In the area of muscle building, you often come into with so-called BCAA’s. Many athletes take protein powder as a supplement, but very few are familiar with BCAA's. But what are the BCAA's and what advantages do they offer in terms of muscle building?
What does BCAA mean and why are they so important for building muscle?
The term comes from English and stands for Branch-Chain Amino Acids, which means "branched-chain amino acids". Thus, the BCAA’s are three amino acids that have different properties: isoleucine, valine and leucine.
Amino acids are the building blocks that make up proteins. If you eat protein, the body breaks it down into its amino acids, so that it can then be passed on to the bloodstream and used. In total, the body can use 20 amino acids, eleven of which are non-essential. This means that the body can produce them itself if they are not supplied through food. The remaining nine amino acids are essential and cannot be produced by the body itself. These amino acids have to be obtained through food. BCAA’s are amino acids that are not converted in the liver, so they are directly available for the muscle tissue, which has a very positive effect. Whey protein and meat are particularly rich in these BCAA’s. In addition, they have two decisive advantages over the classic protein sources:
- Additional calories can be saved by taking it.
- If these amino acids are given to BCAAS before and during training instead of a training meal, then the blood stays in the muscles and not in the digestive tract, which avoids digestive problems and does not put unnecessary strain on the body.
What are the advantages of BCAA's?
They promote protein synthesis and thus muscle building. The so-called mTOR gene is located in the muscle cells, which acts like a switch for protein synthesis. This switch is thrown when BCAA's are taken and the muscle protein production is started. Basically you should prefer products that have a high leucine content when taking them.
BCAA’s support fat loss
There are numerous studies in this area that confirm the connection between low obesity and the use of BCAA's.
They prevent muscle breakdown in the event of a calorie deficit
These amino acids have long been used in competition diets. The goal here is to maintain lean muscle mass. At the same time, athletes reduce their body fat percentage over several weeks or months through a calorie deficit. And if you eat too few calories over a long period of time, there is always the risk of muscle loss. BCAA's can counteract this development.
They prevent age-related muscle breakdown
Age-related muscle loss can not only be slowed down with appropriate training, but also by taking BCAA's. That's because protein synthesis is improved. The older you get, the more sluggish the aforementioned mTOR gene has on the supply of leucine. In addition, there is a deteriorated metabolic rate, which means that fat is accumulated more quickly. It can therefore be particularly important for older athletes to eat a diet rich in BCAA.
Other important advantages
The BCAA intake has other important advantages. These include improved mood, brain function and a stabilization of the blood sugar level. It is not without reason that they are among the most useful sports food supplements.
Which BCCA products are recommended for building muscle?
On the one hand, BCAA's can be absorbed through natural foods. Vegetable and animal protein sources make up the largest proportion of these amino acids. Those who do not manage to get enough of these amino acids through their diet can of course also use supplements. The most popular form is the protein powder. It is ideal if these are taken on an empty stomach shortly before a workout or immediately after getting up before a workout. A powder with BCAA's is also suitable if you feel hungry between training sessions and you don't want to stress your stomach too much. They are also offered in tablet form, which do not differ in efficiency from powder.
New BCAA forms are recrystallized
If 10 grams of BCAA's are ingested, they appear in the extracellular muscle tissue for the next two hours. If 10 grams of other amino acids are consumed, most of them will not appear in the extracellular tissue, and it is difficult to assess what actually ends up there. This in turn makes it very clear how important BCAA’s are for muscle building and performance. The newly used BCAA forms are recrystallized so that muscle protein synthesis is initiated massively and quickly. This aminoform is already completely in the blood 10 minutes after ingestion and appears in the extracellular muscle tissue to fulfill its muscle building function there. For comparison: in the previous version, the first amino acids appeared in the blood about 15 minutes after consumption and were then transported into the extracellular muscle tissue within 60 minutes.
Ideal intake combination for effective muscle building
Basically, BCAA's should be consumed with a small amount of other so-called EAAs. This ensures that all other important amino acids are present in addition to the BCAA's and that the best possible muscle building can be guaranteed. The effect of the amino acids is increased, for example, by taking 15 to 40 grams of high-glycemic carbohydrate products. This combination can even be consumed several times a day. The effect on muscle building is particularly effective during, shortly before or shortly after training.
Tip:
Anyone who consumes a lot of proteins in the form of protein drinks can do without BCAAs in addition to the EAAs, as they are already adequately supplied. Proteins draw a relatively large amount of energy for digestion, which is why many athletes prefer free BCAA's or EAAs.
Conclusion
When taking BCAA's as a dietary supplement to build muscle, there are some advantages that athletes can benefit from. It can be particularly useful for long training sessions, regardless of the age of the athlete. It can also be helpful to always have a small emergency ration with you to suppress hunger during training. If you train on an empty stomach, BCAA's can also replace a pre-workout snack. All in all, it is also true here that athletes should not only rely on dietary supplements, but should also adjust their diet accordingly in order to be able to guarantee optimal muscle building.