 Should you be taking them? If so, what should you look for? Branched Chain Amino Acids, or BCAA’s have been shown to help prevent the breakdown of muscle during intense exercise, preserve muscle while fasting or on a low carb diet, ameliorate protein synthesis to help build muscle, and may even help reduce DOMS after training. So what exactly are they? *All nutritional and fitness info must be discussed with your doctor before any changes to diet or exercise regime are implemented. What are Branched Chain Amino Acids? Protein is made up of Amino Acids; some are Non-Essential (5), meaning the body produces them itself, some are Essential (10), meaning that it is essential we get them from outside sources (ie. Food), and some are Conditionally Essential (6) meaning that our body can create them but sometimes we need more than it can produce. When we eat protein we are consuming either all 21 of these Amino Acids, or a collection of them, depending on the source. Animal protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy) are a Complete Protein containing all 21 Amino Acids, and are considered to have a High Biological Value as they contain the amino acids in a proportion similar to that required by humans. Non-animal proteins are Incomplete Proteins and are considered to have a Low Biological Value as they are missing one or more essential amino acid (there are a few non animal exceptions, ie. quinoa and buckwheat). Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine are three of the essential amino acids that make up protein, referred to as branched chain amino acids due to their unique branched shape:  What do they do? Protein synthesis: These three BCAAs make up for 35% of muscle protein and play a key role in protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is the process that is started when the body needs repair itself; when we perform resistance training we create micro-tears in our muscle, which then need to be repaired. This is done by stringing together amino acids – like a necklace – in order to make more protein, leaving the muscle stronger and bigger (more full of protein) than it was before. BCAAs directly stimulate protein synthesis, with Leucine in particular acting as a key that starts the motor to turn on the process of stringing the amino acids together to create muscle protein. Without protein synthesis our muscles would not recover, get stronger, or grow bigger. It is this protein synthesis that is also necessary to help us recover from injury, and adding BCAAs to our nutritional arsenal can also be beneficial (with your Dr’s consent) to aid with wound healing, as well as help preserve our muscle mass if we are incapacitated or performing reduced training. This study on wound healing discusses the importance of preserving our muscle mass during recovery: “It is the loss of body protein, not fat loss that produces the complications caused by involuntary weight loss. Protein makes up the critical cell structure in muscle, viscera, red cells, and connective tissue. Enzymes that direct metabolism and antibodies that maintain immune functions are also proteins. Skin is composed primarily of the protein collagen. Protein synthesis is essential for any tissue repair. Therefore, LBM (lean body mass) is highly metabolically active and necessary for survival.” Leucine boosts Insulin levels Insulin is an anabolic hormone that is released into the blood stream in order to sweep nutrients - including amino acids - into cells to help “build” them up. While it is a hormone that we should try to keep to a minimum throughout the day, the exception is post-workout when we actually want to create a spike in our insulin levels (read more: Insulin: Friend or Foe?) The faster we achieve this insulin spike post-workout, the faster the protein we consume enters our muscles to start the process of protein synthesis. Leucine helps this happen faster by stimulating the secretion of insulin from pancreatic cells (where insulin is produced). Reduce muscle breakdown In order for muscles to grow, protein synthesis must be greater than protein loss, and there are times when we are at risk for the balance to be tipped towards protein loss, such as dieting, fasting training, and intense training. Once our body has used its available stores of glucose (in the bloodstream) and glycogen (stored in our muscles) it will turn to the protein in our muscles. In order to gain the energy it needs the body will liberate amino acids from our muscles to be used for fuel, leading to muscle loss. Studies have shown that supplementing with BCAAs helps reduce the catabolic effects of muscle loss and tips the balance back in favour of protein synthesis. Even if you are not looking to win a bodybuilding competition, muscle mass is key to keeping our metabolism high (read more: Our Metabolism: Can we change it?). Decrease DOMS DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - occurs when we have inflicted damage to our muscles and feel the effects hours or days later. While some level of DOMS is normal, severe DOMS can reduce our training capacity and render us ineffective for