The Benefits and Side Effects of Phenylalanine

Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that can not be produced by the human body. It has been shown to reduce pain from some typical athletic injuries, to help in the reduction of fat, to stimulate alertness, and to increase metabolic rate.

Clearly Phenylalanine has a number of effects that are beneficial to athletes, but there are also quite a few side effects that result from taking large doses of Phenylalanine, some of which could be quite devastating to certain individuals with pre-existing conditions, so it is advisable to consult with your physician before taking Phenylalanine.

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	ISS Research Complete Amino 2200 Bodybuilders can especially benefit from supplementing amino acids because they aid in repair, growth, and development of muscle tissue.
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Every athlete is all too familiar with the aches and pains that occur in the muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments following an extensive workout session. Phenylalanine has been shown to have effects that enhance the body's ability to fight aches and pains of this sort. Phenylalanine also helps fight muscle spasms and inflammation that can occur from vigorous exercise.

Phenylalanine Functions As An Appetite Suppressant

This is useful for athletes who need to keep their weight down either for performance reasons or in order to make a certain weight class in sports such as boxing and wrestling. Phenylalanine does not actually suppress the appetite directly. Rather, it works by stimulating the production of a hormone that suppresses the appetite.

Phenylalanine, like a number of other amino acids, can be converted to glucose in a pinch. When cellular glucose supplies become low due to heavy exercise, Phenylalanine can be broken down into glucose to provide an extra burst of energy when you need it the most. The familiar "second wind" that many athletes experience may be due to the process of glucose creation from amino acid supplies kicking in.

Phenylalanine is necessary for the production of other amino acids that enhance the production of adrenalin. Adrenalin is the hormone that is responsible for the human "fight or flight" response, or the state of hyper stimulation that occurs in moments of physical stress. Athletes can benefit from having increased adrenaline because it encourages the release of energy supplies and enhances the use of sugars and fats.

Phenylalanine is one of the few amino acids that can enter the brain directly from the bloodstream. In the brain, Phenylalanine is used to create certain neurotransmitters (chemicals that relay messages between adjacent neurons, or nerve cells) that are responsible for controlling mood and alertness. For this reason, it has been suggested that athletes can benefit from Phenylalanine supplementation via an increased level of awareness.

Clearly, there are a number of benefits to taking Phenylalanine. However, there are certain side effects that need to be considered. Phenylalanine has been shown to increase blood pressure and therefore should never be taken by those with hypertension and certain cardiac diseases. It can inhibit the action of certain drugs that are taken to treat Parkinson's disease and Schizophrenia.

Phenylalanine also should not be taken with people with certain diseases, such as certain types of skin cancers, since it may actually increase the rate of tumor growth. Be sure to consult with your physician if you are interested in taking Phenylalanine but are concerned about potential side effects.

More Amino Acid Supplements

Read more on BCAA - Branched Chain Amino Acids for muscle building.

• Alanine
• Arginine
• Aspartic Acid
• Carnitine
• Cysteine
• Dopa
• Glutamic Acid
• Glutathione
• Histidine
• Isoleucine*
• Leucine *
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Ornithine
• Phenylalanine
• Taurine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
• Tyrosine
• Valine *