Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) Benefits
Updated Dec. 06th, 2023 | Read Time: 2 Minutes | What You Will Learn:
- What Are BCAA's?
- How Do BCAA's Work?
- BCAA's Key Health Benefits
- BCAA Supplement Benefits: Formats & Dosage
- Cautions & Safety
What Are BCAA's?
Branched-chain amino acids (or BCAA's) are a group of three essential amino acids: valine, leucine, and isoleucine. Essential amino acids are those that our bodies cannot produce from other materials, and so we must ingest them regularly. BCAA's are naturally found in high-protein foods such as lean meats, egg whites, and dairy products and offer benefits for not only your muscles, but much more.
How Do BCAA's Work?
BCAA's along with other amino acids are the building blocks of our muscles, so increasing intake can help provide the body with the tools it needs to build more muscle as we exercise.
Initial research on BCAA's established their benefit in people with chronic liver disease. Recent research has suggested that ingesting BCAA's, with leucine in particular, actually triggers the body's internal signaling mechanisms to promote muscle growth and prevent its loss!
BCAA's Key Health Benefits
In addition to stimulating growth, BCAA's can be used by muscle cells as an indirect energy source during strenuous exercise without forming pain-causing lactate. Normally, when we perform strenuous exercise while burning other fuel sources such as fat or carbohydrate, a byproduct called lactate is produced. Lactate is the chemical responsible for your painful and stiff muscles the morning after a hard workout. Taking in BCAA's before working out helps to prevent the build up of lactate and thus reduce or even eliminate the "morning after" problem. Most studies have also found a reduction in perceived workload after taking BCAA's. This may help you get the extra reps out of your workout that you've been aiming for!
BCAA Supplement Benefits: Formats & Dosage
Dosage recommendations for BCAA's vary widely and more research is required. Recent studies have used dosages ranging from 200-300mg of each of valine, leucine and isoleucine daily to 2-5 grams of each per day. Research indicates that the smallest beneficial dosage of BCAA's is 150mg of each leucine, isoleucine, and valine per day, although studies generally include leucine in a higher ratio to the other two (Eg. 50% leucine, 25% valine, 25% isoleucine).
Cautions & Safety
Supplementation of BCAA's has been tested up to between 10 and 30g a day without negative effects being observed for a time period of up to 6 months. The long-term effects of BCAA supplementation have not yet been studied. It should be noted that excessive supplementation with certain amino acids such as lysine can reduce the prevalence of other amino acids, such as arginine in the body which may have unintended effects.