Why should athletes avoid taking amino acid supplements?

Sports supplements are pills, powders, or drinks used to build muscle, lose weight, or improve endurance.

Do Sports Supplements Work?

Most sports supplement claim to help athletes in some way. But research shows that only a few supplements have proven benefits for athletes.

Are Sports Supplements Safe for Teens?

It's hard to know if sports supplements are safe because:

• Long-term studies in teens haven't been done.
• Sports supplements may contain harmful drugs or additives not listed on the label.

If you're considering taking a sports supplement, talk to your doctor first.

Are Sports Supplements Checked for Safety?

Sports supplements are considered dietary supplements. Dietary supplements are products taken by mouth to support the diet. Dietary supplements do not need U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval before they are sold. Companies that make supplements are supposed to follow the FDA's current good manufacturing practices to ensure quality and safety of their product. But this doesn't always happen and some supplements may contain drugs or additives not listed on the label.

If there is a problem with a supplement, the FDA will investigate it.

What Are the Different Kinds of Sports Supplements?

Many sports supplements are available. Common ones include:

Creatine

Creatine (pronounced: KREE-eh-teen) is a substance made in the body. It is involved in making energy for muscle contractions.

Man-made creatine is sold as a powder or pill and in energy bars and drink mixes. Studies show that it can help athletes who do sports that have short bursts of intense exercise with short recovery times (such as sprinting and powerlifting).

Even though creatine may have benefits, it can cause side effects such as:

• weight gain
• joint stiffness
• muscle cramping
• nausea
• headaches

Few studies have looked at the long-term safety of creatine use by teens. Some research shows that it can harm the kidneys. Doctors usually recommend it be used only by athletes over 18 years old.

Amino Acid Supplements

Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, help build muscle. Amino acids used as supplements include glutathione, cysteine, arginine, leucine, glutamine, and citrulline. They're usually sold as a pill or powder.

Ads for amino acid supplements say they improve endurance, lower protein breakdown, and reduce soreness from exercise. But most studies do not show benefits to taking amino acid supplements.

Some amino acid supplements may cause serious side effects. There aren't enough long-term studies to know if amino acid supplements are safe for teens.

Protein Supplements

Most protein supplements are made of the proteins casein and whey. The supplements usually come as powders that can be mixed with water, milk, milk substitute, or other liquid.

Protein supplements are often advertised as a way to build muscle. But most people get all the protein they need in their diet.

A protein supplement may help someone who doesn't get enough protein in their diet. This can happen:

• during periods of rapid growth
• when first starting to work out
• when increasing the intensity of workouts
• when recovering from injury
• if they are vegetarian or vegan

In general, protein supplements do not seem to cause serious side effects. In high doses, they can cause:

• thirst
• bloating
• cramps
• diarrhea
• poor appetite
• tiredness

As with other supplements, long-term studies in teens haven't been done. Most doctors agree that it is best for teens to get their protein from their diet.

Caffeine

There is some evidence that caffeine can boost sports performance. Caffeine is in many products, including energy drinks, soda, energy chews, and pills.

Side effects vary from person to person but can include:

• headaches
• irritability
• nervousness
• dehydration
• stomach upset
• trouble sleeping
• racing heart
• irregular heartbeat

The long-term effects of caffeine on teens aren't known, so it's best to avoid it.

What Can I Do to Get the Best Training Without Sports Supplements?

To get the most out of athletic training without using sports supplements:

• Eat a healthy diet. A dietitian or nutritionist can help plan a diet that is best for your age, weight, and activities.
• Train smart. A coach or fitness instructor can help you with a training plan that includes both strength training and fitness training.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Avoid alcohol and smoking.

What Else Should I Know?

It is important to remember that many of the claims that sports supplement companies make are not proven. The company's goal is to sell more supplements, and their claims can be misleading. If you're considering starting a sports supplement, be sure to talk to your doctor first.

