Non-Essential Amino Acid Glycine Can Improve ATP Production

The non-essential amino acid glycine is needed torapidly for athletes that expend a lot of energy.
generate muscle tissue and also for theThen the energy stored in the form of glycogen
conversion of blood glucose into energy. It isin the liver kicks in for another 4 - 6 seconds.
referred to as being 'non-essential' because theAdditionally, you cannot expend more energy that
body can manufacture its own glycine, and isthe (eventual) sugars that you take in your diet,
therefore not an essential component of yourwhich can be in the form of ordinary 'sugar'
diet. Other uses to which glycine is put by the(sucrose), fruit (fructose), glucose, carbohydrates
body includes the maintenance of a healthythat are metabolized into sugars, or any other
nervous system, and is necessary for the propermember of the sugar family (e.g. lactose, maltose,
functioning of the digestive system.etc.).
Amino acids play three essential roles in theGlycine is one of what are called glucogenic amino
human body:acids, which refers to their ability to provide
1. They are the building blocks of proteins: proteinsglucose to the blood. Because it helps to maintain
comprise about half of the dry weight of theproper blood glucose levels, it is often prescribed
majority of your body cells, and without themfor conditions that are caused by low glucose
there would be no life. They are produced usinglevels, such as hypoglycemia that shows
monomers known as amino acids, and there aresymptoms of fatigue and tiredness, and also
about 20 different amino acids used to make theanemia and what is known as CFS (chronic
vast variety of proteins that make up the humanfatigue syndrome).
body. Proteins are needed to form enzymes, theThe one activity of the human body, in fact that
catalysts that permit the majority of chemicalof any mammal, for which ATP is essential, is the
reactions within our bodies, and also genes, theheartbeat. Without that no mammal could survive,
building blocks of DNA.or any other creature that relies on a circulation
2. More relevant here, amino acids play ansystem for life. The only reason you heart has to
important role in the production of ATPbeat is to pump your blood around your body,
(adenosine triphosphate) from ADP (adenosineand it is your blood that contains the oxygen and
diphosphate) by phosphorylation with creatinenutrients needed to sustain life. Your
phosphate. The more creatine phosphate available,cardiovascular health relies on lots of ATP being
the more ATP can be produced. Since ATP is theavailable to power each and every heartbeat.
molecule responsible for the generation of energy,Analysis of the heart during the final stages of
then the more ATP available the more energy isheart failure has revealed that there is a general
generated. Although creatine is available fromdecrease in the myocardial arginine: glycine
many food sources, it is destroyed by cooking,amidinotraferase (AGAT) gene expression, which
and over half of what you use is made from theis indicative of the necessity of this enzyme for
three amino acids, glycine, arginine and methionine.proper heart function. The enzyme is responsible
The energy produced in this way is veryfor the first stage in the biosynthesis of creatine
short-lived, and last only a few seconds - morefrom glycine.
on that later.Creatine is well known to athletes, and while it is
3. Glycine is heavily involved in the production ofavailable naturally from some food sources, it can
collagen, which is the substance that maintains thebe destroyed during cooking, and at least 50% of
flexibility of your skin and other connective tissuesthe creatine needed by the body is produced in
while still maintaining their strength and firmness.the liver, pancreas and kidneys. It is creatine
Without glycine your skin would become slack duephosphate that is broken down into creatine and
to the degrading effect of sunlight, free radicalsphosphate, the latter of which is used by the
and oxidation.mitochondria to regenerate ATP from ADP.
The non essential amino acid, glycine, is believedThe study carried out on the reduced AGAT
to offer other benefits to the human body, but itlevels found in heart failure patients indicates the
is the second of those above, the production ofimportance of glycine to heart health. Without a
ATP, which interests us here. ATP is angood supply of glycine, there will insufficient
extremely important nanomolecule, second increatine produced biochemically to generate the
importance to the body only to DNA, and possiblyphosphate needed to for the ATP to produce the
also RNA since the two are linked. RNA makesenergy required to keep the heart pumping with
copies of your DNA structure for use in cellthe required strength. The energy provided by
division and growth.the mitochondria is used locally by the cells in
When a cell expends energy for whateverwhich it is produced, and within a few seconds of
reason, such as when I am typing this, or whenthat production. As explained earlier, ATP stores
your heart beats, or even when your liverare used up within 2 - 5 seconds, and glycogen
synthesizes a protein, one of the phosphatestores within another 4 - 6 seconds.
groups is removed from the adenosineThat is why sprinters cannot keep running at
triphosphate molecule, and converts it tomaximum speed for more than around 10
adenosine diphosphate (ADP). The ATP is thenseconds or so, because the immediate availability
said to be 'spent', just as your energy is spentof glycine, and hence creatine, are insufficient to
when you are tired and can exercise no more.last longer than that. That is one reason why they
The ADP is then immediately reconverted to ATPhave to finish those 100 meters as fast as
in the mitochondria, a part of every cell in yourpossible, because otherwise they would run out of
body. A cell can contain hundreds, or evenenergy. Other than trying to win, of course!
thousands, of mitochondria, the number dependingHowever, when it comes to the heart, ATP
upon that particular cell's need for energy. Hence,stores are essential, and the cells in your heart
cells in your muscles, or in your liver where mostrequire a constant supply of ATP from creatine,
of the body's chemistry takes place, containwhich itself depends upon your intake or
thousands of mitochondria whereas those in yourbiosynthesis of glycine. Since dietary sources are
scalp contain a lot less. Once changed to ATP, ainsufficient to meet all your needs, and destroyed
phosphate is again lost when energy is expended,by cooking, a glycine supplement is the only way
and so the cycle continues.to ensure a sufficient intake. You cannot
Glucose is needed allow the ADP to be convertedundernourish your heart and remain healthy.
to ATP, hence the need for sugars, or theATP biosynthesis is essential if that of glycine
carbohydrates from which they are manufacturedtheoretically is not, but the fact that 50% of your
in your body. Each cell can contain up to a billionglycine requirement has to be produced by your
molecules of ATP, although the couch potatoesbody and the other 50% is sensitive to heat
among you probably have a lot less! Your storeduring cooking, a supplement of glycine could be
of ATP molecules last about 2 to 5 secondsessential to many people.
before being changed to ADP although more