The Uses of BCAAs

BCAA supplement takes their role in muscle building one step further. Research has shown that BCAA supplement and particularly leucine, increase muscle growth by directly stimulating muscle protein synthesis. Leucine acts almost like a key that signals the body to begin stringing amino acids together to create muscle protein. BCAA supplements are often taken by weight lifters in order to speed up recovery from strength training and stimulate more muscle building. The problem is though that branched-chain amino acids don’t work that well and you don’t need them. It’s completely true that BCAA supplement stimulates the metabolic pathways that boost muscle mass. This can’t be disputed.

In some studies, there’s no evidence that supplementing above the level of a normal diet will provide any benefits. The BCAA benefits for muscle recovery are also well known. Supplementing with BCAAs may help to significantly decrease post exercise muscle soreness and increase muscle recovery by helping to repair muscle tissue faster.  Greater muscle recovery means you can train more frequently and harder resulting in bigger muscle gains. Now you know the BCAA benefits for building muscles, experts recommend that using BCAAs that contains the Branched Chain Amino Acids L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine & L-Valine in an optimum muscle building.

BCAA supplementation has shown positive results in nearly all clinical studies. Having said that, these studies are limited by several factors:

• BCAA supplement is present in dietary protein, which means that you can obtain them from food or protein supplements without having to take isolated BCAAs
• Most studies do not control for caloric and protein intake in particular, which means that the positive effects of BCAAs are simply the result of not getting enough calories/protein

Recently studies have generated much excitement about the potential use of BCAAs in the treatment of type II diabetes or metabolic symptom.  Both of these conditions are characterised by insulin resistance, which leads to a disruption of the essential blood glycaemic balance. Controlling the levels of glucose in the blood, one of the main functions of insulin, is crucial to good health. Insulin affects not only carbohydrate metabolism, but also protein and lipid metabolism. Many studies have shown that branched chain amino acids, especially leucine, cause insulin to be released from the pancreas. BCAAs have been repeatedly shown to have a stabilising effect on the levels of glucose in blood.

Although leucine seems to play an especially important role in mediating the health benefits of BCAA, taking leucine in isolation is not the most effective way of supplementing branched chain amino acids. Research has shown that isoleucine and valine also play important roles and that the most effective supplements have a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine to the other BCAA.

In addition to boosting muscle growth, BCAAs can decrease the muscle damage and soreness associated with intense exercise. Less damage means an athlete will recovery rapidly and get out on the court, field or in the gym sooner instead of sitting on their couch, legs propped up.