For more information on sports supplements, visit:

• US Anti-Doping Agency
• Clean Label Project

As they rapidly grow in popularity, amino acid supplements have drawn the attention of everyone from professional athletes to casual fitness fans. These supplements offer a wealth of benefits; some of these are shared by other types of supplements, but many can only be found in amino acid blends. Of course, new fitness supplements are often viewed with skepticism, and rightly so; there are a lot of phony or harmful products out there, and consumers should ask questions before putting something in their bodies. Luckily, amino acid supplements from aminoVITAL® are both safe and effective, but a person looking to use them might still wonder: What are the side effects of taking amino acid supplements? To find out, keep reading as the experts at aminoVITAL® explain.

Benefits of Amino Acid Supplements

Protein shakes and powders may receive most of the attention among fitness supplements, but those outdated products are quickly being replaced by amino acids, the newer, more advanced option for boosting gains and improving recovery times. Not all amino acids serve this purpose, however; the ones to focus on are the branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These compounds form the backbone of most amino acid-based fitness supplements, and they provide many familiar benefits in a faster, more efficient package.

Each BCAA serves a specific function to support muscle performance and repair.

• Leucine is the amino acid responsible for triggering the creation of new skeletal muscle in the arms, legs, and elsewhere. In other words, it helps your muscles get bigger and stronger.
• Isoleucine works to promote the use of glucose, the body’s main form of energy, during exercise. It also has reported benefits for improving muscle repair after intense physical activity, reducing the time it takes to recover after each workout.
• Valine serves more of a support role, helping to protect the muscles from damage in times of stress, such as during a workout. It also helps regulate the immune system and promotes healthy cognitive functions.

Whereas whole proteins must be slowly digested upon consumption, the free-form amino acids in aminoVITAL® supplements can be absorbed into the bloodstream almost immediately – which is why they take effect up to three times faster than whey protein. This advantage is part of what makes amino acids the superior choice for pre-workout supplements and mid-workout supplementation, as you won’t have to wait to feel the effects and get the energy you need to power through your workout.

Amino acid supplements also tend to be much leaner than protein powders and shakes, which often contain significant amounts of calories and sugar in each scoop or sip. Instead, amino acid mixtures like those from aminoVITAL® offer low-calorie options that can provide the compounds you need to help your muscles heal and grow while fighting fatigue and soreness during and after exercise – all without undermining your overall health-, fitness-, and weight-related goals.

Safety and Side Effects of Amino Acid Supplements

For the vast majority of people, amino acid supplements are a safe, effective way to increase the benefits of exercise. Some minor side effects have been reported, namely fatigue or loss of coordination, but these anecdotes don’t seem to be backed by science; in fact, numerous studies have examined the effects of these compounds on the body and found little to no evidence of adverse reactions in healthy users, though there are one or two very specific circumstances in which a person may want to avoid amino acid supplements.

Those with certain medical conditions could be negatively impacted by a dose of amino acids, and especially BCAAs; this primarily concerns those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, or branched-chain ketoaciduria, also called maple syrup urine disease. Those who suffer from chronic alcoholism may also be at risk, as the use of BCAAs by this group has been linked to liver disease and possible brain damage.

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding may also want to avoid amino acid-based products, though more out of an overabundance of caution than because of any specific side effects or health risks. Infants with a condition called idiopathic hypoglycemia – meaning that they have low blood sugar due to an unknown cause – may need to avoid BCAAs, and especially leucine, as it may lead to even lower blood sugar, though this issue has not been widely studied.

Also, those who are getting ready to undergo surgery or who recently underwent a surgical procedure may want to stop using BCAA supplements two weeks before their surgery and for a week or so after, as these compounds might affect blood sugar levels during and after surgery.

If you take any prescription medications, especially those used to treat diabetes or Parkinson’s disease, be sure to talk to your doctor before using amino acid supplements, as there may be a negative interaction between these compounds. Other types of medications that may interact with BCAAs include corticosteroids, thyroid hormones, and diazoxide, which is used to treat low blood sugar.

Safe, Effective Amino Acid Supplements Available from aminoVITAL®

If you work out or exercise regularly and would like to increase the benefits of these activities in a safe, efficient, effective way, try an amino acid supplement today. These products are faster and leaner than traditional protein shakes and powders while offering many of the same benefits you’ve come to expect from your fitness supplements. Learn more about the amino acid supplements available from aminoVITAL® by visiting us online or calling (888) 264-6673 today.