The secret to strong muscles Q: Both my legs from the knee down are practically useless and I seem to drop everything I pick up. Do you have any information on this illness? Is it a lack of a vitamin? Dr. Wright: If you haven't already consulted a neurologist to rule out various neurologic diseases that may be causing your symptoms, please do! If you're sure that there's no neurological problem involved, you may want to have your essential amino acid levels tested. Since muscle is mostly protein, and protein is synthesized from amino acids, essential amino acid deficiencies can cause muscle weakness. Deficiencies often result from poor protein digestion, so having your digestive function tested is also a good idea. If such a deficiency is found, trying a supplement that includes all of the essential amino acids would likely be worthwhile. The eight essential amino acids are as follows: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. The only formulation I'm aware of that contains all eight essential amino acids and no "non-essential" amino acids is called "EgEssentials" by Bio-Tech Pharmacal and is available through many natural food stores and compounding pharmacies. Essential amino acids are very safe; the total "daily requirement" is usually estimated at a minimum 50 to 60 grams daily. When there's a deficiency, it's usually necessary to take a total of 5 to 10 grams daily to bring levels up to the "daily requirement" level. It can take several weeks to notice improvement. If there's no improvement at all in three to four months, this probably isn't the answer. To have an essential amino acid (blood) and/or a digestive function test done, contact a member of the American College for Advancement in Medicine (800-532-3688, www.acam.org) or the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (703-610-9037, www.naturopathic.org). | 
