# Lysine for building muscle in humans?



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I know this amino acid helps horses process protein more efficiently. How about humans? I did a 10 mile hunter pace on Sunday and despite lots of conditioning riding, still have sore muscles on every part of my middle aged body. Baths and wine can only do so much. Has anyone ever tried lysine?


----------



## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

i have taken it, you need to be careful with it, only start very low dose. i used l-lysine in conjuction with b complex for a medical issue


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

This is from a fellow person playing in the third quarter. ;-)

Lysine is good when combined with Vitamin C and zinc to prevent and treat outbreaks of coldsores, and to reduce the reproduction of rhinoviruses (colds), flus and other viruses.

Soreness generally results from strenuous use of muscles over and above conditioning. It's normal to get sore muscles when significantly increasing what you ask of them (or if you're not exercising significantly and strenuously every second day or so). Excessive lactic acid produced from glucose (fuel source) in your muscle cells disrupts the cell membranes and causes inflammation until the body starts breaking the lactic acid down more effectively during exercise. That's one of the main things causing soreness - and Vitamin E is especially good at reducing the problem. Take it *before* you engage in something particularly strenuous to help protect your muscles from damage. We always take it before mountain climbing, for instance.

Soreness is far less an issue of building muscle than it is a matter of needing consistent conditioning and the right nutrition. Alcohol does your muscles no favours - quite the contrary - in more than very small quantities, it adds to the damage when you are already sore - but it may not _feel_ that way because alcohol is also a muscle relaxant. Having said that, the glass of cider after the hay harvest in old days was not excessive - enough to relax the muscles, but not enough to create significant damage. The problem is, people often don't stop after one glass, and then you don't actually feel the damage being caused.

For repairing muscle, as well as for building more, people really don't need to have amino acid supplements unless they are eating so badly they are in danger of not getting all their essential amino acids - highly unlikely in the West. Animal sources like eggs, meat and dairy provide all you need, and combining pulses and grains, corn and beans etc helps get the most out of plant sources, which can be deficient in some amino acids and need complementary sources to make a balance.

More importantly for preventing soreness and increasing general health, though, is eating wholemeal rather than processed grain, lots of vegetables, and fruit - especially highly coloured, fresh fruit and vegetables.

A note from conditioning horses: Azoturia (tying-up) is a condition horses can get after strenuous exercise. It is an extreme version of muscle soreness and is always preventable by proper, gradual, consistent conditioning and ensuring there are no deficiencies particularly in Vitamin E and Selenium.

Stretching before riding may also help reduce soreness...and Pilates is probably the best complementary exercise to horse riding. Should you start that, you will feel even more sore in the beginning than people starting to ride!


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Thanks for the info SueC. I already do pilates and agree I would rather just go for a strenuous ride! It's much easier.


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Yeah, isn't it? Does your instructor make you do 100 of those fancy situps in a row with legs up, and criss-crossing at angles so that you get even more sore than with ordinary situps? That's the biggest killer in the whole session...


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I do my pilates to a dvd in the comfort of my living room. That way I am free to curse at the instructor with no repercussions!


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Haha! 

I can't do them properly at home. I never push myself enough without the group setting and instructor! ;-)


----------



## horsejames (Sep 5, 2016)

L-Lysine (CAS No.56-87-1, HS code292241) is a amino acid manufactured through fermentation, available as yellow powder. Feed Grade L-Lysine used as nutrition supplements in animal feed.


----------



## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

My guess is your activity was a combination of both aerobic and anaerobic activity during your event. It would be quite normal to experience body soreness, even the delayed 48 hour soreness. Unless you train 10 mile hunter paces regularly.

Sue C is on the mark, and also I would suggest any type of gentle, circulation promoting massage, as well as gently stretching.
Sounded like a fun event though! Do you have pics?


----------

