Key Takeaways

• Lean muscle mass is created when muscle is torn down by exercise and repaired by protein consumption.

• Eating whole foods and taking protein powders are the best ways to increase protein consumption, however, these do not always have a complete amino acid profile.

• Some Essential Amino Acid supplements contain a balanced blend of EAAs, being exactly what the body needs for muscle synthesis.

• Many have digestive issues with protein powders and it can be challenging to reach daily caloric goals; a balanced ratio of EAAs is immediately absorbed into the body without any digestive strain while promoting optimal muscle synthesis.

• Enhance gains with Oh!mino® Muscle Synthesis Activator and Creatine Complex, delivering all nine essential amino acids, including BCAAs, electrolytes, and adaptogens to accelerate muscle growth, recovery, and performance.

Understanding EAA Effectiveness for Muscle Gain Beyond Protein

Working out is only half of the process to gaining your dream physique.  The rest of an athlete’s focus will be on consuming enough protein to gain muscle, remain lean and live a healthy life.  Gaining muscle is foundational for any healthy lifestyle.  How does this process work and what is the most efficacious way to consume enough protein for optimal muscle growth and recovery?

Muscle Gain

Gaining muscle mass has been clinically shown to reduce all-cause mortality and the likelihood of developing physiological diseases.  For the athlete, proper muscle mass is essential for performance, regardless of preferred sport.  How is muscle grown and what does it take to maintain this lean mass?

How is Muscle Grown?

When one works out, their muscle mass will be under strain. This strain leads to microtears in the muscle fibers.  The body will then begin to repair these tears, and in so doing, enlarge the muscle.  The enlarged muscle will then have a greater strength output capacity.  As this process is repeated, the athlete’s body continues to repair and improve the worn muscle fibers.

What Does Muscle Need?

The body needs protein to repair torn muscle fibers, as protein is the substance of muscle.  More specifically, muscle needs amino acids, as amino acids are the substance of protein.  When the athlete consumes these amino acids, the body will then have the appropriate material for muscle synthesis.  Muscle synthesis is the body in the state of muscle growth.  When not in a state of synthesis, muscle can be lost. 

Can I Lose Muscle?

Muscle mass will slowly be lost if the body is not supplied with enough amino acids.  The human body will readily burn muscle for fuel unless the muscle is in a state of repair and growth.  Repair will only occur if muscle tissues are being broken down by exercise, and growth will follow only if the body has enough material to properly fix the microtears.  If one is not working out and consuming enough protein, then muscle loss will be the eventual result.

How to Consume Protein

Protein consumption has reached heightened levels of popularity in recent years, and for good reason.  It is essential to consume adequate amounts of protein if one wishes to remain healthy.  Only with enough protein in a diet can one build and maintain muscle.  What are the primary sources of protein?

Foods

Obviously, the most predominant form of protein intake comes from food.  Meat, poultry, fish and dairy all contain the highest amount of protein per serving.  Whole foods must be a core part of every healthy lifestyle.  Protein can also be found in other, non-animal-based foods, however, the most efficient dietary protein will come from animals.

Powders

Many individuals will supplement with protein powders in an effort to hit daily protein consumption goals.  These powders are often derived from dairy or various plants.  Powders do not contain all of the vital nutrients that come with eating whole meats and vegetables.  Even so, they can provide missing daily protein necessary for muscle growth.

Essential Amino Acids

Collagen and Branched Chain Amino Acid supplements may claim to promote muscle synthesis, but their amino acid profiles are incomplete.  While not every Essential Amino Acid supplement has an ideal blend, the products that contain a balanced ratio are the most effective.  By containing each EAA that muscles need, these supplements directly benefit muscle synthesis and recovery.

Two people eating together.

How to Maximize Muscle Growth

To maximize muscle growth, foods, powders and EAA supplements can be utilized.  The body can only synthesize 10-20 grams of new muscle per day (possible only with a consistent training schedule and dietary bulking routine).  In order to allow the body to synthesize muscle, enough amino acids must be present in one’s system.

