The Good Effects of Branch Chain Amino Acid Supplementation

Professionals suggested that with Branch Chain Amino Acid supplements, it could potentially promote muscle mass gain, decrease protein breakdown in the muscle and delay fatigue in endurance sessions. However, all studies were not able to demonstrate the effects of BCAAs on performance or on delay in the onset of fatigue. You should know that muscle synthesis requires the presence of all the essential amino acids. Having a large amount of BCAAs will not allow synthesis if the other amino acids are not available. Additionally, taking such supplements may be accompanied by undesirable effects such as the inhibition of absorption of other amino acids, water retention in the stomach and gastrointestinal disorders. During workouts, the body uses BCAAs to derive energy. The longer you do intense workouts, the more BCAAs are used by muscles for energy. It is estimated that 5 to 20 percent of all workout energy is provided by taking Branch Chain Amino Acid supplements. The mechanism responsible for this phenomenon is attributed to activation of the branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex. Fatty acids and other competitive enzymes tightly regulate the activity of the BCKDH enzyme. Your body needs BCAAs, especially leucine, when you work out. The demand for readily available leucine is at least 20 times higher than the rest of the amino acid reserve. This is why as much as possible, you need to consume more protein in whichever form available if you want to improve your stamina and endurance in your daily activity basis.

Branch chain amino acids are a group of 3 essential amino acids:

• Leucine​​​​​
• Isoleucine
• Valine

As far as branch chain amino acid supplements have effects on the body, leucine seems to be the first to work of the trio. Leucine stimulates muscle protein synthesis. Next is the Isoleucine. Isoleucine has the ability to stimulate muscle protein synthesis is much weaker than that of leucine. However, it’s able to increase glucose uptake and the usage of glucose during training. Lastly, Valine doesn’t seem to provide any real benefits over isoleucine or leucine. Now that you know what branched chain amino acids are and what they can do, your objective is how do you make sure you get enough BCAAs in your body. The most obvious way to get plenty of BCAAs into your system is to eat protein-rich foods such as yoghurt, milk, meat, fish, eggs and nuts. Present in all foods containing protein, you won’t even need to plan at all. As for women, you should make sure you consume plenty of protein during menopause anyway so things should fall naturally into place with BCAAs. If you don’t manage to get enough protein as part of your normal diet, you must try to increase your consumption. If this is not enough, there are plenty of Branch Chain Amino Acid supplements in the market to help you attain this goal. These branch chain amino acid supplements are not expensive, and if you decide that supplementation is right for you, do your research first or rather consult a physician.