Every person who sets himself the goal of achieving excellent physical shape begins to pay tremendous attention to physical exercises first of all. And rightly so, because sports training works wonders. However, often an individual who has embarked on the path that leads to ideal forms is faced with the common problem of the lack of obvious results of his work. There is nothing surprising here: a person who simply dreams of a slender waist and embossed muscles relies solely on his own strength when he needs outside help. And the last is to take sports nutritional supplements that are safe and very healthy. An example of such a dietary supplement is the BCAA amino acid complex.
General information about BCAAs
The substance that you will learn about in this article is related to protein. It is formed by essential amino acids, which account for more than 35% of all such compounds in the muscle tissue of the human body. This is a lot, which means that the role of the components of the protein sports complex for the health of an athlete is great. Amino acids, which are part of dietary supplements, contribute to muscle recovery, are involved in anabolic processes. What are these “building” blocks of protein? There are three of them: leucine, isoleucine and valine. The difference between these components and other essential amino acids, of which 17 more pieces are known to science, is that metabolic processes involving these compounds occur primarily in the muscles. In fact, it is a kind and at the same time the main high-quality “fuel” for muscle tissue, which is the main function of the sports food complex. A similar effect is possible due to the unique features of each amino acid included in the substrate. So, leucine affects the synthesis of growth hormone and, as a result, muscle growth, protects the athlete from fatigue during intense training, “monitors” the stabilization of blood sugar levels. Isoleucine increases the athlete’s endurance, restores damaged muscle fibers, and performs an energy function. As for valine, it also provides the muscles with energy, and also contributes to the accelerated growth of muscle mass, getting rid of the latter from microtraumas.
It is worth saying a few words about the name of the substrate. Abbreviation used in the name complex of protein indispensable components – not just a set of letters, as perceived by people who have just begun to get acquainted with the world of sports nutritional supplements, or who have nothing to do with sports, especially bodybuilding people. In fact, this is not at all the case. BCAA is an abbreviation followed by the English phrase Branched-chain amino acids. Translated into Russian, it sounds like “branched-chain amino acids”, which indicates the structural features of the substances that form the protein complex.
There are currently three forms of BCAA release. Branched-chain amino acids in the form of capsules are in the greatest demand. The latter delight athletes with neutral taste and ease of use, but due to the high cost, this type of dietary supplement is not affordable for everyone. Someone chooses BCAAs in tablets (caplets), which are essentially a compressed powder. They have a significant drawback in comparison with capsules: prolonged absorption of active substances. Finally, the third form of release is a powder. It has a low price, but at the same time it tastes bitter and dissolves badly in water. However, this problem is being actively solved today by many dietary supplement manufacturers.
What are BCAAs for?
You already know what the main function of the branched chain amino acid complex is. But this knowledge is not enough to understand exactly how BCAA works and how effective this dietary supplement is. But the trio of leucine + isoleucine + valine is really capable of facilitating and significantly speeding up the process of obtaining an ideal body for an athlete. And now you will see for yourself.
energy function
Isoleucine and valine, which are part of BCAAs, provide muscles with energy – we talked about this with you above. Due to this property of two amino acids, the protein complex as a whole receives this ability. But that’s not all: the oxidation of leucine is of great importance in this process – as a result of such a reaction, a huge amount of energy is also released in the form of ATP molecules. Thus, BCAA, entering the body of a training athlete in sufficient quantities, restores the athlete’s strength faster than without taking a complex of branched chain amino acids.
muscle protein synthesis
This is a direct duty of any amino acids assigned to them by mother nature herself. Making up the lion’s share of all the “building blocks” of protein in muscle tissue, leucine, isoleucine and valine essentially determine the very possibility of the process of protein formation. So BCAA and provides a rapid build-up of muscle mass.
Enrichment of muscles with glutamine
Glutamine is a substance on which protein synthesis and, accordingly, muscle growth depend to a greater extent. Thanks to this compound, the nitrogen balance is shifted to the anabolic side. During intensive sports, glutamine is consumed in considerable volumes, and due to BCAA, the body replenishes its reserves of this substance. In other words, the protein complex can and should be considered as an important source of glutamine.
The substrate, consisting of three essential amino acids, affects the formation of the hormone leptin, which is a regulator of various types of metabolism. Its influence on lipid metabolism is especially great: the duties of leptin include the control of fat deposition, the consumption of the latter, the level of appetite and hunger. By the way, the amount of a complex hormone in the body directly depends on the amount of adipose tissue. “And what about BCAAs?” – you ask. Very simple: they increase the level of leptin and at the same time provoke the process of burning adipose tissue, suppressing appetite. Muscles in this case are reliably protected from catabolism, that is, destruction.
As you can see, the functions of the protein substrate are multifaceted, and the question “what are BCAAs for?” answer in one word will not work.
How to take BCAAs
Really, how? Before a workout or after a workout? After all, you want to get a quick, maximum and lasting result by regularly implementing a variety of techniques, performing complex exercises. In principle, it is not so difficult to figure it out – the main thing is to understand what exactly you are striving for. If your main goal is to lose weight and eliminate ugly fat folds in the most interesting places, consume BCAAs before and after physical education. Do you dream of increasing in muscle volume? Then take a complex of essential amino acids on training days more often: before, after and during exercise. Additional consumption of BCAAs is acceptable immediately after waking up in the morning.
What about taking a protein supplement on non-athletic days? Feel free to use BCAA, but nothing prevents you from ignoring this procedure. There is no strict rule here. The only caveat: if you still decide to take a protein complex, then do it from morning to breakfast.
The recommended dose of BCAAs is on average 4-8 grams per dose. The duration of consumption of essential amino acids can be any. BCAAs will still not cause any harm to your body, even if you make a mistake with the dosage.