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🧑🚀The Astronaut Shortcut to Muscle
Tuesday Sync Stack: How EAAs fuel growth—even without exercise.
Jaylene + Aaron Patelzick
September 16, 2025
In partnership with
Happy Tuesday. A few weeks ago, we shared our research on whether we should be eating more protein and helped you calculate your optimal intake. But Aaron and I kept digging into the research, and what we found completely shifts how we think about protein. It's not just about hitting those gram targets—it's about what happens at the cellular level. The studies were too compelling to ignore, so we're experimenting on ourselves and wanted to share this new approach with you...
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We've always focused on protein quantity, but new science shows that what's inside the protein matters more than the grams on your plate. That's where EAAs (essential amino acids) come in.
📚 What Are EAAs?
Proteins are made of 20 amino acids, but 9 are essential — your body can't make them. These EAAs drive muscle repair, energy production, neurotransmitters (think dopamine + serotonin), and even detox pathways.
💡 Why Proteins Aren't Equal
Plant proteins (beans, grains, nuts) → often incomplete, lower in key EAAs like leucine. You can get complete EAAs from plants, but you'd have to overconsume calories and combine multiple sources. Exceptions: spirulina and soy come closer to animal protein quality.
Dairy + eggs → higher in bioavailable EAAs.
Meat → rich in EAAs plus extra nutrients like iron and creatine.
Whey protein → 3x more potent at stimulating muscle protein turnover than steak gram-for-gram.
EAAs supplements → at least 3x more potent than whey.
👉 Translation: Not all protein grams deliver equal results.
⚡ EAAs vs. Whole Protein
Whole food protein is nutritious, but digestion slows the release of amino acids. EAAs, in contrast, are rapidly absorbed and hit peak blood concentrations much faster.
Here's the kicker: even high-quality whey protein is only 45% essential amino acids, while EAA supplements are 100% essential amino acids—over twice the density per gram. Plus, they don't need to be digested and are immediately available to the blood.
The aging advantage gets even more dramatic: As we get older, we digest protein less efficiently and need more leucine specifically. For women in their 60s, leucine-enriched EAAs are 6x more impactful than whey protein. Studies show 3 grams of EAAs equal 20 grams of whey protein in effectiveness.
🪐 NASA Bed Rest Study
Astronaut research gave us a striking insight: bedridden individuals maintained muscle using EAAs alone — even without exercise. That's controversial, but it highlights how directly EAAs stimulate protein synthesis. Exercise + EAAs together are even more powerful.
🥩 Food Timing Insight
Ron Swanson had it right when he told Leslie, "Since I am not a rabbit, no I would not" want salad. Turns out there's science behind eating that steak solo. If you eat a 5oz steak alone, more EAAs get absorbed than if you eat the same steak with potatoes and broccoli.
Add whey protein into the mix, and it's even more potent. But EAA supplements? They blow past both.
🙋 Who Benefits Most?
Adults over 40 → combat muscle loss
Athletes → speed recovery
Busy professionals → steady energy + focus
People with gut issues or MTHFR → easier utilization vs. whole protein
Anyone who struggles to hit protein targets daily
🧪 Our Experiment
We're testing Kion Aminos for muscle recovery, energy, and neurotransmitter balance. The science suggests one scoop can do more than another chicken breast when it comes to protein synthesis potency. We'll keep you posted on what we notice.
🔗 Try It Yourself
Here's our referral link if you want to experiment and get $20 off your first order.
💬 Have you tried EAAs? We'd love to hear your results — reply and share your story.
Here's to stronger muscles and better energy,
— Jaylene + Aaron
⚠️ As always, talk with your healthcare provider before starting new supplements.
📚 References
Should you be taking amino supplements instead? [The Neuro Experience]
Skeletal Muscle Response to Bed Rest and Cortisol Induced Stress [NSLP]
Attenuation of the protein wasting associated with bed rest by branched-chain amino acids [NTRS]
Consuming Whey Protein with Added Essential Amino Acids, Not Carbohydrate, Maintains Postexercise Anabolism While Underfed [PubMed]
Supplementation with essential amino acids in the early stage of carbohydrate reintroduction after a very-low energy ketogenic therapy (VLEKT) improves body cell mass, muscle strength and inflammation [PubMed]
Essential Amino Acids and Protein Synthesis: Insights into Maximizing the Muscle and Whole-Body Response to Feeding [MDPI]
Role of Essential Amino Acids in Age-Induced Bone Loss [PubMed]
Digestion and absorption [ScienceDirect]
🛑 P.S…Two quick asks before you go.
Found something you think we should try? Reply and let us know—or DM us on IG @syncyourwellness.
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