A human body has thousands of different proteins that are made of 20 different amino acids. Nine from these amino acids are essential amino acids, which are not present in the human body. While your body cannot produce these amino acids, you can get it through your diet or by taking amino energy supplements.
Out of these nine amino acids, there are three that are called BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids. These are valine, leucine, and isoleucine. The chemical structure of BCAA, branched-chain, is found in foods rich in protein, such as dairy products, eggs, and meat. It is typically sold in powder form of dietary supplement.
Below are the benefits of BCAA to your body.
It promotes muscle growth
BCAAs are known to boost muscle growth, and that’s what made it popular among bodybuilders. Leucine helps muscle building by stimulating muscle protein synthesis by activating a particular pathway in your body.
A study shows that those who take 5.6 grams of BCAAs after resistance workout gain a 22% increase in muscle protein synthesis. However, taking BCAAs of the same amount with whey protein can increase its effect by 50%.
Whey protein has all the amino acids that are needed for muscle building. So, the effect of BCAAs can be maximised if you take it with other essential amino acids. These are found in whey protein as well as other complete protein sources.
It aids muscle pain
According to some research, BCAAs decrease muscle pain after an exercise. It is normal to feel muscle pains within a day or two after the exercise, and this is especially true if you are doing new routines. This pain is called DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness. This soreness develops in 12 to 24 hours after the workout and lasts up to 72 hours.
BCAAs have been proven to lessen muscle damage, reducing the severity and duration of DOMS. Some studies also show that BCAAs lessen the protein breakdown during the workout and the levels of creatine kinase that indicate muscle damage.
This shows that taking BCAAs before exercise could speed up your recovery time.
It decreases exercise fatigue
At some point, you will experience exhaustion and fatigue from exercise. The duration and intensity of your exercise, nutrition, fitness level, and environment are the factors that contribute to how quickly you get tired.
Your muscle consumes BCAA during the workout, decreasing the levels in your blood. Declining blood levels of BCAA increases the levels of tryptophan, an essential amino acid, in your brain. The brain converts tryptophan into serotonin, a chemical in the brain that is believed that has something to do with the development of fatigue during workout.
A study shows were participants who take BCAA have enhanced their mental focus during the workout. This is believed to be the result of BCAAs’ fatigue-reducing effect. However, this effect does not improve exercise performance.
Amino energy is one of the essential supplements to take if you want to build your muscles. Taking BCAA, along with other amino acids, will drastically boost your body’s muscle building.
Moreover, BCAAs can help you work out for a more extended period by decreasing your muscle fatigue and minimising the muscle soreness that you will feel after an extensive and tiring exercise.
