Abstract
Tryptophan is the precursor for the important neurotransmitter, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). Tryptophan is unique among amino acids in that some of it binds to albumin in the blood: thus, blood contains both bound and free tryptophan. Free tryptophan is thought to compete with some other amino acids, particularly the branched chain amino acids (valine, leucine and isoleucine; BCAA) for entry into the brain across the blood-brain barrier (19). There is evidence that changes in the concentration of plasma free tryptophan may influence the level of 5-HT within the brain (see 14). An increase in the plasma concentration ratio of free tryptophan/BCAA could therefore lead to a marked increase in the rate of entry of tryptophan into the brain, and consequently to an increase in the concentration of 5-HT in some areas of the brain. This has been shown to be the case in the rat (6).
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Newsholme, E.A., Castell, L.M. (1996). Can Amino Acids Influence Exercise Performance in Athletes?. In: Steinacker, J.M., Ward, S.A. (eds) The Physiology and Pathophysiology of Exercise Tolerance. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5887-3_39
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