Long time no post, folks. A lot of things have happened to me lately. To be honest, I'm a little tired. I will tell you in the next articles what I did, where I was, etc. I start to plow to the fullest (although, in general, I did not relax). And today I want to write an article about BCAA amino acids. Let's go.
Hello! Recently, questions have become more frequent in the mail and in VK, like: “Nikitos! What is BCAA for? Worth taking or not? Can you lose weight without them? Today I am telling and revealing the topic in all details, otherwise there is too much conflicting information
First, let's figure out what BCAAs are and what they are for. BCAA what it is for BCAA (from the English. Branched-chain amino acids - “branched chain amino acids”) is an indispensable material for building new muscle structures, and it is these amino acids that make up 35% of all amino acids in muscles. There have been many studies (which we will touch upon below) that have proven the following effects when BCAAs are taken by bodybuilders: Prevent catabolism (destruction of muscle structures); Promote the growth of "lean muscle mass"; Reduce the percentage of fat in the body; Increase strength indicators; They increase the overall effectiveness of taking other sports nutrition by 30-40%; For the body, their role is also very important: Substrate (initial product) for protein synthesis of muscle structures; Substrate for energy production; These amino acids are precursors (precursors) for the synthesis of other amino acids (alanine and glutamine, in particular); Metabolic modulators (drugs that have a beneficial effect on the metabolism of cells that have undergone a strong decrease in the amount of oxygen or hypoxia, as well as ischemia) Stimulation of insulin production; Acceleration of fat burning (due to the conversion of the peptide hormone leptin in adipocytes); From this it is concluded that BCAAs are useful in any period of training! Both when gaining muscle mass, and when burning fat. BCAA composition BCAA is a complex consisting of three amino acids: 1 Leucine. Isoleucine. Valin. If you look at the configuration of these amino acids, you can clearly see that it is branched
As we remember, our body is a combination of 20 amino acids, 12 of which the body is able to synthesize on its own (children have only 10), and eight we must receive with food. Of these eight essential amino acids, three are branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). The most important of these amino acids is LEUCINE! Why leucine? Because, exercise accelerates the oxidation of BCAAs! Our body does this to maintain energy balance (homeostasis), by converting it into glucose (the most readily available source of energy). Studies show that during and after exercise, athletes have a decrease in the concentration of BCAAs in the muscles (ESPECIALLY LEUCINE!)! This leads to the fact that metabolic processes are launched, which are aimed at returning the previous concentration of BCAAs! Due to this, muscle proteins begin to break down, because. they are the main sources for replenishing the BCAA amino acid pool. Scientists have recently paid special attention to the role of leucine as a source of ATP (the main energy substrate of the body), because the oxidation of leucine in muscles gives more ATP molecules than the same amount of glucose. If we take into account the fact that the oxidation of leucine and glucose goes in different ways, then the athlete receives two powerful sources of ATP at once. Therefore, the recovery of forces goes many times faster. Why you need to drink BCA (BCAA). Research As promised, I will give you interesting conclusions from the studies of foreign scientists that I have studied. There is a huge amount of research on BCAA amino acids. This is one of the few supplements that has a very large evidence base, and the high effectiveness of which is confirmed by REAL studies, and not marketing tricks and fabrications, as is the case in the vast majority of cases. Generally. It amuses me a lot when some “experts” on the Internet argue from the point of view: “I, damn it, drank BCA for a month, I didn’t notice any changes! Look, they don't work!" It is very funny to listen to this when there are studies by many reputable scientists. As I said, the most important amino acid in terms of bodybuilding is LEUCINE! Not only from the point of view of BCAA, as an energy substrate. Here's what A. Mero's study, Leucine Supplementation and Intense Training, says about it. Study quote: “When BCAAs (76% leucine) were added to daily protein intake, an increase in the amount of lean muscle mass and strength indicators of athletes, as well as a decrease in the level of muscle breakdown with a decrease in the amount of