How The Right Amino Acids Turn Good Workouts Into Great Results

There’s nothing better than walking out of a workout and feeling like you crushed it. Maybe you grabbed heavier weights for squats this time, had extra gas in the tank during an EMOM circuit, or loaded up the resistance on your bike during spin class. Ok, these are all accomplishments that make me feel great about a workout. 

What’s frustrating is when these little wins don’t translate to lasting progress. While picking up 15-pound dumbbells instead of 10-pound for bicep curls feels like a big step forward, when does that new weight actually become your baseline?

When you think about fueling your muscles, protein probably comes to mind first. And you’re right. There’s just a bit more to the story.

Because while total protein intake is crucial to support your muscles and overall health, your body doesn’t use protein in its whole form. Instead, it breaks it down into smaller compounds called amino acids.

It’s these amino acids that are tasked with various jobs in the body. Some amino acids support hormone production (tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin), some support gut health and immunity (like glutamine), and some (like lysine) support collagen production.* 

How, you ask? Well, your body needs about 2.5 grams of leucine1 to fully initiative MPS. Once you hit this threshold, the other EAAs (like histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan) in your system provide the building blocks for creating new proteins. 

The body essentially links these EAAs together in the correct sequence to repair and grow muscle fibers. 

While leucine isn’t the only trigger of MPS (strength training and hormones also influence it, leucine is the main dietary trigger2).  

If your diet is lacking leucine or other EAA, then you may see your strength plateauing at the gym. And even if you are eating enough protein throughout the day, the balance of amino acids foods provide can vary greatly, and hitting the leucine threshold through food alone can be tricky. 

For example, a palm-sized piece of chicken or salmon provides roughly 2 grams of leucine, and a cup of cooked lentils offers less than 1 gram.

Cue mindbodygreen’s lean & tone aminos+. Each serving of this (berry-flavored) powder provides an optimal 2.5-gram dose of leucine plus all other BCAAs and EAAs. 

When taken consistently, this full-spectrum amino acid supplement can help promote muscle protein synthesis and recovery after one week, enhance physical performance and lean body mass within eight weeks, and further strength gains around three months.*†

Consistent workouts are only part of the equation for building strength, recovering efficiently, and reshaping your body.