Amino acids help to keep muscles healthy into later life
Long-term amino acid supplementation could be a useful tool in the prevention and treatment of muscle wasting, known as "sarcopenia".
Sarcopenia is the age-related, degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength and function. If no action is taken to reduce sarcopenia, people will experience about a 10% decline in muscle mass between the ages of 2 and 50 and a further 45% before their 70s.
While loss of bone density renders the skeleton more prone to fractures, it is the gradual erosion of lean muscle, and the ensuing frailty, which leads to falls. Falls are a major cause of disability and the leading cause of mortality due to injury in people aged 75 and over in Britain.
Nevertheless, muscle protein can be maintained by increasing amino acid availability, as essential amino acids stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
BCAAs have the same function when being utilised to combat sarcopenia as they do in sports nutrition. Boosting intakes of BCAAs will increase the raw materials available for the synthesis of muscle tissue, contributing to muscle building.
The human immune system works when immunocytes (white blood cells capable of producing antibodies) attack viruses that have infiltrated the body. If physical fitness is lowered, however, the ability of immunocytes to react is reduced, and the person is less likely to resist infectious viruses such as colds.
Arginine and glutamine support the immunological function of the immunocytes
Arginine and glutamine are non-essential amino acids which can be produced in the body. However, macrophages, which are a type of immunocyte, must multiply more than usual when faced with foreign matter, such as a virus.
Increasing the level of arginine and glutamine in the blood stimulates the macrophages and enhances our resistance to infectious viruses.
When alcohol is consumed, the body first breaks it down into a substance called acetaldehyde. A hangover occurs when acetaldehyde is present in the body.
Glutamine and alanine activate the process of gluconeogenesis, thus accelerating the metabolism of alcohol and acetaldehyde. BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine and valine), arginine, and glutamine boost the liver function, thus promoting alcohol metabolism.
If amino acids are taken before/after drinking and on the next day, they can aid liver function and reduce the discomfort of a hangover.