Amino Acids, Creatine, and the Science of Better Performance - Body of Harmony

Amino Acids, Creatine, and the Science of Better Performance

by: Payam Hakimi
August 2026
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Why Performance Is More Than Energy

When people think about exercise performance, they often think about energy and stimulation. A cup of coffee, a high-caffeine pre-workout, or a quick source of carbohydrates may provide a noticeable boost—but physical performance is considerably more complex.

Optimal performance requires the coordinated function of multiple physiological systems:

ATP production and energy availability
Muscle protein synthesis and repair
Neuromuscular communication
Blood flow and oxygen delivery
Acid-base regulation and fatigue resistance
Hydration and cellular function
Neurotransmitter production
Mental focus and alertness
Recovery and adaptation

This is where amino acids and creatine become particularly important.

Rather than simply asking, “What will give me more energy before a workout?” a better question is:

What nutrients can support the different biological systems that allow the body and brain to perform, adapt, and recover?

Body of Harmony Pre-Performance was formulated around this broader concept.

Amino Acids: The Building Blocks of Performance

Amino acids are commonly described as the building blocks of proteins, but their role extends far beyond muscle tissue.

They participate in neurotransmitter production, energy metabolism, cellular signaling, tissue repair, immune function, antioxidant production, and numerous other biochemical pathways.

Of the 20 amino acids used to build human proteins, nine are considered essential amino acids (EAAs) because the body cannot synthesize them in sufficient quantities and therefore must obtain them from the diet.

These nine amino acids are:

Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine

EAAs are particularly important for maintaining and building skeletal muscle because muscle protein synthesis requires the availability of all of the necessary amino acids.

Research summarized by the International Society of Sports Nutrition indicates that free-form EAAs can rapidly increase circulating amino acid concentrations and stimulate muscle protein synthesis. The anabolic response is particularly relevant when combined with resistance exercise.

Why Leucine Matters

Among the essential amino acids, leucine has a special role.

Leucine acts not only as a substrate for protein synthesis but also as a metabolic signal. It activates the mTORC1 signaling pathway, one of the central pathways involved in regulating muscle protein synthesis.

However, this is an important distinction:

Leucine turns on the signal, but the other essential amino acids provide much of the material required to build the protein.

This is one reason a complete EAA profile can be more physiologically logical than relying on leucine or BCAAs alone.

A formula containing leucine, isoleucine, and valine provides the three BCAAs, but a broader EAA profile supplies the remaining essential amino acids needed for protein synthesis.

Amino Acids Are More Than Muscle

The importance of amino acids extends into the nervous system.

Phenylalanine can serve as a precursor to tyrosine and, subsequently, to catecholamine neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.

Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin.

Methionine participates in methylation reactions and contributes to the production of glutathione through downstream metabolic pathways.

Lysine contributes to protein synthesis as well as carnitine and collagen-related pathways.

Threonine participates in protein synthesis and connective-tissue and immune-related processes.

In other words, amino acids form a biochemical bridge between muscle, metabolism, recovery, and the nervous system.

That broader perspective is central to the design of Pre-Performance.

Creatine: The Cellular Energy System

Creatine is one of the most extensively studied nutritional supplements in sports science.

Its primary role is closely connected to the body's ATP-phosphocreatine energy system.

ATP—adenosine triphosphate—is the immediate energy currency used by cells. During short, intense efforts such as resistance training, sprinting, jumping, or repeated high-intensity exercise, the body must regenerate ATP rapidly.

Creatine contributes to this process through the phosphocreatine system.

By increasing intramuscular creatine stores, supplementation can improve the body's ability to regenerate ATP during high-intensity activity. This is one of the major reasons creatine supplementation is consistently associated with improvements in high-intensity exercise capacity, strength, and training adaptations.

Creatine is therefore fundamentally different from caffeine.

Caffeine primarily influences perception, alertness, and nervous-system stimulation.

Creatine supports the cellular energy system that actually fuels repeated high-intensity muscular work.

That distinction is important.

Creatine and the Brain

Creatine is also present in the brain, where it participates in cellular energy metabolism.

