Introducing HDAA

In the world of our body's inner workings, we're shining a light on something called High-Demand Amino Acids (HDAA). These are super important for recovering after exercise and keeping us healthy overall. We've learned that HDAA do more than just help make proteins; they also keep our energy levels up, help our bodies grow and heal, and manage how we use food for energy.

To understand how much HDAA we need every day, scientists have looked at how our bodies take in, make, use, and get rid of these amino acids. Sweat, which we might not think much about, actually plays a big part in losing these important compounds when we're active.

When we do our daily activities or face stress, our bodies use up more HDAA. This happens even more during exercise, recovery, busy lifestyles, and when it's hot. Our muscles might break down a bit until we get more HDAA from food or supplements.

Two of these amino acids must come from our food because our bodies can't make them. The other four can be made by our bodies, but sometimes we might not make enough, especially during intense exercise or if we're always on the move in hot places.

If our bodies don't get enough HDAA, we might feel tired, get muscle cramps, and recover more slowly. To stay in tip-top shape, our bodies need a steady supply of these amino acids. They do a lot, like helping with energy, growth, healing, and keeping our bodies strong.

After we exercise, it's important to quickly get more HDAA into our bodies because they can be absorbed right away. This helps our muscles and organs get what they need for recovery without waiting for a long digestion process. It's like a fast-track to feeling better after being active. So, making sure we get enough HDAA every day could change how we recover and boost our overall well-being.

Who should take HDAA?

The simple answer is active and busy people.

If you are active and exercising, then this supplement was designed for you. Equally, if you have a long day getting kids ready for school, commuting to work, working, skipping meals, cleaning the house, and getting prepared for the next day, then this amounts to long periods of activity that utilize your body's amino acid resources.

Our strategy is to replenish the amino acids that you lose in the greatest quantities during the day. If you are exercising or living in a hot climate, these losses are exacerbated.

 

Why?

Your body has a high demand for a group of six specific amino acids known as the HDAA. These amino acids are also lost in high quantities in sweat every day. When you exercise, these losses of HDAA are magnified and some people lose them faster than others. These losses all add up.

Dehydration can lead to:

• Reduced concentration and focus,
• Fatigue and muscle cramps 

Replenishment of the HDAA as directed can help maintain muscle mass.

Replenishment of HDAA + fluid + electrolytes as directed can help maintain hydration as well as muscle mass. 

 

What are the HDAA?

Amino acids play many important roles in metabolism as well as protein synthesis. Certain high-demand amino acids are lost in copious quantities in sweat and urine and are involved with a large range of important body functions. To give you an idea of some of these key functions, a selection of the processes that the amino acids in OptimAAte® and ElectrAAte® are summarised below:

Histidine

An essential amino acid

 Required for synthesis of haemoglobin and a deficit in diet can lead to anaemia

• Required for the formation of carnosine.
  • Carnosine is highly concentrated in the muscles and brain
    • Has many roles including acting as an antioxidant
  • Required for the formation of histamine and the immune response
  • Stimulates digestion
  • Histidine is a major component in muscle proteins

Lost in high quantities via sweat and urine.

 

Serine

Utilised in numerous major pathways of metabolism

• Sleep
• Production of DNA
  • Vital for folate metabolism
• Has a prominent role in cell growth and repair
• Needed for making cell membranes
• Precursor for synthesis of numerous metabolites in the body

Lost in high quantities via sweat and urine.

It can be synthesised by the body, but when demand is high during high-intensity exercise

• Serine synthesis can be insufficient to meet body demands.

 

Lysine

Is an essential amino acid

• Required for synthesis of muscle proteins
• Soft tissues (collagen)
• Essential for the formation and repair of soft tissues in the body
  • Recovery from exercise and injury
• Precursor for the synthesis of carnitine
  • Facilitates mitochondrial oxidation for energy production
• Lysine enhances the intestinal uptake and conservation of Ca²⁺

Lost in high quantities via sweat.

 

Aspartic acid

Utilised in numerous major pathways of metabolism

• The urea cycle for the safe removal of waste nitrogen as urea
• Energy metabolism
• Synthesis of DNA
• Neurotransmitter

 Lost in high quantities via sweat.

 

Glycine

Utilised in numerous major pathways of metabolism

• Required for collagen synthesis
  • One-third of collagen consists of glycine
• Required for the manufacture of the key energy system structures used in
  • Haemoglobin
  • Cytochromes
• Present in the natural moisturising factor generated in the skin
• Needed for producing the components of DNA
• Precursor for synthesis of key metabolites in the body
  • glutathione, creatine

Lost in high quantities via sweat and urine.

It can be synthesised by the body, but when demand is high during high-intensity exercise it may become conditionally essential.

 

Ornithine

This amino acid is not used in the synthesis of proteins, but has numerous functions in metabolism

• Centrally involved in urea metabolism
• Helps remove waste nitrogen and prevents toxic impact of excess nitrogen
• Is a precursor for the body to generate arginine
  • Provides an important source of nitric oxide
• Increases the efficiency of energy consumption
• Can assist with appetite suppression

Lost in high quantities via sweat.