Exercise Advice

Exercise advice for serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts

Supplementing with Branched Chain Amino Acids

You can’t live with out them. Branch Chain Amino Acids, or BCAA’s, is the name given to a group of 3 amino acids essential for human survival. Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine must be present for proper muscle tissue maintenance, growth and repair. These amino acids can be found in all protein foods, but highest levels are found in dairy foods and in red meat.

Supplementing with BCAA’s is especially effective in high-altitudes or extreme temperatures and can help prevent muscle protein breakdown during exercise by blocking cortisol, a catabolic hormone that blocks testosterone’s anabolic effects and leads to increased muscle breakdown. Some studies have also shown a feeling of increased energy or “boost” from taking BCAA supplements. This boost can help endurance through particularly long heavy weight training sessions.

People with liver problems and kidney failure have also shown positive results by supplementing with Branched Chain Amino Acids. Although kidney and liver diseases should only be treated with the help of a physician.

While the average fitness enthusiast probably gets enough BCAA’s in their regular diet, supplementing 5 to 10 grams a day of Branched Chain Amino Acids will help most endurance and power athletes.

However, not all experts agree that supplementation will increase muscle growth. Some nutritionists and doctors maintain that we ingest more than enough BCAA’s from our normal diets and no supplementation is needed. Due to more than enough positive research though, only you can determine if supplementing Branched Chain Amino Acids works for you or not. Like the saying goes, “Don’t knock it until you try it”.

If you are an endurance athlete exposed to extreme conditions or you are concerned about your muscle mass being used as fuel, a BCAA supplement could be very beneficial to you. If you perform your cardio on an empty stomach in the morning, then you may be burning off some of your lean body mass. Take 5 - 10 grams of BCAA’s immediately upon waking because it has been shown to have muscle sparing effects on people who perform cardio first thing in the morning. As with any supplement, you are wise to consult your doctor before taking it.

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