Research has demonstrated that supplementation can increase brain creatine concentrations, although evidence for measurable improvements in cognition remains mixed and appears to depend on factors such as population, baseline creatine status, and experimental conditions.

Therefore, the most established reason to include creatine in a performance formula remains physical performance and high-intensity energy metabolism, while potential cognitive effects are an interesting area of ongoing research.

Why Body of Harmony Pre-Performance Is Different

Body of Harmony Pre-Performance takes a different approach from many traditional pre-workout formulas.

Many conventional pre-workouts are built primarily around:

stimulant → energy → workout

Pre-Performance is designed around a broader physiological model:

energy + ATP regeneration + blood flow + fatigue resistance + amino acids + neuromuscular function + cognitive focus + recovery support

This distinction is important because performance is not controlled by a single pathway.

The formula combines several complementary categories of nutrients.

The Physical Performance Complex

L-Citrulline Malate — 3 g

Citrulline is a precursor to arginine and supports nitric oxide production, which is involved in vascular regulation and blood flow.

The rationale for using citrulline in exercise is to support blood flow and nutrient delivery to active tissues.

Clinical evidence is mixed, but meta-analyses have found small potential benefits in some resistance-exercise settings, particularly with higher doses of citrulline malate. A 2021 meta-analysis found that 6–8 g of citrulline malate taken approximately 40–60 minutes before resistance exercise produced a modest increase in repetitions to fatigue.

More recent evidence continues to suggest that any benefit is likely to be modest and context-dependent, rather than universal.

The inclusion of citrulline therefore complements the formula's creatine and amino acid components by addressing a different aspect of exercise physiology: vascular support and substrate delivery.

Creatine Monohydrate — 3 g

Creatine monohydrate is included as the formula's principal ATP-supporting ingredient.

Three grams provides a meaningful daily amount and is within the range commonly used for ongoing creatine supplementation.

Its role is fundamentally different from that of stimulants:

Creatine helps support the energy system.

It does not need to create a subjective “rush” to be useful.

Consistent creatine supplementation increases intramuscular creatine stores and can support high-intensity exercise performance and training adaptations.

Beta-Alanine — 2 g

Beta-alanine is the precursor to carnosine in skeletal muscle.

Carnosine helps buffer hydrogen ions generated during intense exercise, contributing to the muscle's ability to maintain performance as acidity increases.

The strongest evidence for beta-alanine involves consistent daily supplementation rather than simply taking it immediately before a workout. The ISSN position stand identifies approximately 4–6 g daily for at least 2–4 weeks as the commonly studied approach for substantially increasing muscle carnosine.

Pre-Performance therefore provides beta-alanine as part of a broader formula, although users seeking the full beta-alanine loading effect may require additional daily intake depending on their total dietary supplementation.

Betaine Anhydrous — 1 g

Betaine is involved in methylation and homocysteine metabolism and has also been investigated in the context of exercise performance, muscular strength, body composition, and cellular hydration.

Its inclusion adds another metabolic dimension to the formula rather than simply duplicating the actions of creatine, caffeine, or amino acids.

The Complete Amino Acid Matrix

The amino acid component of Pre-Performance is designed to provide the substrates needed for muscle protein synthesis and a range of other metabolic processes.

L-Glutamine — 1.5 g

Glutamine is abundant in skeletal muscle and participates in nitrogen transport, immune function, and gastrointestinal physiology.

During periods of significant physiological stress, glutamine metabolism can increase substantially.

Its inclusion complements the essential amino acids by providing a non-essential amino acid with broader metabolic functions.

L-Leucine — 1.1 g

Leucine is the principal anabolic signaling amino acid.

It plays an important role in activating mTORC1 signaling and stimulating muscle protein synthesis.

But Pre-Performance does not rely on leucine alone.

That is an important distinction.

The formula pairs leucine with the other essential amino acids so that the anabolic signal is accompanied by additional amino acid substrates.

L-Lysine — 1.1 g

Lysine is an essential amino acid involved in protein synthesis and contributes to pathways related to collagen formation and carnitine production.

