Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)
What is it?
When you eat protein, the stomach digests it and turns it into individual amino acids or short chains of amino acids that are small enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream. These amino acids have many beneficial effects such as building and repairing tissues and producing chemicals that enable our brains to function well. Non-essential amino acids can be produced by the body whereas essential amino acids cannot and must be gained through an intake of high protein foods or combinations of incomplete vegetables.
Branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine), or BCAA's, are a group of essential amino acids that play important roles in protein synthesis and energy production because they are metabolized into the muscle, rather than the liver. BCAA’s are the building blocks of protein.
How does it work?
Around 15-25% of a person’s protein intake is BCAA’s. BCAA’s are said to make up around one third of skeletal muscle in the human body and 14% of amino acids in the skeletal muscle, so you start to understand the importance of BCAA’s in a bodybuilders diet.
BCAA’s also promote the production of other amino acids such as Glutamine, also promoting protein synthesis via multiple pathways
BCAA’s affect the metabolic pathway mainly by its content of Leucine, which stimulates the production and release of insulin following resistance exercise by as much as 221%.
Why take a BCAA supplement?
Although many western diets are rich in high protein foods and therefore BCAA’s, supplementation decreases the chance of muscle loss after intensive exercise and preserve stores of glycogen (a carbohydrate that can be converted into energy), therefore increasing the body’s fuel supply.
As with most forms of natural supplementation, such as Glutamine or testosterone supplements, the purpose of the supplement is to elevate levels of a particular product in your body to maximise the effect of cardio-vascular or strength exercise or activity and prevent a dietary deficiency. After exercise, it has been shown that there is a significant decrease in bodybuilder’s plasma leucine levels, despite supplementing with additional protein. The supplementation of BCAA’s prevents the decline, both short and long-term and increases the muscle concentration of BCAA’s. In skeletal muscle, Leucine stimulates protein synthesis through a number of pathways including increased insulin secretion, increasing the body’s protein balance.
Also, as BCAA’s are the only amino acids that are not readily degraded in the liver, BCAA supplements will increase their concentration in the blood and other tissues.
What are the side-effects?
There are no side-effects relating to any over-dose of branched chain amino acids due to the fact that high intakes of BCAA’s are simply converted in other amino acids and used as energy.
As a precaution, people with kidney or liver disease should not consume large quantities of BCAA’s without consulting their doctor first.
How do I use a BCAA supplement?
We recommend following the guidelines on the packaging as to the correct dosage of any particular BCAA, although as stated above, the guidelines are usually the minimum requirement and an increase in suggested dosage would not cause problems, especially while participating in anaerobic exercise or weightlifting. An adequate amount of BCAA for most people is about 25-65mg per pound of bodyweight, although as discussed during the article, it is important for athletes and bodybuilders diet’s to contain high levels.
It is advisable to take BCAA supplement products with whole proteins such as lean meat or poultry, as well as multi-vitamins and minerals.
Did you know?
Another theory as to the important of BCAA’s is that they can move through the blood stream to the brain and decrease the production of serotonin, thereby lowering mental fatigue and the feeling of tiredness, something vitally important to any athlete.
Other good sources of BCAA’s are dairy products, red meat, whey, protein and eggs.
Check out our great BCAA range: BCAA’s