What are the BCAA

Posted by Andrew on October 17th, 2019

BCAAs are branched chain amino acids composed of Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine and are part of the group of essential amino acids, or those elements that our body is not able to synthesize on its own in the quantity necessary to satisfy its own needs.

 In fact, branched chain amino acids help you recover, reduce fatigue and increase muscle development. In sports, they are now widely used and appreciated by professionals in the world of fitness and bodybuilding. BCAAs are recommended for use during training, especially before, during and after the session. These branched amino acids will allow you to combat fatigue with more energy. 

This is what you need to know about BCAA

Due to the many beneficial properties and the fact that they have not had negative effects over time, BCAA have become one of the most popular supplements in the sports food industry, essential for building muscle tissue. From a dietary point of view, most BCAAs are consumed with high protein foods such as chicken. 

Eating meat as we know it is one of the best ways to increase muscle mass, due to the high protein content, and especially the high amino acid profile. Metabolism of BCAA is different from the metabolic processes of other amino acids, so while most amino acids are metabolized in the liver, BCAA is metabolized mainly by muscle.

The benefits of BCAA

Depending on the available amino acids, the body fluctuates constantly between anabolism and catabolism (in terms of a bodybuilder - building and burning muscle tissue). When you replenish the available amino acid pool by consuming BCAA-containing protein, you promote muscle building.

In addition to not allowing cannibalization of muscles, BCAAs can be burned as energy to maintain ATP levels during intense exercises that drain glycogen muscles. Izoleucine helps the body gain energy by facilitating glucose uptake into cells. This, combined with the fact that leucine helps to oxidize fats, allows for more flexible metabolism, great for weakening and for top endurance performance.

These are the disadvantages of the BCAA

B vitamins are critical for amino acid metabolism and can be depleted when taking high doses of BCAA. Thus serious health problems can arise since B vitamins are essential to any process in the body, from preventing anxiety to energy metabolism and avoiding eating cravings.

For example, vitamin B6 is required for the production of an enzyme called Keto acid dehydrogenase with branched chains, which is required for copper to efficiently decompose and utilize branched chain amino acids. 

Serotonin is a neuronsmitator that induces calm and well-being, and helps relaxation and better sleep. It can be quickly depleted when you follow a high protein and low carb diet, and research also suggests that supplementation of BCAA around workouts can negatively affect serotonin levels (although such supplementation is beneficial for physical performance and training capacity).