BCAAs Job in Your Body

BCAA stands for “branched-chain amino acids.” These amino acids make up 30 percent of your muscle mass and are usually used in hopes of reducing muscle soreness, supporting muscle growth, and sustaining muscle mass. BCAA supplements are essential, which means that they must be consumed through what you eat and drink, as opposed to non-essential, meaning that your body can manufacture them for you with proper nutrition. Your body needs BCAAs to sustain you, but you don’t necessarily have to get them from a supplement, especially if you don’t work out. For many people who aren’t trying to build or sustain muscle, diet alone gives them all the BCAAs they need. When you are training to develop a stronger, more powerful body, it is essential to stimulate and fuel your muscles at the cellular level. Branch chain amino acids (BCAA's), valine, leucine, and isoleucine, make up approximately 1/3 of muscle protein. Taking BCAA supplements reduces muscle fatigue, speed recovery, decrease the loss of other amino acids from muscle during exercise and help the body absorb protein. A deficiency in any one of these aminos will cause muscle loss. Unlike other amino acids, BCAA's are metabolized in the muscle and not the liver. The big benefit you'll experience if you supplement your diet with branched-chain amino acids is that you can rest assured that you will not experience deficiencies in overall amino acid levels. Many of those who are on highly restricted diets will run the risk of not taking in the essential amino acids, so this supplement helps make up for that.

BCAA's act as nitrogen carriers which assist the muscles in synthesizing other aminos needed for anabolic muscle action. In simpler terms, it is a combining of simpler aminos to form a complex whole muscle tissue. Therefore, BCAA supplements stimulates production of insulin, the main function of which is to allow circulating blood sugar to be taken up by the muscle cells and used as a source of energy. This insulin production promotes amino acid uptake by the muscle. BCAA's are both anabolic and anti-catabolic because of their ability to significantly increase protein synthesis, facilitate the release of hormones such as growth hormone (GH), IGF-1, insulin and helps maintain a favorable testosterone to cortisol ratio. For optimum results in supplement form, it is desirable to take your branch chains separately from the other amino groupings if for no other reason than the fact that they totally dominate the race for entry into the body systems. Basically, they account for upward to 80-90 percent of the total amino acid uptake in the three-hour period following a meal. Many individuals do a good job of making sure they are taking in enough protein and carbohydrates during the pre- and post-workout period. More often, they will even go to the extent of looking into other supplements that will help them take their results further, such as creatine or glutamine, but yet still overlook the benefits of a good branched-chain amino acid product.

Keeping in mind that the main component BCAA uptake is elevated blood sugar and insulin spike. Taking BCAA supplements with each meal and before and after a workout is ideal. They should also be taken within 30-60 minutes preceding and following an intense workout to assist in muscle regenerate process and create premium anabolic conditions.