BCAAs stand
for branched chain amino acids, and the branched chain refer to the structure
of the amino acids. The three branched chain amino acids are leucine,
isoleucine, and valine. Out of these three, the most essential is leucine
because it has been known to stimulate protein synthesis (muscle growth) on its
own. They take them with the intention of preventing muscle breakdown,
stimulating muscle mass gain, promoting muscle recovery and reducing fatigue
during endurance training. Protein are made of amino acids, which constitute
their base structural units. There are nine essential amino acids, of which the
body is not able to create by itself and must necessarily find them in food to
meet its needs. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are composed of three of
those essential amino acids which are leucine, isoleucine and valine. It has
been suggested that supplementation with BCAAs could potentially promote muscle
mass gain, decrease protein breakdown in the muscle, and delay fatigue in
endurance events.
However, all
studies were not able to demonstrate the effects of BCAAs on performance or on
delay in the onset of fatigue and, therefore, prolongation of the duration of
exercise. It should be known that muscle synthesis requires the presence of all
the essential amino acids. In addition, taking such supplements may be
accompanied by undesirable effects such as the inhibition of absorption of
other amino acids, water retention in the stomach and gastrointestinal disorders.
Many athletes take a BCAA supplement during weight training exercises, thinking
that it will prevent the breakdown of muscle mass. However, during physical
activity, carbohydrates are the best source of energy for the muscles. Thus, it
is rather a lack of carbohydrates that could cause the degradation of proteins
to provide the muscles with the missing energy, thus decreasing performance,
since proteins are not an effective source of energy for the muscles. It is
also important to know that branched-chain amino acids are abundant in our
diet. A tablet of BCAA is composed on average of 100mg of valine, 50mg of isoleucine
and 100mg of leucine.
In
conclusion, yes BCAAs are important for building muscle, but they can be easily
found in high quality proteins such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy
products, combinations of vegetable proteins and even whey protein isolate
(whey protein powder), which already contain them naturally. In this sense, if
you have an optimal protein intake (20 to 30g of protein per meal), taking a
BCAA supplement will not bring you additional benefits. An
amino acid or branched chain amino acid are made up of three different types of
amino acids; Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine which in return allows the muscles
to grow quicker, a result in anyone’s gym routine. These can also help you
achieve greater fitness goals by helping reduce fatigue, through reducing
serotonin, this shows why taking BCAA’s before and after your workout can be an
ideal solution to train harder and recover quicker! It is proven that BCAA’s
also reduce muscle soreness, so in conclusion whether you’re looking to gain
mass or recover after your cardio session BCAA’s work for every athlete out
there.