March 25, 2022
You’ve probably heard about BCAAs at the gym, or maybe you’ve even heard that professional athletes in different sports use BCAA supplements. But what are they? Why are branched amino acids a common supplement among weight trainers? Should you be taking them?
First, a quick refresher on amino acids: Amino acids, referred to as the building blocks of protein, help your body repair muscle damage, increase power output, build muscle mass, and play many other critical roles in your body.
While there are 20 different amino acids that make up thousands of different proteins in the human body, only nine of them are considered essential because your body can’t produce them and they must be obtained through your diet. Of the nine essential amino acids, three are leucine, isoleucine, and valine, referred to as the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).
Whether you’re going for a walk, doing pushups or lifting barbells, forms of resistance are being placed on your muscles. When greater than normal resistance is placed on a muscle, small microscopic tears occur in the tissues. While that sounds bad for a second, these tears are actually good for your body. How? The damage that exercise causes triggers your body’s immune system to repair that damage, and grow stronger in order to avoid such damage in the future. That way, the next time you perform the same workout, you won’t suffer as much damage. Is it that simple? Well, it’s, but first you have to know that recovery must occur before progress is made.
Optimal recovery may provide numerous benefits during repetitive high-level training and competition. There are a number of popular methods used by athletes to enhance recovery, from taking a cold bath to stretching, in order to get back on track and play your favorite sport again, but does what you eat play an important role in your recovery?
Many studies have found that your nutrition plan plays a fundamental role in your recovery, and as muscles rely on protein to rebuild and on carbs to refuel glycogen stores, a combination of both as a post-workout meal is highly recommended. But is this actually enough?
Numerous studies show a direct link between BCAA intake and improved recovery. Normally, when your BCAA levels drop, your body produces more tryptophan, which then becomes serotonin and leads to feelings of exhaustion and fatigue. BCAA supplements prevent this process and improve resistance to fatigue, which translates to improving weakness, building more muscles and avoiding muscle fatigue and soreness.
You can exercise your favorite sport every day and workout until your face turns blue, but you will never reach the next level without the right diet plan, including the right supplements. BCAAs are considered to be one of the most important supplements that increase strength, help with avoiding muscle soreness, and help you reach the edge in your favorite sport.
