Flavor of Amino Acids and Choice of Supplements

The growing amount of scientific articles on the ergogenic and health properties of individual amino acids on the one hand, and the increasing availability of websites dedicated to the trade of these raw materials on the other, pushes many amateur athletes to buy these products in pure form. For example, it is common to come across special blends (blends) formulated by bodybuilding enthusiasts with the goal - often too optimistic - of increasing one's performance.

The economic savings on the one hand and the maximum customization of the supplementary protocol on the other, overshadow the possible side effects of these products and of a similar approach to food supplementation. Beyond this last aspect which is beyond the scope of this article, it is important to know before purchasing that individual amino acids can have a particularly bad taste and solubility. It is for this reason that the manufacturers of supplements for athletes carefully work and mix powders and additives to obtain formulations with a pleasant flavor that disperse well in water and fruit juices. D "on the other hand, these procedures affect the final cost of the product. , as well as the formulative experience of the manufacturer and the scientific skills of those who study the most suitable combinations of individual nutrients.

Knowing the flavor of the individual amino acids can guide the less experienced consumer towards the choice of tablet products or special commercial blends. Sometimes, in fact, driven by the unattainable taste of the raw material, the consumer ends up interrupting the supplementary protocol by throwing the product just purchased into the garbage.

• No or barely perceptible taste: D-Alanine, D- and L-Arginine, D- and L-Aspartic acid, D-Glutamic acid, L-Histidine, D- and L Isoleucine, D- and L-Lysine, D- and L-Proline, D- and L-Serine, D- and L-Threonine, D- and L-Valine)

• Sweet taste (in descending order of sweetness): D-Tryptophan (35 times sweeter than sucrose), D-Histidine, D-Phenylalanine, D-Tyrosine, D-Leucine, L-Alanine, Glycine

• Bitter taste (in descending order of bitterness): L-Tryptophan (its bitterness is about half that of caffeine), L-Phenylalanine, L Tyrosine, L-Leucine

• Sulphurous flavor: D- and L-Cysteine, D- and L-Methionine

• Umami: L-Glutamic acid used as a flavor enhancer

Please note: amino acids are asymmetrical molecules that can exist in two mirror-like enantiomer forms, the L form (left-handed) and the D form (dextrous). Only the amino acid glycine is not a chiral molecule since the residue R is a hydrogen atom. In nature, all the amino acids used for protein synthesis are found in the Levogira form, so this rule is also respected in sports supplements.