Foods

Eating in a slight caloric surplus is useful for adding more muscle, aiming for around one gram of protein per pound of body weight.  Eating protein and carbohydrates–both from whole, natural foods–pre- and post-workout will allow the body to replenish and restore more efficiently.  Alongside whole foods must stand proper hydration.  Drinking enough water and consuming enough electrolytes will allow the athlete to push harder in his workouts, priming the body for increased muscle synthesis.

Powders

Vegan, plant-based protein powders can be helpful in supplementing missing dietary protein.  For those who eat animal-based, most other protein powders can be helpful post-workout.  As the body craves nutrients with which to repair muscle, a blast of protein from a shake can be beneficial.  Additionally, casein protein powders can be useful before bed, as the slower release of protein is easier to digest when asleep.

Essential Amino Acids

Consuming EAAs pre-, intra- and post-workout is optimal, as the body craves amino acids the most around each training window.  Even so, taking EEAs is useful during any time of day as the athlete’s body will always be craving key nutrients for repair and growth.  Consumption before bed is also crucial, as the body recovers the most when asleep.

How to Retain Muscle

Once muscle is gained, the focus shifts to how optimal retention is achieved.  Foods, powders and EEA supplements can all be used for a successful maintenance period, with the goal being to remain a certain weight.

Foods

Consuming around one gram of protein for each pound of body weight is a useful rule even in maintenance, however, the athlete must gauge his amount of maintenance calories.  Each individual is different, but once a level of caloric need per day is established, it must be followed consistently.  Eating significantly more will result in fat gain and eating significantly less will result in muscle loss.

Powders

If unable to meet a daily caloric or protein need, powders may be a useful substitute.  High protein shakes will help an athlete meet his needs.  However, protein powders do not digest well for every athlete, and many are missing a complete EAA profile that is essential for muscle retention.  Powders also lack many nutrients found in whole foods, being only necessary if protein goals have not been met. 

Essential Amino Acids

Some EAA supplements contain each amino acid in a balanced ratio, allowing for muscle synthesis to be reached.  When in maintenance, the body’s muscles must still be replenished with enough EAAs.  A complete EAA profile will synthesize and repair muscle even when calories are not in a surplus.

Comparison of two women's biceps and triceps.

Drawbacks

When seeking to gain and retain significant muscle mass, not every dieting strategy is equally effective.  Consuming protein is essential for a healthy lifestyle, but with this goal can come many hurdles.  To ignore the drawbacks of the various strategies for increased protein consumption is to allow for unnecessary setbacks to occur.

Foods

A protein-rich diet is essential for muscle gain and retention.  This can feel overwhelming when the end of the day draws near and one’s caloric needs are not met.  Feeling forced to consume more and more food will lead to indigestion and bloating.  Overeating and under-eating can be the result of various dieting strategies, both leading to unhelpful weight fluctuations.

Powders

Consuming too many servings of protein powders can too cause indigestion and bloating.  Additionally, protein powders do not contain the nutrients of whole foods and may not have a complete EAA profile.  Without a balanced blend of EAAs, improved muscle synthesis will not be reached.  The extra calories and carbs that may accompany protein powders may cause the weight gain that is actively being avoided.

Essential Amino Acids

Since the body needs EAAs to repair muscle, there are no detrimental drawbacks to daily consumption.  Essential Amino Acids are vital for muscle health and growth; the body cannot produce these amino acids and must be fed them from an outside source.  With EAA supplements that do not contain extra ingredients, the supplement will only serve to improve lean mass.

Why Essential Amino Acids are the Most Effective

Essential Amino Acids are not meant to replace food and a balanced, whole diet.  Even so, a complete EAA blend will put muscles into a state of synthesis that cannot be achieved by most powders.  It will be taken into the body quickly and with easier digestion than many foods.

