I would also look at what you eat in a day. If it is all junk, and processed, non organic, despicably raised beef, pork and poultry; then you are not getting the nutrients (amino acids would be part of this) that you need. I am not against supplements to some degree, but I have recently been questioning why we (americans) are so quick to pop a pill before modifying our diets to the best it can be for our bodies and lifestyles. Organic is expensive and less readily available--but visits to doctors and the cost of getting sick is WAY more. I definitely have been guilty of this (popping the latest, greatest supplement). I mean, if you eat cold cereal, pasteurized oj, coffee with half and half and commerical milk for breakfast; scarf a powerbar or two during training; have a Mandarin chicken salad at an Applebees type restaurant or a veggie sub from Subway; have some pita chips and hummus; then eat those premarked grilled chicken strips with regular rice and veggies, I would say that your nutrients, while at a fleeting glance might be seemingly good. But after looking closely at what is in the stuff, you would find yourself deficient. So you might need amino acids. If you, for the most part, eat lots of organic fruits and vegetables; organic free range eggs; wild caught NOrth American fish; free range organic grass-fed beef and poultry; raw dairy products, nuts and seeds; organic dark leafy greens; organic grains--you probably don't need any supplements. But with the dumbing down of consumer food products by the government in the name of public health safety we all might someday be forced to eat most of our meals in pill form to get the nutrients we need.
And as for protein (made up of long chain amino acids) think about chimps. They eat leaves and are able to push 4000 lb cars up hills. hmmmmm. How much protein do we really need?
leslie myers
http://www.foodsensenow.com