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The evolution of the genetic improvement of broiler strains allowed significant gains in weight gain, breast yield and feed conversion, making the poultry industry one of the most competitive production chains in the country. Considering that nutrition is responsible for the largest portion of production costs, the formulation of balanced diets is of utmost importance to provide maximum food efficiency and better productive performance. The emergence of industrial amino acids at affordable prices, allowed the elaboration of rations based on the concept of ideal protein, which aims to reduce the crude protein content of rations and provide an amino acid profile that more closely meets the needs of poultry, thus improving nutrient utilization and decreasing the excretion of dietary nitrogen in the environment. These effects provide greater economic benefits to producers and less environmental pollution. However, in order for the objectives of the ideal protein concept to be achieved, it is important to have accurate knowledge of amino acid requirements, to meet the order of limitation, and to provide an adequate balance between nutritionally essential and non-essential amino acids. Therefore, the objective of this review was to demonstrate the importance of amino acids in the formulation of broiler diets, as well as an approach to the general aspects of the first limiting amino acids for birds, being methionine and lysine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]