Essential amino acids (EAAs) are gaining popularity – not least because of their important cellular functions. Does that mean BCAAs are no longer needed? Find out here.
Vitamins and minerals are vital micronutrients that your body needs for numerous functions. Equally important for the maintenance and construction of new cells are so-called amino acids . In this article, we focus on essential amino acids, where you can find them, and how they differ from other amino acids.
Table of contents
1. What are EAAs?
EAAs is the abbreviation for Essential Amino Acids . These are all amino acids that your body cannot produce itself and must obtain from food.
Amino acids, in turn, are protein building blocks , meaning they are components of proteins and perform important functional and structural functions in a body's cells. In addition to their structural cell functions, amino acids are responsible for the production of energy, which you need for demanding projects, training, and stressful situations. [1]
They are generally found in bound form as components of proteins, but they also occur in large numbers as free amino acids in foods. A distinction is made between essential and non-essential amino acids .
There are a total of nine essential amino acids . Sometimes you'll find lists that mention only eight essential amino acids. This is because the amino acid histidine was not previously considered an essential amino acid.
However, the World Health Organization now officially classifies histidine as an essential amino acid, while others categorize it only as semi-essential. The WHO recommends the following intake per kilogram of body weight per day for the nine essential amino acids:
- Leucine: 39 mg
- Lysine: 30 mg
- Isoleucine: 20 mg
- Methionine: 15 mg
- Phenylalanine: 25 mg
- Valine: 26 mg
- Threonine: 15 mg
- Tryptophan: 4 mg
- Histidine: 10 mg
Histidine is one of the essential amino acids due to its effect on hemoglobin concentration in the blood. A diet low in histidine can lead to the body no longer producing enough red blood cells. [2]
2. For whom are EAAs the right dietary supplement?
During digestion, your body breaks down proteins from food into their amino acids , 20 of which it can use. These include 11 nonessential and the 9 essential EAAs mentioned above.
A particularly high concentration of EAAs is found in animal foods . Protein sources such as beef, poultry, eggs, fish, and dairy products are good sources of EAAs.
If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet , you avoid some or all animal products. To obtain all essential amino acids, you must combine different plant-based protein sources .
BRAINEFFECT HACK : If you want to make things easier, you can also use performance foods like our COMPLETE AMINOS . Here you get all the EAAs as a convenient powder for your amino drink.
3. EAAs or BCAAs? Which is better?
Perhaps you've already heard of BCAAs – branched-chain amino acids? They're particularly popular as a sports nutrition supplement and consist of the three amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
The difference between BCAAs and the other 6 EEAs is that BCAAs are not metabolized in the liver and are therefore directly available to the muscle tissue .
In other words, while BCAAs are at the beginning of protein synthesis, the other six EAAs complete this process. For this reason, it is recommended to utilize all essential amino acids rather than limiting yourself to just three BCAAs. [3]
One disadvantage of BCAAs is that the body needs to use many B vitamins as cofactors to utilize them. This can lead to a vitamin B deficiency if BCAAs are taken too high in a supplement. [4]
Since an EAA supplement contains both BCAAs and all other essential amino acids , it can be said that taking EAAs can be more effective for your body than taking BCAAs.
4. Buy EAAs
As with any supplement purchase , there are a few things to consider when buying EAAs. Is the product vegan and free of (artificial) sugar ? Does it really contain all the essential amino acids, and does one serving cover your daily needs , or do you need a bit more?
We also recommend that you set high standards for quality when it comes to dietary supplements and make no compromises. After all, it's your body that's at stake. Once you've checked all the criteria, the only question that remains is which form you want to purchase the EAAs in.
You can find EAAs in capsules with, for example, 1000 mg per capsule or in powder form with various flavors. The amount varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but 400- or 500-gram doses are typical.
Or you can order liquid amino acids (liquids), which your body can absorb faster than capsules. Another advantage of buying liquid EEAs is that they are usually already broken down into peptides and free amino acids. This saves your body a lot of work. Here, too, there are almost no limits to the flavor options.
BRAINEFFECT HACK : We offer EAAs in a convenient powder form. Perfect for on the go as a refreshing drink before, during, or after a workout. Our COMPLETE AMINOS .
5. Conclusion
There are nine essential amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own and must instead be obtained through food. Vegetarians and vegans must combine various plant-based protein sources to obtain all of the EAAs.
Nutritional supplements in capsule, powder, and liquid form can be a quick alternative. Unlike BCAAs, they cover the entire spectrum of essential amino acids and provide your body with a more comprehensive supply.
6. Sources
[1] Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. Health Assessment of Amino Acids. [https://www.bfr.bund.de/de/gesundheitliche_bewertung_von_aminosaeuren-54420.html]
[2] Report of a Joint WHO/FAO/UNU Expert Consultation (2002). Protein and Amino Acid Requirement in Human Nutrition, p. 135. [https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/43411/WHO_TRS_935_eng.pdf;jsessionid=947472A034C472AE7727EBA91312D5E5?sequence=1]
[3] Wolfe, R. R. (2017). Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 30. Branched-chain amino acids and muscle protein synthesis in humans: myth or reality? doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9 [https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9]
[4] Cole JT (2015). Nutrition and Health, p. 13-24. Metabolism of BCAAs. Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1923-9_2 [https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4939-1923-9_2]
