New amino acid blend boasts all nine essential amino acids for superior muscle protein synthesis, firm says

Photo © iStockphoto.com/AlasdairJames

Compound Solutions Inc. (Carlsbad, CA) recently launched Amino9, a blend of all nine essential amino acids (EAAs), including the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine, and valine. The product is designed to help body builders and athletes recover from strenuous exercise as well as improve body composition and maintain muscle. BCAAs are well known among fitness enthusiasts but research has shown that having a full profile of EAAs can be more effective than BCAAs alone, the company says.

The firm cites a study in which BCAAs stimulated muscle protein synthesis (MPS) 22% more than placebo, but the response was still 50% less compared to the MPS results from a dose of whey protein containing a full spectrum of EAAs. “Taken together, these results demonstrate that BCAAs exhibit the capacity to stimulate myofibrillar-MPS; however, a full complement of EAA[s] could be necessary to stimulate a maximal response of myofibrillar-MPS following resistance exercise,” wrote Jackman et al. in Frontiers in Physiology.¹

Amino9 has been clinically substantiated, shown in research published in Clinical Nutrition to promote MPS similarly to whey protein.² The researchers noted that Amino9’s leucine content, even as low as 0.6 g in a 1.5 g dose of EAA, had the greatest impact on MPS. They also noted that there were negligible advantages to higher doses of the EAA (6 g) or 40 g of whey protein.

Amino9’s high leucine content is one of the ingredient’s biggest selling points, said Compound Solutions CEO Matt Titlow in a press release. “Because EAAs are the future of aminos, you’ll see two markets develop quickly: 1) premium, clinically substantiated EAA blends like Amino9, and 2) ‘smoke-and-mirror’ EAA blends consisting of higher levels of cheap amino acids like taurine, lysine, and threonine. What you want as a consumer is an EAA blend with leucine content around 2.5 g. Amino9 checks that box,” he said.

In the press release, the company said: “EAAs work when the amino acid, leucine, activates MPS. The two other BCAAs-isoleucine and valine-combine with leucine to boost MPS. Then, the remaining six EAAs combine with the BCAAs to ignite MPS to the body’s maximum level. EAAs support muscle health by both limiting catabolism (muscle breakdown) and boosting anabolism (muscle building). This boost can help support athletes of all levels, as well as older adults fighting muscle loss.”

Amino9 is gluten-free, allergen-free, dairy-free, gentle on the stomach, and easily flavored. The ingredient dissolves clearly in water and is stable in RTD beverages.

References:

1. Jackman SR et al. “Branched-chain amino acid ingestion stimulates muscle myofibrillar protein synthesis following resistance exercise in humans.” Frontiers in Physiology, vol. 8 (2017): 390
2. Wilkinson DJ et al. “Effects of leucine-enriched essential amino acid and whey protein bolus dosing upon skeletal muscle protein synthesis at rest and after exercise in older women.” Clinical Nutrition. Published online ahead of print September 23, 2017.