Branch Chain Amino Acid Supplementation

The branch chain amino acid supplement or BCAAs have the three essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine. From a chemical structure each of these amino acids has a forked outcropping that looks a lot like a branch.  This ability of BCAAs to delay fatigue via this brain mechanism also means that branch chain amino acid supplement is not just beneficial for the body but also in the brain as well. By reducing levels of exercise-induced 5-HT in the brain, you reduce mental fatigue, which keeps you sharper mentally. This is one reason that endurance athletes and other high-intensity competitors take branch chain amino acid supplement which is to keep sharp when they're approaching physical exhaustion. Many people take on branch chain amino acid supplement throughout the work day for the same reason. They are metabolized primarily in skeletal muscles, while other amino acids are metabolized in the liver, which is why some think they must take branch chain amino acid supplement if they're engaging in strenuous exercise. BCAAs are often referred to help repair damaged muscles, decrease muscle soreness and increase muscle function. Some research shows that BCAA supplementation before and after exercise has beneficial effects for decreasing exercise-induced muscle damage and promoting muscle-protein synthesis.

The intake of branch chain amino acid supplement may promote an anabolic hormone profile which is causing muscle repair after workouts while also decreasing the likelihood of training-induced muscle damage. A study examined a group of men and women given BCAA supplements and others given a placebo as they did multiple testing days involving intense activities which were used to promote delayed muscle soreness. Both sexes reported less soreness when they were given the supplements. Studies like this one and many others lead experts to believe it's possible to consider branch chain amino acid supplement as a useful for muscle recovery. Branch chain amino acid supplement appears to be safe for most people when used. Side effects may include fatigue and loss of coordination. For healthy people, excess protein hasn't been proven to be harmful. Athletes on high protein diets should stay well-hydrated, as water loss can be increased from nitrogen excretion during protein breakdown.

In the absence of branch chain amino acid supplement, testosterone levels drop to baseline levels when exercise is stopped. However, branched chain amino acids have been shown to keep testosterone elevated for up to several hours after exercise which explains that protein synthesis can take place long after the last repetition has been completed. The branch chain amino acid supplement is clearly great mass-building supplements, but they also can aid in fat loss. Researchers have yet to determine precisely how this happens, but they've offered up several theories to explain the startling results they've seen.

One of the first studies to discover this benefit was on competitive wrestlers, which found that those who were supplementing with BCAAs while following a low-calorie diet experienced a greater drop in body fat, particularly in the waist, as compared to those taking a placebo. Some studies also found that the lifters taking branch chain amino acid supplement lost about twice as much body fat as those people taking whey protein without added branch chain amino acid supplement.