body fat ”As we can see, this study confirms a number of the effects listed above from taking BCAAs. In confirmation of the fact that it is BCAAs that affect the acceleration of muscle protein synthesis (muscles recover and grow faster), another interesting study by Elisabeth Borheim was conducted. Quote from the study: “Essential amino acids accelerate the synthesis of muscle protein (protein), but, as the experiment showed, the introduction of non-essential amino acids for these purposes is not necessary. The stronger the dose of BCAA amino acids administered, the greater the anabolic response was obtained ”It becomes clear that it is the intake of BCAAs that contributes to a significant acceleration of muscle recovery after training. An interesting study was conducted by Yoshiharu Shimomura. Study quote: “Evidence suggests that fatty acids may be one of the regulators of BCAA metabolism, and that the body has a higher need for these amino acids during exercise. An additional intake of BCAAs before and after training leads to a decrease in muscle breakdown and an increase in muscle protein synthesis. It can be seen that taking BCAAs in the period before and after training is quite justified. I recently came across another interesting study by Jim Stoppani. Conclusion Quote: "BCAA supplementation for eight weeks of weight training led to a reduction in body fat percentage, an increase in lean muscle mass, an increase in strength in the bench press and squat." All of the above studies speak for themselves. But for now, wait to run to the store for these amino acids in colorful jars. We have to consider a number of other interesting points. BCAAs for weight loss BCAAs do not work like fat burners (yohimbine, clenbuterol, ECA, for example), which stimulate certain groups of receptors to accelerate further lipolysis (fat breakdown) and fat burning. BCAAs work in a slightly different way. They stimulate the production of the hormone LEPTIN, a very important hormone in terms of weight loss. Leptin is a very complex hormone that regulates many metabolic processes, namely: BODY WEIGHT. APPETITE. CONSUMPTION AND DEPOSIT OF FAT. If we simply describe the mechanism of action of this hormone during weight loss, then it will look like this: THE HIGHER THE AMOUNT OF FAT IN THE BODY, THE HIGHER THE SECRETION OF LEPTIN. When you start dieting to lose weight, leptin secretion also starts to decline. This entails an increase in appetite and a slowdown in metabolism (the body does this to conserve fat stores). That is why it may turn out that an athlete greatly reduces the caloric content of the diet, increases physical activity, and the weight stands still. The body tries to maintain homeostasis (balance). And in order to move this dead point, you have to cut back and control your diet even more. BCAAs help INCREASE LEPTIN SECRETION to move the weight loss process off the ground. These amino acids, as it were, deceive the body, forcing it to think that high-calorie food has arrived, to which, in turn, the body responds with the secretion of leptin. After that: Appetite normalizes; Calorie consumption due to fat burning increases; Metabolism (metabolism) increases; Muscle catabolism (destruction) is reduced; This is how BCAAs work in terms of fat burning. How to take BCA (BCAA) First of all, I want to make a reservation, now I'm talking about the additional intake of BCAA in the form of SUPPLEMENTS to the main diet, provided that you get enough protein during the day. Almost every protein contains these amino acids. Therefore, it would be foolish not to take this into account. Best time to take BCAAs: IN THE MORNING. Before training. DURING exercise. After workout. The body needs BCAAs during and after training, when these amino acids are most active. But how to take BCAAs, for example, during a workout? It follows that there are various forms of release of these amino acids on sale: Capsules (rather quickly absorbed, without a pronounced taste). Tablets (bitter in taste, absorption rate is slightly lower than that of capsules). Powder (slightly bitter in taste, fast absorption rate). Liquid form (the least common, and the most expensive form of BCAA, I think it makes no sense to overpay). The most rational, in my opinion, is to take 5-15 grams of BCAAs 30-40 minutes before training (you can capsules or tablets), then dilute 5-15 grams of BCAAs (powder) in water and drink slowly during training. And after training, drink another 5-15 g of BCAAs (possible in capsules or tablets). It will be even better if you drink BCAAs along with protein after your workout. How to take BCA for weight loss? Most professional trainers and sports physiologists agree that the optimal single dose of BCAAs should be 4-10 grams (33