Muscle Synthesis

A complete EAA blend will be many times more effective than whey protein in promoting muscle synthesis.  Many protein powders lack enough EAAs to actually repair muscle.  With a complete EAA blend, the athlete’s body will have the capacity for optimal muscle repair and recovery.

Nutrient Uptake

EAAs do not need to be broken down by the body when consumed; EAAs are absorbed into the body instantly.  Without excess calories and ingredients, EAAs will not cause the athlete to feel overly full and will not get in the way of caloric limits.

Digestion

Many have digestive discomfort with protein powders, and it can be difficult to meet daily protein goals.  Free-form EAAs are absorbed instantly into the body, bypassing long bouts of digestive stress.  While many protein powders will cause bloating, EAAs are simple to digest and will leave the athlete feeling light.

Enhance Your Gains with Oh!mino® Muscle Synthesis Activator & Creatine Complex

Take your muscle-building journey to the next level with Oh!mino®’s next-generation supplements, specifically engineered to maximize strength, endurance, and recovery.

Oh!mino® Muscle Synthesis Activator

Our patented formula delivers all nine essential amino acids, including the crucial BCAAs, in an optimal ratio to fuel muscle growth while minimizing soreness. Designed for pre-, intra-, and post-workout use, it stimulates muscle protein synthesis up to 11x more than whey protein and 20x more than standalone BCAAs, helping you recover faster, reduce stiffness, and train harder. 

Enhanced with adaptogens and fully balanced electrolytes, it supports endurance, hydration, and overall performance. Non-dairy, vegan, and free from sugar, carbs, calories, and artificial additives, it’s a clean, science-backed supplement trusted by athletes.

Oh!mino® Muscle Synthesis Activator supplement container.

Oh!mino® Creatine Complex

Our patented Creatine Complex combines clinically studied forms, micronized Creatine Hydrochloride and Creatine Monohydrate, with adaptogens to boost absorption by over 300%. Each scoop delivers 3 grams of free-form creatine to support muscle growth, enhance recovery, and improve training endurance. 

Delicious lemon-lime flavor makes it easy to stack with our Muscle Synthesis Activator or use on its own for maximum results. Designed for pre- and post-workout consumption, it complements your training regimen while keeping your supplement routine clean, vegan, and free from unnecessary additives.

Together, Oh!mino® Muscle Synthesis Activator and Creatine Complex provide a comprehensive, science-backed approach to building lean muscle, accelerating recovery, and enhancing performance, all with a clean-label formulation that supports serious gains without compromise.

Creatine remains one of the most researched supplements for muscle volume and strength.

Start Your Transformation with Oh!mino® Today!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do EAAs work if daily protein intake is already high?

Of course!  EAAs will help to improve the efficiency of muscle synthesis–it allows for the protein consumed by food to be more readily utilized by lean mass.

Can EAAs preserve muscle while in a caloric deficit?

Yes!  Many athletes take our Muscle Synthesis Activator during a cutting phase because it preserves lean mass by supplying muscles directly with EAAs.  Our MSA is sugar-free, carb-free and keto--the perfect supplement for cutting.

Are EAAs beneficial for all types of athletic performance?

Absolutely!  Regardless of one’s preferred type of activity, EAAs will support muscle recovery and growth.

What is the best timing and dosage for EAAs?

Our Muscle Synthesis Activator works best drinking one to two scoops 20-30 minutes before one’s workout, one scoop during the workout and one to two scoops within 30 minutes of finishing the training session.    

Can EAAs replace protein powders?

Yes, in fact, our MSA is 11x more effective in promoting muscle synthesis than whey protein.  Our MSA is not meant to replace whole foods and overall daily protein intake.  However, if one’s intent for consuming protein powders is to surpass a protein goal, taking EAAs instead will yield better results.  It will more efficiently stimulate muscle synthesis without adding unnecessary calories and carbohydrates.