggle with sleep or find you’re aching more doing the sport or exercise you love, it might be worth taking an amino acid supplement.

What’s the best amino acids to take?

Non-essential amino acids are made by our bodies regardless of what we eat. The 9 essential amino acids come from our diet, and when we talk about amino acid supplements, it’s these essential aminos we’re talking about.

The essential aminos are:

Branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a group of essential amino acids, most often leucine, isoleucine and valine. These are the best amino acid supplements to take.

Some essential aminos are sold as individual supplements, such as Leucine, but this targeted supplementation is more useful for high level athletes.

Should older people take amino acid supplements?

It’s no secret that as we age, our muscle mass decreases in a process called sarcopenia. They also become less efficient at turning protein into new muscle, so an amino acid supplement can be a good idea so we can give our bodies a better chance at retaining and building muscle. In turn, this will speed up your metabolismas well as keeping you strong, helping to protect against falls, frailty and less physical ability.

Of course, it’s also important to stay active, including strength work at least twice a week. This can include swimming, easy exercises at home, or weight training.

The best amino acid supplements

Is it safe to take amino acids every day?

It’s safe for most people to take amino acid supplements every day. Since we get a lot of what we need from our diet, if you do take a supplement and miss a day, don’t worry.

Who can’t take amino acid supplements?

Avoid using BCAAs if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Amino acid supplements may also interfere with blood glucose levels before and after surgery, so avoid them then.

What are the side effects of amino acids?

Aminos acid supplements such as BCAAs are considered safe and are widely available to buy. However, occasional side effects –often from long-term or over use – may include:

If this happens, stop the supplements and contact your GP if needed.

Do amino acids burn belly fat?

There is nothing that targets belly fat specifically – if there was, we’d all be taking it! However, amino acid supplements can help you appear leaner, because they help your body build muscle. Muscle and fat weigh the same, but muscle takes up much less space on your body, so as you lose body fat and gain muscle although you might still weigh the same, visibly you will look much slimmer.