Other Aminos

Why are amino acids essential for physically active people?

Amino acids are organic compounds that play a key role in building muscle, regenerating tissue, and supporting metabolic processes. An athlete's body, which is regularly subjected to intense exercise, requires larger amounts of these amino acids to effectively rebuild damaged muscle fibers, support the immune system, and maintain high-energy levels. Supplementing with amino acids from the "Other Amino Acids" category helps replenish deficiencies, improve endurance, and accelerate recovery, which is especially important for those who strength train, participate in fitness, or combat sports.

Products in this category are not essential amino acids (EAAs) or branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), but their effects are equally important. Each of them supports different aspects of training – from increasing blood flow in muscles, through improving endurance, to protecting against muscle catabolism.

Citrulline – the queen of pumps and endurance

If you dream of feeling an incredible "bulk" during your workout, one that not only looks spectacular but also translates into real results – discover citrulline malate. It's one of the most effective and well-researched compounds supporting performance.

How does Citrulline work?

Citrulline converts to arginine in the body, raising its blood levels much more effectively than arginine supplementation alone. Higher arginine levels lead to increased nitric oxide (NO) production. Nitric oxide is your ally – it dilates blood vessels, which leads to:

• Extreme muscle pump: Increased blood flow means more oxygen, nutrients, and water delivered directly to working muscles. The result? Fuller, harder muscles and an incredible feeling of power.
• Greater endurance: Better nutrition and oxygenation of muscle cells delays the onset of fatigue, allowing you to train longer and harder.
• Faster Recovery: Citrulline also helps remove ammonia, a toxic byproduct of protein metabolism, excess of which causes fatigue. Faster ammonia recycling means faster recovery between sets and after training.

Beta-Alanine – Endurance Support

You know that feeling when your muscles start to burn so hard during a set that you have to stop, even though you still have strength? It's not a lack of power, but an accumulation of hydrogen ions that lower the pH in your muscles. Your answer to this problem is Beta-Alanine.

How does Beta-Alanine work?

Beta-alanine combines with another amino acid, histidine, in the body to form carnosine. Carnosine is a powerful intramuscular buffer – it neutralizes excess hydrogen ions that are produced during intense anaerobic exercise (such as sets at the gym or spurts in combat sports). What does this mean in practice?

• More reps per set: By delaying the moment of "muscle failure" caused by acidification, beta-alanine allows you to perform those 2-3 extra reps, crucial for growth.
• Increased strength endurance: You'll be able to maintain maximum intensity for longer, which is invaluable in disciplines like CrossFit, martial arts, and sprints.
• Synergy with Creatine: The combination of beta-alanine and creatine is one of the most powerful, legal supplement stacks, leading to a synergistic increase in strength, power, and lean body mass.

Arginine – Increased Nitric Oxide Synthesis

Arginine, and especially its advanced form AAKG (arginine alpha-ketoglutarate), is one of the first and best-known nitric oxide precursors. Although citrulline is now considered more effective at increasing arginine levels, AAKG still has its place in supplementation.

Benefits of Arginine Supplementation:

• Muscle Pump Support: As a direct precursor to nitric oxide, arginine helps dilate blood vessels, supporting better nutrient transport to muscles.
• Improved Nutrient Transport: Better blood flow means more efficient delivery of all key substances to cells – from creatine to carbohydrates and other amino acids.
• Support for Growth Hormone Synthesis: Arginine can stimulate the release of growth hormone (GH), which is important for regenerative processes occurring at night.

Glutamine – Faster Recovery

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the human body, constituting over 60% of the pool of free amino acids in skeletal muscle. Under conditions of stress, such as heavy physical training, its levels drop dramatically, making supplementation extremely beneficial.

Why is Glutamine so important?

• Immune Support: Intense training weakens the immune system. Glutamine is the main fuel for immune system cells (lymphocytes and macrophages). Supplementation helps maintain immunity and avoid infections that could prevent you from training.
• Gut Health: Glutamine is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier. A "leaky" gut means better nutrient absorption and a reduced risk of digestive problems.
• Glycogen Replenishment and Hydration: Glutamine can support the process of muscle glycogen resynthesis after exercise and act as a water magnet, improving muscle cell hydration, which promotes anabolism.

HMB (Hydroxymethylbutyrate) – Muscle Protection

HMB is a metabolite of leucine, the most powerful anabolic amino acid. However, it works slightly differently – its main strength is the extremely strong inhibition of muscle protein breakdown.

When is HMB most effective?

• During periods of high-intensity training: When you introduce a new, challenging training plan, HMB minimizes muscle damage and soreness.
• During a restrictive cutting cycle: When in a deep calorie deficit, your muscles are most vulnerable to catabolism. HMB acts as a shield that protects your hard-earned muscle mass.
• For beginners: People just starting strength training experience the greatest muscle damage. HMB helps them adapt and recover faster, reducing soreness and allowing for regular training.

Leucine – Increased Anabolism

Although leucine is part of BCAAs and EAAs, supplementing it in isolated form has its specific uses. It is the most powerful known activator of the mTOR signaling pathway, which directly triggers the process of muscle protein synthesis.

How to Use the Power of Leucine?

• Enriching low-leucine meals: If your meal (e.g., plant-based) is low in leucine, adding 2-3 g of pure leucine can "trigger" its anabolic potential and ensure that the protein it contains is used more effectively for muscle building.
• Add to protein powder: Adding a portion of leucine to your post-workout protein shake is a way to maximizeanabolic signal and "push" even more amino acids into muscle cells.

Can you take amino acids before training?

Yes, taking amino acids before training is a common and physiologically justified practice. Both branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and complete exogenous amino acids (EAAs) can support the body during intense physical activity. Their consumption before exercise is intended to, among other things, limit muscle catabolism, support performance, and improve recovery during exercise. Amino acids taken pre-workout are quickly absorbed and go directly into the bloodstream, providing muscles with readily available building blocks.

Should EAAs be taken before or after training?

Essential amino acids (EAAs) can be taken both before, during, and after training – each option offers different benefits.

• Before training – EAAs can limit muscle protein degradation (catabolism) and improve nitrogen balance, which promotes anabolism.
• During training – they support long-term training sessions, reduce central fatigue, and help maintain energy levels.
• After training – they serve to promote rapid recovery, supplement substrates necessary for protein synthesis and muscle recovery.

The optimal approach may be EAA supplementation before and/or after training – depending on the type of session, intensity, and individual body needs.

What is best to take before training?

Before training, it is worth taking supplements to support energy, endurance, and muscle protection.

• BCAA or EAA amino acids – protect muscles from breakdown, improve performance and regeneration.
• Beta-alanine – buffers muscle acidification, increases endurance.
• Citrulline malate – improves blood flow to the muscles (the so-called "muscle pump"), reduces fatigue.
• Creatine – supports muscle strength and power, especially in strength sports.

When to use BCAAs and when to use EAAs?

BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, valine) are worth using before or during training, especially during periods of weight loss, intermittent fasting, or with a very low protein intake. They help protect muscles from catabolism and can reduce the feeling of fatigue.

EAAs are a more comprehensive choice – they contain all the essential amino acids needed for muscle protein synthesis, including BCAAs. Therefore, they work better after training, when the body needs a full amino acid profile for muscle fiber regeneration and rebuilding.

In practice, EAAs can replace BCAAs, but not the other way around – so if you want maximum support for anabolic processes, EAAs are a more versatile and complete choice.