days. Several studies have shown supplementation with BCAAs before, during, and after training can help reduce muscle damage and related soreness induced by training, on both long distance runners, as well as during resistance training. Combining BCAAs with another amino acid, Taurine, has been shown to enhance this further; due to taurine’s anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties; a daily dose of 2g of taurine combined with 3.2g of BCAAs has a positive effect on DOMS and muscle damage. While it will not eliminate DOMS, supplementing with BCAAs could help reduce them and enable us recover faster. Delay fatigue? This topic is controversial with some claiming that BCAAs do not provide additional energy; however, there is a lot of research supporting the fact that they can at least help delay the perception of fatigue. One of the factors of perceived fatigue is the transport of tryptophan (an essential amino acid) from the blood into the brain (crossing the blood brain barrier); BCAAs are transported into the brain via the same process as tryptophan and studies have shown that the intake of BCAAs can help block the tryptophan from entering the brain. Tryptophan is necessary for the production of Serotonin, a chemical emitted by the brain which helps maintain many important functions, including sleep. Once our brain starts producing serotonin, we start to feel sleepy and complacent, thereby inducing fatigue; blocking tryptophan from entering the brain helps reduce serotonin, and therefore delays the feeling of fatigue. The conclusion of one study was: ``when BCAAs were supplied to human subjects during a standardized cycle ergometer exercise their ratings of perceived exertion and mental fatigue were reduced, and, during a competitive 30-km cross-country race, their performance on different cognitive tests was improved after the race. In some situations the intake of BCAAs also improves physical performance.`` And this study: ``These results demonstrate that BCAA supplementation during an intensive training program effectively reduces the muscle soreness and fatigue sensation, and that the perceived changes could be attributed to the attenuation of muscle damage and inflammation.`` Who should take them? Anyone on a moderate to high protein diet consisting of mainly animal sources of protein is already getting enough BCAAs in their diet on a daily basis. However, supplementation around your workout can be a beneficial addition to your workout nutrition. It would be worth considering adding BCAAs to your workout nutrition if any of these situations apply:
How much, and when to take them There is no official recommended dosage, however for optimal benefits most studies have used a dose of around 0.4g per kg of body weight. With most BCAAs supplements containing around 7-9g of total BCAAs per serving, this would be around 3 servings for 140lbs, and around 4-5 for 180lb -220lbs. Ideally, these doses would be split up as 1 before, 1 during, and 1 after training, however, benefits can be gained for less doses, as three per training session can be costly. If you are consuming protein after your training session then you are automatically getting a full dose of BCAAs, assuming it’s a complete protein such as whey powder. While the BCAAs in full protein are not absorbed as rapidly as they would be in isolated (supplement) format, for most people’s goals they are sufficient. If however you do not have immediate access to protein post-workout then that last dose of BCAAs would be beneficial. What to look for: Out of the three BCAAs, Leucine has been the most directly linked with protein synthesis. When researchers examined the effects of protein on protein synthesis they noted that there were increases in synthesis depending upon the type of amino acid consumed.
Leucine also activates a critical compound in muscles called mTOR, which acts as the key to turn on protein synthesis. So not only does Leucine increase protein synthesis, it kick starts the process to ensure it is started right away. So why not just use Leucine? Our muscles naturally contain a ratio of Lucine, Isoleucine and Valine of 2:1:1, and supplementing with one of these BCAAs in a higher ratio can deplete the other two BCAAs causing negative effects. The other two BCAAs also have benefits; Valine reduces the effects of serotonin on the brain which can decrease the perception of fatigue, and Isoleucine increases glucose uptake and usage during exercise. Ideally, look for a supplement that has a ratio of 2:1:1 (most do), with at least 2-2.5g of Leucine. Also be on the lookout for other ingredients:
BCAAs cautions As with any supplement there are things you must be aware of to ensure you are taking the appropriate amount and that there are no adverse effects. If you are sticking to the recommended dosage you should have no problems, but there are a few things to watch out for:
To be sure that BCAAs are right for you, please be sure to consult your doctor. Change nothing and nothing will change; without change, there can be no progress!  Comments are closed.
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