ALLMAX - AMINOCORE - 945 grams - NPN: 80082458 -- Muscle protein is made up of 20 Amino Acids (AA), of which nine are considered Essential Amino Acids (EAAs), meaning they cannot be produced by the body in amounts necessary to sustain, much less optimize, physiological functioning and muscle growth. When it comes to getting the correct balance of EAAs, hard training athletes, including bodybuilders, must remember that muscle protein is in a constant state of turnover where protein synthesis is occurring continuously to replace proteins that are constantly being broken down for energy and tissue repair. A failure to achieve the right balance of dietary EAAs means that it will be impossible to synthesize new muscle proteins. Instead, the breakdown of lean mass will continue to supersede its regeneration and the athlete will fail to grow a single ounce of muscle. This is where the Branched-Chain Amino Acids L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Valine (muscle-specific EAAs) are of particular importance. Of the three BCAAs, L-Leucine remains the primary precursor for muscle protein synthesis and plays a major role as a regulator of intracellular signaling pathways notably mTOR that are responsible for switching on and sustaining muscle protein synthesis (growth). But all three BCAAs, along with the remaining EAAs, must be supplied in exactly the right ratio for full muscle-building effect.