Quick Summary: When to Use Amino Acids
Amino acids can be used around workouts and between meals to help support muscle protein synthesis, reduce muscle breakdown, and support recovery.
Taking essential amino acids (EAAs) before or during training can help ensure amino acids are available when muscles are under stress. Post-workout intake can help support muscle repair and recovery.
Between meals, amino acids may help maintain a positive muscle protein balance. This can be especially useful during muscle-gaining phases, fat-loss phases, or long periods without food.
Key Takeaways:
- Best times to use amino acids: pre-workout, intra-workout, post-workout, and between meals
- EAAs are more effective than BCAAs for supporting muscle tissue because they contain all nine essential amino acids
- Total daily protein and amino acid intake matter more than perfect timing
Amino acids are one of the most talked-about supplements in fitness ... but also one of the most misunderstood.
Some people treat them like a must-take around every workout. Others aren’t sure if they’re even necessary at all.
The truth is somewhere in the middle.
When used correctly, amino acids can be a helpful tool to support training, recovery, and muscle maintenance. This is especially true when food intake is limited or timing is less than ideal.
In This Article:
- What Are Amino Acids and What Do They Do?
- The Best Times to Use Amino Acids
- EAA vs BCAA
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Amino Acids and What Do They Do?
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Your body uses them to build and repair muscle tissue, create enzymes and hormones, support immune function, and maintain overall metabolic health.
There are two commonly discussed types of amino acid supplements:
- Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
- Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)
While the body can produce 11 amino acids on its own, there are 9 that it can't. These 9 are called the essential amino acids, and they must come from food or supplementation (1).
These essential amino acids play a direct role in stimulating muscle protein synthesis (MPS). This is the process responsible for muscle repair and growth following training (2).
The Best Times to Use Amino Acids
Before Your Workout
Taking EAAs 30-60 minutes before training can increase amino acid availability in the bloodstream as training stress begins.
Research suggests that consuming amino acids before exercise can help support muscle protein synthesis and limit muscle protein breakdown during training (3).
Best for:
- Strength training
- Muscle-building phases
- Morning or fasted workouts
During Your Workout
Intra-workout amino acid use can be helpful when training sessions are long, intense, or performed in a fasted state.
Sipping EAAs during training may help maintain amino acid availability and limit excessive muscle breakdown (4).
Best for:
- Fasted workouts
- Endurance or hybrid training
- Longer training sessions
After Your Workout
After training, muscles are especially receptive to nutrients. Amino acids can support the muscle repair process during recovery.
That said, amino acids are present in post-workout-specific nutritional supplements. After a workout, many prefer to use a fast-digesting protein source, and often carbohydrates ... at least rather than relying on amino acids alone.
What matters most is getting refueling in a timely manner and meeting total daily protein needs (5).
Best for:
- Supporting recovery
- Supporting muscle repair & growth
Between Meals
If you go long periods without eating, amino acids can help support a positive muscle protein balance.
This can be especially useful during fat-loss phases, busy schedules, or intermittent fasting. Prolonged gaps between meals may increase muscle protein breakdown (6).
Best for:
- Fat-loss phases
- Long gaps between meals
- Calorie-restricted diets
EAA vs BCAA: What’s the Difference?
Essential amino acids (EAAs) contain all nine amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own.
Research consistently shows that EAAs are more effective at stimulating muscle protein synthesis than BCAAs alone because they provide all the necessary building blocks for muscle repair and growth (2).
BCAAs include leucine, isoleucine, and valine. While they may help support reduced fatigue and muscle soreness, they lack several essential amino acids required for complete muscle protein synthesis (7).
Bottom line: If muscle recovery, performance, and growth are the goal and you’re choosing between the two ... EAAs are the more complete option.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to take amino acids?
Before, during, or after workouts, and between meals. The best time for you depends on your goals, training style, and daily nutrition (6).
Can I take amino acids on rest days?
Yes. Amino acids can help support recovery and muscle protein balance even on non-training days.
Are amino acids better than protein powder?
Amino acids absorb faster, but most protein powders provide a complete nutrient profile. Amino acids work best as a timing tool, not a replacement for whole protein sources.
How many amino acids should I take?
Most research uses 5-15 grams of EAAs per serving, depending on body size, training volume, and total protein intake (3).
Do amino acids help with muscle soreness?
Research suggests amino acid supplementation may help reduce muscle soreness and support recovery following intense exercise (7).
Bottom Line
Amino acids work best when used strategically.
Use them around workouts or between meals when food intake is limited. They aren’t a replacement for quality nutrition, but when used correctly, they can help support muscle protein synthesis, recovery, and performance.
I personally like using them during my workouts for additional muscle support. Others enjoy taking them between meals to bridge the gap between complete sources of protein.
Focus on total daily protein first. Then use amino acids when timing or convenience makes whole food or protein shakes impractical.
If you're looking for an amino acid supplement to try, we offer both EAAs and BCAAs at 1st Phorm. I am an absolute sucker for the Tropical Mango flavored EAAs, but they all taste great!
If you have any questions in the meantime, don't hesitate to reach out. We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri.
Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com. We're available Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 8 PM Central and Saturday & Sunday from 9 AM to 7 PM Central.
We’ll be more than happy to help in any way we can!
References:
(1) Wolfe, R. R. “Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Muscle Protein Synthesis in Humans.” Journal of Nutrition, vol. 132, no. 10, 2002, pp. 3219S–3224S.
(2) Volpi, E., et al. “Essential Amino Acids Are Primarily Responsible for the Amino Acid Stimulation of Muscle Protein Anabolism in Healthy Elderly Adults.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 78, no. 2, 2003, pp. 250–258.
(3) Tipton, K. D., et al. “Timing of Amino Acid-Carbohydrate Ingestion Alters Anabolic Response of Muscle to Resistance Exercise.” American Journal of Physiology, vol. 281, no. 2, 2001, pp. E197–E206.
(4) Blomstrand, E., et al. “Administration of Branched-Chain Amino Acids During Sustained Exercise.” Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 83, no. 2, 1997, pp. 487–494.
(5) Schoenfeld, B. J., and Aragon, A. A. “How Much Protein Can the Body Use in a Single Meal for Muscle-Building?” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 15, 2018, article 10.
(6) Areta, J. L., et al. “Timing and Distribution of Protein Ingestion During Prolonged Recovery from Resistance Exercise.” Journal of Physiology, vol. 591, no. 9, 2013, pp. 2319–2331.
(7) Jackman, S. R., et al. “Branched-Chain Amino Acid Ingestion Can Ameliorate Soreness from Eccentric Exercise.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 42, no. 5, 2010, pp. 962–970.
