BCAA Supplement – Health Benefits

Basically, BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) is composed of leucine, isoleucine and valine. These are essential amino acids not produced by the body and have to be sourced from outside. They have been in the market since 1996 for treating liver diseases like cirrhosis. Today, BCAA supplement is used by body builders for exercise purposes.

They are the largest collection of amino acids in the body, making up to 35% of the muscle protein.

Since used by body fitness aficionados and by athletes, there had been many other health benefits attributed to them.

Exercise performance

Today, exercise buffs know that exercise leads to amino acid usage. BCAAs are rapidly depleted during exercise which shows the beneficial effects of BCAAs. In a controlled trial on marathon runners, BCAA supplementation showed improved mental performance. Running times of slower athletes improved.

In another study, BCAA supplementation increased the muscle strength of the athletes compared to other supplements (whey protein and carbohydrate supplements). It also increased power output in another study, although decreased fatigue and exertion may be the cause of the power rise.

Fatigue reduction / endurance increase

In another study, marathoners with BCAA supplementation experienced fatigue reduction after a race and in another the fatigue decreased by an average of 17.2%.

In the same manner, BCAA supplementation can increase endurance. The runners given BCAA supplements ran better times for two consecutive days in a row in both 5,000 and 10,000 m races.

There is also an increase in lactate threshold in a study. Lactate threshold measures endurance capacity as any exercise below the threshold does not build up the muscles.

The study also showed that oxygen consumption increased by 13%.

Liver health

In another study, BCAA supplementation not only increase nutritional status but also improved sleep and decreased fatigue in liver cirrhosis patients. In another one, 20 chronic hepatitis patients and 100 cirrhosis patients had greatly increased albumin in their blood after BCAA supplementation after which both liver diseases had declined.

The liver survival rate without any detriment was around 63.6% with BCAA help.

Kidneys

BCAA supplementation had reduced the chances of kidney failure by up to 40%. It increases amino acids levels but not protein intake, which decreases kidney damage.

The supplements also improved appetite and nutrition in dialysis patients.

Energy increase

When there is a state of increased amino acid levels, the amino acids will compete with glucose to provide energy. It becomes as secondary source of energy. In one study, people with high levels of amino acids require 35% less glucose.

Isoleucine decreased glucose usage by 20% in the blood and 71% in the muscles. Both isoleucine and valine can also be converted into glucose.

Insulin resistance / sleep improvement

Insulin resistance increase blood sugar levels. Patients suffering from either insulin resistance or hepatitis C were provided with BCAA supplementation. The muscle insulin resistance improved in around half of the patients.

Some patients with kidney problems developed sleep disorders and reduced sleep quality and time. Taking BCAA supplement at night increased their REM (rapid eye movement) and decreased end-tidal CO2 levels which is important for dreaming.