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birdinflight said:
Since the supplements they sell are various amino acids, I thought it might help to increase protein in my diet.

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Unless your diet is grossly deficient in particular amino acids (the essential aminos), which usually arises when a vegetarian does not properly combine families of plant sources, then simply increasing your protein intake is unlikely to produce results similar to amino acid supplementation.

When one uses an amino supplement, there is a fairly brief but substantial spike in blood concentration of that amino. During that blood spike, tissues can absorb the amino preferentially. That changes the output of various enzymatic processes. For example, a tryptophan supp will enhance formation of serotonin. Tryptophan must be pumped across the blood/brain barrier, and it must compete for that transporter site. Tryptophan supps are best taken on an empty stomach, about 30-45 minutes prior to consuming something that will cause a spike in insulin secretion, i.e. something sweet. The insulin drives tryptophan's competitor amino acids into muscle tissue, leaving tryptophan with near exclusive access to the brain transporter. You can't accomplish this with food, no matter how you try to do it.

Tyrosine is a precursor to dopamine. Phenylalanine is one step back from tryptophan, but it has the alternative pathway towards PEA (phenylalanine, another 'feel good' molecule) that tyrosine lacks. Man-made phenylalanine (called DLPA) further enhances PEA formation.

Both tyrosine and phenylalanine can also enhance norepinephrine production.

Notwithstanding what I said about food being unable to accomplish the effects seen with pure amino supplements, hydrolyzed protein powders (usually from whey or soya), do demonstrate some benefits. It's possible that many people have unrecognized malabsorption issues (caused by poor digestion), and the pre-digested protein in the hydrolyzed proteins enhances absorption. That's just a theory, though.

You'll only know if these might work for you, by doing the experiments. You can't think your way to the answer.

Lar