Rudyard Kip - February 24, 2020 - 819 views - 0 Comments - 0 Likes
Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) are one of the most popular sports supplements today. Increasing muscle mass, strength, energy, and even efficient burning of fat is an incomplete list of goals that BCAAs are indispensable for achieving.
Let’s start with the theory: BCAA includes three essential amino energy acids - leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Each of them has a branched side chain resembling a “tree branch”, hence the name - “branched-chain amino acids.” Despite the fact that there are about 20 amino acids that muscles use for their growth, BCAAs make up almost a third of all amino acids found in the muscles of the human body.
After the intake of any amino acids in the body (both in the form of additives and as part of proteins), they end up in the liver, which immediately decomposes them into elements and uses them to generate energy or restore muscles and other body tissues. However, the liver, as a rule, leaves branched-chain amino acids whole, sending them directly to the muscles for building or as muscle “fuel”.
During training, the muscles willingly use BCAAs in the form of energy, and during rest, for example, after training, for building muscle.
Muscles readily use branched-chain amino acids as fuel during workouts.
Intense and prolonged training leads to the oxidation of amino acids in the muscles and a decrease in their concentration. To counter this, you must take BCAAs just before training. In this case, they will be available to the muscles as a direct source of energy.
Scientists have found further evidence that BCAAs can take your workouts to the next level: branched-chain amino acids affect the amount of tryptophan entering the brain, which in turn reduces the level of the special 5-HT hormone, which is responsible for fatigue. This will allow you to do longer and more intensively.
Another important action of amino acids is to increase aerobic and anaerobic performance. It has been experimentally proved that after 10 weeks of regular consumption of BCAAs (12 g / day each), the performance of athletes at peak activity increases by about 19% compared with the placebo.
BCAA intake stimulates protein synthesis, enhancing muscle growth. A study published in Frontiers Physiology showed that people taking BCAA supplementation after strength training recorded a 22% higher muscle protein synthesis than a control group that did not receive a serving of amino acids before exercise.
During and immediately after physical exertion, the requirements for amino acids increase sharply, while their supply is consumed much faster than at rest. Obtaining an additional portion of amino acids allows you to maintain a high level of muscle glycogen during training and stimulates the growth of muscle mass after its completion.
To enhance the fat burning effect of training, it has been proven that taking branched-chain amino acids while maintaining a low-calorie diet promotes more efficient fat burning. The fact is that with regular physical exertion and dieting, the amount of the hormone leptin decreases, which leads to an increase in appetite and a slowdown in metabolism: in this way, the body tries to maintain energy reserves. BCAAs suppress appetite, increase calorie intake by burning fat and increase metabolic rate.
Of the three amino acids, it is most likely leucine that provides fat burning. A California State University study noted that regular use of leucine for six weeks significantly reduced body fat in experimental subjects. Scientists have suggested that enhancing protein synthesis, stimulated by leucine, increases energy expenditure, helping the body more effectively get rid of adipose tissue.
Thus, the intake of amino acids allows you to increase calorie expenditure by burning fat, increase metabolism, and, most importantly, protect muscles from destruction.
Depending on the purpose (gaining muscle mass, burning fat, increasing energy), experts recommend taking about 4-8 g of BCAA up to four times a day: in the morning after sleep, half an hour before training, within half an hour immediately after training and with last meal.
Proteins are built from amino acids. These are indispensable substances that every living creature needs and an athlete working under conditions of constant load are doubly.
Amino acids are involved in various internal processes in your body, including:
By maintaining a sufficient level of amino acids in the body, you will be less tired of training, and by increasing the dose and weight during training, you can build muscle.
When playing sports and other physical activities, protein molecules begin to decay rapidly. A person will feel pain, depression, and the rate of muscular development slows down. Therefore, amino acids for training is the simplest and most harmless method of maintaining constant progress and reducing the risk of high physical activity.
Two dozen varieties of this “building material” enter our body. Nine of them cannot be developed by our bodies on their own - they must come from food. According to statistics, about 35% of the muscles are composed of essential amino acids.
If you decide to get a sports norm without special additives, you will need to go on a high protein diet - this is quite difficult and expensive. A simple alternative is to consume an amino acid complex. This is the name of the powder, which already contains most of the substances you need.
The daily rate of amino acids for a healthy person is from 10 to 30 grams. In this case, the consumed portion should contain no more than 5 grams of a certain type of acid. Consuming amino acids is best in combination. However, developing such a complex on its own is difficult, because the elements can block each other’s action.
That is why many companies that produce sports nutrition offer special balanced combinations.
Amino acids before training can seriously increase your capabilities, but a good measure in everything. If you consume such substances more than the daily norm, this will lead to problems with the liver and kidneys, allergic reactions may appear.
When you dissolve the powder in water, do not be surprised if you see a film on the surface, small particles may remain. However, this is the last generation of amino acid complexes. In modern products (usually marked Instant), the film does not form, they dissolve completely.
Conclusion
After a workout, the amino acids taste a little bit bitter - do not be afraid of this. On the packaging,, you will find a description of both the color of the product and its consistency. It is necessary to compare the declared and the actual. We recommend using the powder if it comes in a well-sealed box with all the signs, including the prescribed expiration date.