Its presence broadens the amino acid profile beyond the traditional BCAA-centered approach.

L-Phenylalanine — 600 mg

Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid and precursor to tyrosine, which participates in the synthesis of catecholamine neurotransmitters.

This creates an interesting connection between amino acid nutrition and the nervous system.

L-Threonine — 600 mg

Threonine is required for protein synthesis and contributes to structural proteins and other physiological pathways.

It is another component that helps create a more complete amino acid profile.

L-Isoleucine — 550 mg

Isoleucine is one of the three branched-chain amino acids.

It participates in muscle metabolism and energy-related pathways and works alongside leucine and valine.

L-Valine — 550 mg

Valine completes the BCAA trio.

Together, leucine, isoleucine, and valine provide the three branched-chain amino acids while the additional EAAs broaden the nutritional profile.

L-Methionine — 350 mg

Methionine is an essential sulfur-containing amino acid involved in protein synthesis and methylation.

It also contributes to pathways involved in glutathione synthesis, linking amino acid metabolism with antioxidant defense.

L-Tryptophan — 150 mg

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid and precursor to serotonin and melatonin.

Its inclusion recognizes that performance isn't exclusively about muscular output.

Recovery, mood, stress regulation, and sleep are also part of performance.

The Cognitive and Neuromuscular Complex

One of the distinguishing features of Pre-Performance is that it does not treat physical performance and mental performance as separate systems.

The brain and muscles communicate continuously through the nervous system.

Taurine — 500 mg

Taurine is an amino-acid-like compound with important roles in cellular osmoregulation, neuromuscular function, cardiovascular physiology, and mitochondrial biology.

Its inclusion provides additional support for the nervous system and cellular environment without relying exclusively on stimulants.

Alpha-GPC — 100 mg

Alpha-GPC is a source of choline and can increase choline availability for acetylcholine synthesis.

Acetylcholine is important for memory, attention, and neuromuscular signaling.

That makes Alpha-GPC particularly interesting in a pre-performance formula because acetylcholine participates in both cognitive function and communication between nerves and skeletal muscle.

Choline Bitartrate — 250 mg

Choline provides another source of substrate for acetylcholine synthesis and is also an important structural component of cell membranes.

Choline therefore contributes to the formula's brain-and-neuromuscular focus.

Importantly, the formula contains both choline bitartrate and Alpha-GPC, providing choline through two distinct forms.

Caffeine + L-Theanine: Focus Without Excessive Stimulation

Caffeine — 50 mg

Caffeine is one of the best-studied ergogenic aids.

It can increase alertness and reduce the perception of effort while supporting exercise performance.

But more is not necessarily better.

Many pre-workout formulas contain very high caffeine doses that can produce unwanted effects such as jitteriness, nervousness, elevated heart rate, or sleep disruption.

Pre-Performance takes a deliberately conservative approach with 50 mg of caffeine.

The objective is not to overwhelm the nervous system.

It is to provide a modest stimulant component within a much broader performance formula.

L-Theanine — 50 mg

L-theanine is an amino acid found naturally in tea.

It is commonly paired with caffeine because the combination is intended to provide alertness with a smoother subjective experience.

This creates an important conceptual distinction:

Stimulation is not the same as focus.

The goal of the caffeine/theanine combination is to support alertness while avoiding the feeling that performance depends on progressively higher stimulant doses.

B Vitamins and Essential Nutrients

Vitamin B6 as P5P — 5 mg

Pyridoxal-5-phosphate is the active coenzyme form of vitamin B6.

Vitamin B6 participates in numerous enzymatic reactions involving amino acid metabolism and neurotransmitter synthesis.

Its presence is particularly relevant in an amino-acid-rich formula because amino acid metabolism depends on vitamin B6-dependent enzymatic pathways.

Vitamin B12 as Methylcobalamin — 300 mcg

Vitamin B12 is required for normal neurological function, red blood cell formation, and DNA synthesis.

Methylcobalamin is a biologically active form of B12.

