Forty Nellore bulls, with 240 kg initial live weight (LW), were used. Four were reference bulls, four were fed for maintenance, and the remaining were allotted to eight treatments, with four different concentrate levels in the diets (20, 40, 60 and 80%) and two levels of crude protein (CP) (15 and 18%). The growing phase was evaluated up to 360 kg of LW and the fattening phase, up to 450 kg of LW. The roughage used was Tyfton bermudagrass hay (Cynodon dactylon). After slaughter, all animal body parts were weighed and sampled. The samples were freeze dried to determine the dry matter, pre-degreased with ether, grinded and the concentrations of amino acids were determined. The net amino acids requirements for gain were calculated according to the factorial method, where the protein gain was multiplied by the empty body amino acids composition. The net amino acids requirements for maintenance were estimated. The sum of the metabolizable requirements for maintenance and gain composed the total metabolizable amino acids requirements. The net amino acids requirements for gain decreased with the increase of the animals live weight. The total metabolizable amino acids requirements, expressed in percentage of the total essential amino acids, did not change a lot as live weight increased, and the mean values were 2.66, 15.11, 6.09, 8.64, 9.26, 18.48, 8.33, 12.01, and 19.41 for methionine, lysine, histidine, phenylalanine, threonine, leucine, isoleucine, valine and arginine, respectively.
amino acids; needs; Nellore
