Amino acids have long been a popular go-to in the fitness industry and rightfully so. The reason is very simple; recovery. As fitness junkies, we know how important recovery can be. Let us dive into which amino acids are responsible for our muscle repair. We are talking particularly about EAAs, or “Essential Amino Acids”. There are a total of nine EAAs, and these aminos like to play hard-to-get. Essential Amino Acids are critical for us to consume, as these aminos cannot be naturally produced in the body; we must obtain them either from food, or a supplement. There are three EAAs that are especially sought after by those who are looking for better, faster results. They are the following: Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. This trio of important aminos plays a critical role in our recovery.
Recovering from a brutal workout relies heavily on proper nutrition and rest. Once those two factors have been accounted for, the cherry on top would be incorporating excellent supplements. A protein source, such as Isotope, and an amino product like Breach, or Breach Ballistic (Caffeinated) are excellent examples. These products would be most beneficial post-workout. After intense activity, this is when our body is most in need of nutrients. Breach is fantastic, as it incorporates the three EAAs I previously described as being the most valuable when it comes to recovery. Each has a unique job, and together they form the perfect package.
Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine play the biggest role of all aminos when it comes to muscle growth/recovery. They stimulate protein synthesis, regulate blood sugar levels, and even give a slight boost in energy. Leucine is the biggest player of the three in promoting protein synthesis. For this reason, you will find Breach packs a phenomenal 2:1:1 ratio of these aminos (2 parts Leucine, 1 part Isoleucine, and 1 part Valine). Think of your muscles as a “building” you are looking to construct. You have all of the materials to build your idea, now you just need someone to put it all together and oversee the project. We can view these three EAAs as being the team for the job. They signal for the muscle to grow/repair, and help you maintain an anabolic environment throughout your body. Anabolic means “muscle building state”, whereas if we were to be lacking the described EAAs, we would more often than not find ourselves in a catabolic situation, or “muscle loss state”. Being anabolic is ideal for not just men, but women too! Both can benefit from taking these EAAs. With Breach, you will get all of the benefits from these aminos, and, a little extra.
Muscle recovery is critical, but so is proper hydration. As an added bonus, Breach also contains coconut water powder and electrolytes to help you stay adequately hydrated. This makes it a perfect product for not just post workout, but all day long! Many successful bodybuilders and athletes drink amino acids throughout the day. This ensures a constant muscle building and properly hydrated state. This solves one of the biggest complaints in the fitness industry; muscle soreness.
I absolutely love being sore. That is my sign that I had a killer workout the day prior. For those of you that have tattoos, think of it like when you are in the process of getting inked. Yes, it hurts, but it is a “good” hurt! I feel that same way about muscle soreness post workout. Not everyone feels the same, and they need a solution to help ease their troubles. There really is no absolute, orthodox solution to being pain free after an all-out lift or sporting event (like a football game). This being said, if you are looking to help alleviate this in any way possible, an amino acid product like Breach will undoubtedly help. When we put our bodies through strenuous activity and put tension on our muscles for long periods of time, our muscle fibers will literally tear. For those of you new to the gym life, do not be alarmed. These are tiny breaks in the muscle tissue, nothing that is going to need medical attention. Over time, these rips in the muscle fiber fill back in with NEW muscle, and this is where we experience muscle gains, and more strength! Adding Lecuine, Isoleucine, and Valine into our diet in order to help facilitate this growth and repair is crucial. With the added hydration/electrolyte benefits, this also allows for optimal function within our muscular system. If you are still on the fence on incorporating aminos into your regiment, allow me to introduce a not-so-good hormone, Coritsol.
Cortisol is a stress hormone, and it can be very destructive to our body, particularly our muscles. This nasty hormone actually binds to receptors in our muscles, and can cause the dreaded catabolic environment to set in. Additionally, cortisol actually breaks down amino acids. To make matters worse, cortisol levels elevate during stress. This includes both mental and physical stress. Essentially, we are fighting an up-hill battle when we go to the gym when it comes to cortisol. With an EAA product like Breach, we can stop trying to walk “up” the “down” escalator and get back on track to providing our bodies with the proper environment needed for maximum recovery.
Recovery is the key to success. It does not matter what walk of life you come from. Whether you are an athlete, a bodybuilder, cyclist, runner, weekend warrior, etc, any and everyone can benefit from essential amino acids. There is not a single person who is maintaining an active lifestyle that would not like to see better, faster, and overall, more efficient results. When thinking about recovering and optimizing your bodies’ potential, there are three things you must be aware of at all times; proper nutrition, sleep, and supplementation. After nailing your diet and making sure you get sufficient rest, the last component is finding the right supplements. When it comes to recovery and growth, adding an amino product like Breach would be the perfect addition to your daily routine. Lift on my friends!
-Garrett Skurnit