The very high percentage of the Daily Value on the label should not be interpreted as meaning that more B12 automatically produces more energy. Rather, B12 helps ensure adequate availability of an essential nutrient involved in normal cellular and neurological physiology.

Calcium — 40 mg

Calcium is involved in muscle contraction and nerve signaling as well as skeletal health.

Its inclusion provides a small amount of a mineral directly involved in neuromuscular physiology.

Iron — 0.12 mg

Iron is essential for hemoglobin and oxygen transport.

The amount in Pre-Performance is intentionally small, providing only 1% of the Daily Value. It should not be viewed as an iron supplement or as a treatment for iron deficiency.

The Synergy: Why Combine These Ingredients?

The most interesting aspect of Pre-Performance is not any single ingredient.

It is the architecture of the formula.

Consider what happens during a demanding workout.

The muscle requires rapid ATP regeneration.

Creatine supports the phosphocreatine energy system.

The muscle needs sufficient amino acid availability to support repair and adaptation.

Essential amino acids and leucine provide substrates and anabolic signaling.

The muscle produces metabolic byproducts during high-intensity work.

Beta-alanine-derived carnosine helps buffer hydrogen ions.

The working tissue requires adequate vascular support.

Citrulline supports the nitric oxide pathway.

The nervous system must coordinate movement.

Choline, Alpha-GPC, taurine, and B6 support pathways involved in neuromuscular and neurological function.

The brain must maintain alertness and attention.

Caffeine and L-theanine provide a carefully calibrated combination of stimulation and focused alertness.

And throughout the process, vitamins and amino acids participate in the biochemical reactions necessary for energy metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, protein synthesis, and cellular maintenance.

This is why the formula is better understood as a multi-system performance platform rather than simply a pre-workout stimulant.

Why This Approach May Be More Complete Than a Traditional Pre-Workout

The conventional pre-workout model often centers on a few familiar ingredients:

Caffeine + pump ingredients + perhaps creatine

That approach can certainly be effective.

But it does not necessarily address the full spectrum of physiological demands associated with training.

Pre-Performance takes a broader approach by combining:

Energy

Creatine + B vitamins + amino acid metabolism

Muscle

Essential amino acids + leucine + BCAAs + creatine

Blood Flow

Citrulline

Fatigue Resistance

Beta-alanine + creatine + betaine

Neuromuscular Function

Choline + Alpha-GPC + taurine

Cognitive Performance

Alpha-GPC + choline + caffeine + L-theanine

Recovery and Metabolic Support

Essential amino acids + glutamine + methionine + tryptophan + vitamins

This creates a formulation philosophy that is fundamentally different from simply increasing the amount of caffeine.

The Important Difference: Performance Without Over-Stimulation

The goal of a sophisticated performance formula should not necessarily be to make someone feel stimulated.

The goal is to help the body perform.

There is an important difference.

A high-caffeine product may produce a dramatic subjective sensation, but subjective stimulation is only one component of performance.

Pre-Performance instead attempts to support several biological systems simultaneously:

Fuel the muscle.
Support ATP regeneration.
Provide amino acid substrates.
Support blood flow.
Help manage fatigue.
Support neuromuscular communication.
Support cognitive focus.
And provide measured stimulation.

That is a fundamentally different approach to pre-performance nutrition.

A More Complete Definition of Performance

Performance is not simply how much weight you can lift or how fast you can run.

Performance is the ability of the body and brain to coordinate energy production, muscular contraction, neural signaling, focus, endurance, adaptation, and recovery.

A well-designed performance formula should therefore reflect the complexity of human physiology.

Body of Harmony Pre-Performance was designed with that philosophy in mind.

Rather than asking:

“How much stimulation can we put into a pre-workout?”

the better question is:

“What does the body actually need to perform?”

That question leads to a very different formulation.

And that is the concept behind Pre-Performance:

More than energy.

More than a pump.

More than amino acids.

More than creatine.

A comprehensive approach to physical and cognitive performance.

Body of Harmony Pre-Performance™ — designed to support the body and brain before performance begins.

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