Bodybuilders may slather oil over the peaks and valleys of contest-ready muscle for maximum sheen, but it's the oil they gulp during the off season, and during pre-contest training, that matters the very most.

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 5, 2010) — When mice are given drinking water laced with a special concoction of amino acids, they live longer than your average mouse, according to a new report in the October issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication. The key ingredients in the supplemental mixture are so-called branched-chain amino acids, which account for 3 of the 20 amino acids (specifically leucine, isoleucine, and valine) that are the building blocks of proteins.

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The following is a list of major dispensable amino acids. They have been explained according to the function once ingested into the body of a body builder. It is important to note that each of these amino acids, despite being dispensable, are vital for the health and well-being of a body builder. They must therefore be included in the daily diet to ensure that maximal growth is achieved in the minimal time possible.

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As a bodybuilder, you will likely see the phrase “amino acids” splashed about as you conduct your research into how to make gains in muscular size and strength. But what does it mean? Why are they so important? What are they, and what function do they serve in helping you to become a better bodybuilder? Let’s learn more about them.

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Energy for a body builder and non-body builder alike usually comes from carbohydrates and fats. In all normal metabolic processes, the carbohydrate sources of energy account for 90% of the body’s requirement of energy, especially among non-body builders. For body builders however, and other athletes who are in intensively active lifestyles, carbohydrate sources of energy are sometimes inadequate. And to add on to the energy supply, some non-carbohydrate sources of energy argument.

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Different forms of amino acids go through different levels of metabolism. In accounting for the metabolic speed and efficiency of the different amino acid forms, it is useful to consider their bio-availability Bio-availability refers to the speed and ability of nutrients to be absorbed and availed to the tissues after ingestion. More bio-available forms take shorter delays after ingestion before they are available to body tissues.

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Soreness is something from which every bodybuilder, regardless of experience, suffers.  Beginner bodybuilders often find themselves on their back for a week following their first “all-out” day in the gym.  Intermediate bodybuilders, once they discover the “one body part per day” training methodology, will discover their bodies’ painful response to twenty-set chest days.  Advanced bodybuilders, despite their years of experience and often chemical assistance, will learn those chest/back or biceps/triceps combination days using 30+ sets leaves their central nervous system in shambles and their body parts aching.  Whatever your bodybuilding experience, every time you push your body to perform in new ways in the gym, you open yourself up on the potential for soreness.

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Open up any bodybuilding magazine (any publisher from any year), and you’ll very likely see two things. First, you’ll see a lot of advertisements for protein supplements and weight gain/loss supplements. Second, you’ll see a lot of ghostwritten articles by pro bodybuilders in which they espouse their own use of 400+ grams of protein daily. You’ll see some training articles and show coverage as well. But the importance of protein will be the number one focus in every single issue, from 1950 until 2050.

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In bodybuilding circles, the term “Amino acids” is often thrown around casually. Most bodybuilders know it has to do with protein. And some know if from that green syrup you can sip after workouts. But what are they, and how are they the building blocks for everything muscle?

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A top professional bodybuilder trainer introduced an idea in 2003. He claimed it would add ten pounds of muscle to any man in a month. He said that the body is most highly receptive to nutrients DURING a workout, and that trainers should ingest shakes containing amino acid blends. He believed that a steady flow of nutrients DURING the workout was they key to muscle growth. A small “window” existed when the muscle fibers were being stressed, and if the bodybuilder was able to flood the area with nitrogen-rich blood containing vital amino acids, growth would occur. He also said that this nutrition was to be coupled with compound set training – jumping from one exercise to the next in succession – in order to flush this nutrient rich blood into the muscle. Despite the outright common sense this idea made, it went largely ignored for years.

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