Should Action Sport Enthusiasts be taking "Aminos"?

Aminos, or amino acids are just small components of protein. So every time you eat a food that contains protein, you’re essentially just eating a bunch of different amino acids.

There are about different 20 amino acids typically present in protein containing foods (typically). But amino acid supplements (often referred to as “aminos”) typically contain just 3.

It’s these 3 amino acids (called BCAA’s) that are the most powerful for muscle recovery. However, having all of the amino acids together, has a superior effect.

You need a certain per-meal dose of these 3 BCAA amino acids to maximise muscle recovery. Beyond that dose is no better.

Do you need an amino acid supplements to hit those dose?

Absolutely not… Consuming this dose is not difficult to achieve through most protein containing foods, and you get all of the other amino acids too.

Furthermore, a regular whey (dairy based) or rice and pea vegan protein is cheaper, and provides all the amino acids you need.

So why do amino acids supplements exist and what are they good for?

Honestly, not much, and unfortunately they’re a classic example of a “waste of money supplement” thats gotten really popular, probably thanks to marketing and hype.

What about before hitting the surf, slopes or the park?

Recommending “aminos” before a surf for “energy” is a really poor recommendation that directly conflicts with basic exercise metabolism.

For strenuous exercise (such as surfing, snowboarding, skiing, skating etc.) carbohydrate (or “sugar”) is a far more efficient and effective source of fuel.

When carbohydrates are present protein amino acids might only contribute 5% towards fuelling exercise at most.

So if you’re looking for an easily digested source of “energy” before exercise, a small carbohydrate focused snack is a much better idea!

References:
Jäger, R., Kerksick, C.M., Campbell, B.I. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 20 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8

Wolfe, R.R. Branched-chain amino acids and muscle protein synthesis in humans: myth or reality?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 30 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9