Is it worth taking BCAAs and how to do it right

What are BCAAs

BCAAs are three BCAAs: Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. They are not produced in the body and must be ingested with food.

BCAA make up 25-50% of all amino acids in animal protein sources: meat and chicken, milk, eggs and fish. They are also present in plant foods, but not all at once. To get a complete set, you need to combine legumes, grains, seeds, and nuts.

Our muscles also contain BCAAs. This irreplaceable trinity makes up 14–35% of the protein of skeletal muscles and, unlike other amino acids, is processed not in the liver, but directly in the muscles.

BCAA supplements contain leucine, isoleucine, and valine in 2: 1: 1 ratios and come in a variety of flavors of capsule or powder form. In the latter case, a measuring spoon is supplied with the additive to make it easier to measure the required amount.

Who Takes BCAA Supplements and Why

BCAAs are often used by bodybuilders when trying to reduce body fat while maintaining muscle mass. Also, supplements are used by athletes from sports that develop general endurance during heavy loads or competitions.

Another consumer category is fitness enthusiasts and beginners looking to build muscle, lose fat, and increase strength faster.

Unlike athletes and bodybuilders, beginners and amateurs have a relatively small amount of training, and, it would seem, they do not need additional amino acids. However, people still spend money on sports nutrition, and this is not surprising, because manufacturers attribute many positive effects to BCAA supplements:

increased strength gain;
increased strength endurance;
preserving muscle mass on a calorie deficit diet;
getting rid of excess fat;
acceleration of weight gain during strength training;
reduction of muscle pain after hard training;
acceleration of recovery.

Below we will analyze how much truth is in these statements and whether scientific data can confirm them at least partially.

Is it true that these supplements will help you build muscle faster?

BCAAs are involved in the secretion of hormones and signaling within the cell. Leucine acts on the mTOR signaling complex, which triggers the production of a new protein. This shifts the balance towards anabolism - accelerates muscle building and slows down muscle breakdown.

BCAA supplementation can slow muscle loss in chronic conditions, bedridden, old age, infections, and malnutrition.

Several studies have also shown that BCAAs increase protein synthesis in healthy people. But when the results were compared with taking the same amount of amino acids in a protein powder (whey), it turned out that the latter gave much better results.

Some scientists believe that replacing a complete protein with BCAA, you can achieve the opposite effect - to slow down not only the breakdown, but also the construction of new muscles, since the body does not have enough building material from other amino acids.

This may be why some studies in healthy people show no benefits of taking the supplement for either muscle building or strength performance.

Thus, for healthy people, BCAA supplementation will provide no more muscle-building benefits than whey protein intake or just a nutritious diet with enough protein.

Do BCAA Supplements Affect Athletic Performance

BCAAs are thought to improve performance during exercise, as these amino acids are oxidized during physical activity and serve as fuel for working muscles. This is true, but the level of their oxidation is too low to make a significant contribution to energy production.

There is some evidence that supplementation can make exercise feel easier. The high concentration of BCAAs in plasma partially blocks the transport of the amino acid tryptophan to the brain. As a result, less 5-hydroxytryptophan, a substance associated with feelings of fatigue, is formed, and the person can more easily tolerate stress.

One experiment tested how BCAAs would affect the feel of athletes during a two-day sailing race. Those who took the supplement in addition to their regular diet experienced less fatigue at the end of the competition. In addition, their short-term memory was almost not affected, unlike those who did not receive the supplement.

Overall, however, there is currently no strong evidence that BCAAs will help you get stronger, stronger, or improve performance in any sport.

Do BCAA Supplements Help Reduce Delayed Muscle Pain

Several reviews, scientific papers have shown that taking BCAA supplements can help reduce delayed muscle pain after strenuous exercise.

Scientists have noticed that those who take the supplement have less creatine kinase in their blood the next day after training, an enzyme that indicates damage to muscle fibers. The BCAAs are thought to somehow protect muscles from injury, which can reduce delayed pain, inflammation, and loss of strength after heavy exercise.

Taking BCAAs in advance is especially effective. If you start drinking them a week before a voluminous workout or competition, your muscles will not hurt as much, and you will lose 15% less strength during the recovery period.

Who should try BCAA supplements

BCAAs can be useful for those who are facing heavy exhausting loads, for example, a sharp increase in the volume of training or competition.

Taking BCAAs can help reduce muscle damage, muscle soreness, and loss of strength in the next few days after exercise. In addition, the supplement may reduce feelings of fatigue during challenging trials and prevent cognitive decline during fatigue.

In other cases, it is better to prefer the supplement with complete sources of protein from the diet or protein powder. This will be more financially beneficial and provide the same or greater benefits for muscle building and athletic performance.

How to take BCAA supplements

A review of scientific papers concluded that BCAAs are effective only when taken at 200 mg per kg of body weight per day for more than 10 days. Taking a smaller amount, as well as high doses, but in a shorter time do not give significant results.

Take 200 mg of BCAA per kg of body weight per day, dividing this amount by 2-4 times. Start 7-10 days before increasing the volume of your workout or competition. During and after heavy exertion, drink 2-4 g of the supplement per hour. But no more than 20 g per day.

This amount of the supplement is considered safe for health. Whether it is worth taking more if the race or competition lasts many hours is up to you. The contraindications and side effects of BCAAs have not been identified, so it is difficult to tell if an increased amount of amino acids can harm your health.

If you have any medical conditions or conditions for which you should be wary of dietary changes, consult a dietitian or healthcare practitioner before using supplements.