How to Support Muscle Growth and Recovery during Exercise?

If you work out regularly, you've probably noticed that even a short break can make getting back into your routine more difficult. You might also find it takes longer to recover after intense workouts or that you're prone to sudden injuries.

These signs often suggest your muscles aren't getting enough high-quality protein.

Did you know that around 600 muscles in your body work together every day to keep you moving? These muscles are closely connected to the central nervous system, which controls them through specific signals. Each time a muscle contracts, billions of protein molecules are involved, coordinating at the highest level. Yes, billions!

How Muscles are Built

Our muscles are essentially made up of muscle cells. During digestion, proteins break down into smaller components, eventually into individual amino acids. Once this process is complete, the second phase begins: the amino acids are absorbed through the intestinal cells into the bloodstream.

These amino acids are then transported by the blood to the site of protein synthesis. At the muscle cell, they are reassembled in the right order to form human muscle fibers, such as myosin.

Each fiber requires around 6,100 amino acids, plus an additional 374 for the other side of the muscle cell, the actin. If we could magnify this process, we’d see the incredible work happening beneath our skin.

What Amino Acids are Needed for This?

The body uses 20 amino acids to build proteins, eight of which are classified as essential. These essential amino acids must come from food or supplements, as our body can't produce them on its own.

When the body has enough of these eight essential amino acids, it can synthesize the remaining 14. This is crucial because more than 50% of most proteins are made from these essential amino acids.

When your body is missing any essential amino acids during protein synthesis, it halts the entire process. This means your body can't fully repair or build new muscle fibers. If your nutrient intake is lacking, it could take several days for your body to recover, leaving your muscles sore for up to a week after even light activity or a tough workout.

What You Need for Fast Muscle Recovery

Every day, our bodies sustain injuries from regular use, primarily due to stress from chemical and physical damage that can compromise the structure of proteins. As a result, each cell is constantly working to repair proteins and other vital components to maintain our health.

If this weren’t the case, we wouldn’t really need to consume proteins. Take, for example, a road cyclist who trains for three hours in 30°C (86°F) heat on a scorching day, compared to someone sitting behind a desk in an air-conditioned office. 

These extreme environmental conditions and stressors are particularly harsh on cells. The body has to manage the heat, sweating, energy production, electrolyte balance, and hormone regulation. Due to this intense exertion, numerous structural damages and micro-tears develop in the muscles and joints.

This Is Why Inadequate Protein Intake Causes Problems

When someone suffers from protein malnutrition, they are unable to handle this kind of stress effectively. They may overheat, feel dizzy, sweat less (making it harder for their body to cool down), experience muscle cramps, or feel weak and even faint. Their muscles and joints can ache for days, and they may struggle with exhaustion, much like people who don’t exercise regularly feel after a tough workout.

It’s common for long-distance athletes (marathon runners, road cyclists, etc.) to come down with cold-like symptoms after intense exertion. 

This happens because their body's reserves for recovery are depleted. In such situations, the body prioritizes healing the heart, muscles, tendons, and joints over the immune system.

When the body needs to focus on intensive structural recovery, the immune system’s reserves get drained, weakening it. This can lead to upper respiratory infections or, in some cases, even worse.

This can happen to anyone, not just athletes. Even in an average person’s life, there can be physically demanding periods where, for the same reason, they end up getting sick.

Recovery Comes at a Cost

The body instinctively tries to fix damaged areas, even at the expense of sacrificing other, well-functioning parts. In other words, if it needs amino acids but doesn’t get enough from the diet, it will tap into its own amino acid "reserves." This means breaking down healthy muscle tissue, which can lead to significant health deterioration and a decrease in performance.

How Can We Prevent this?

Well, during any intense physical exertion, it's important to increase protein intake before, during, and after the event. If your body gets enough essential amino acids, it will have the necessary building blocks for both muscle recovery and immune system support. 

The goal of protein digestion is to break it down into amino acids, which the body then uses to rebuild its own proteins. With so many supplements available, this information can help you choose the one that best suits your goals.

Extra protein can be consumed in the form of protein powders, though these still need to be digested and broken down into amino acids. Many of these products also contain flavorings and colorings, making it harder to gauge how well they’re absorbed.

You can also opt for fast-absorbing essential amino acids, which enter the bloodstream in about 25 minutes. This spares your digestive system from the laborious process of breaking down protein, and by choosing the right product, you can avoid any unnecessary additives.

Why It’s Worth Supporting Your Diet with Amino Acids

It’s understandable that eating amino acids instead of protein, or choosing protein over something like a piece of fried meat, doesn’t feel like the most natural approach. And it isn’t.

Ideally, we’d all get high-quality proteins from healthy, pasture-raised animals not fed antibiotics or steroids. Or, for vegans and vegetarians, from certified organic sources free of preservatives.

In a perfect world, everyone would pay close attention to a balanced diet that suits their lifestyle. Most importantly, people would value their health enough to listen to their body’s signals and make the necessary changes in time.

We know that everyone’s body has a unique story. Some have faced tougher roads, with less patience, care, or love along the way—perhaps due to chronic illness.

“We believe that it’s never too late to change and make a difference.”

Amino Primo essential amino acid supplements can help you by providing one of the most important nutrients your body needs—in the right amounts and proportions.