One supplement you may have heard about before but never looked too deeply into is branched chain amino acids.
You already take protein powder, so you think – why take individual amino acids too? You’re already getting the full spectrum with your choice of whey.
But, are you really seeing the full benefits you could be? Branched chain amino acids do come with a good set of benefits that are well worth considering if you are hoping to boost your performance level.
Let’s look at what these are and what they could mean to you.
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What Are Branched Chain Amino Acids?
Branched chain amino acids, which include L-Leucine, L-Valine, an L-Isoluceine, are different from the other amino acids because they will bypass the liver and are going to be metabolized right in the muscle tissue instead.
Your muscles will require this particular blend of amino acids for superior performance and it should be noted that most people are not taking in enough of these on a day to day basis to keep up with their physical activity demands.
While you are going to get them when you supplement with whey – or when you eat a chicken breast for that matter, you won’t take them in high enough dosages to really see their full benefits at work.
What Can BCAA’s Do For You?
So what can BCAA’s do for you? Why should you use them?
First, they can help to enhance your energy level during your workout session. Supplementing with these right around the workout period can give your muscles something else to use for energy purposes, so this could increase your overall workout performance.
In addition to that, having these present in the muscle cells is also going to mean that you will prevent muscle tissue breakdown from taking place as you go about the workout session. They offer a very good anti-catabolic benefit to them, which means you won’t break down muscle tissue at the rate you normally would, as was noted in a study published in the American Society For Nutritional Sciences.
Since preventing catabolism is a top goal regardless of whether your goal is muscle building or fat burning, you can see why this is so important.
Finally, they can also assist with the rebuilding and repair process as well. Using these post-workout can help give your muscles the extra boost they need to really see exceptional tissue repair at top speeds.
Compare this to someone who is just using whey and taking in a very small concentration of these particular three amino acids and you can see why adding BCAA’s becomes so helpful.
Many BCAA products also contain an extra dose of glutamine as well, which is a key amino acid that will support your immune system and further enhance the recovery rates that you see.
How To Use This Supplement Properly
So if you’ve decided that you’d like to give BCAA’s a try, you’ll want to use this product primarily during the workout session to start. This is when it will be most helpful and help to boost performance and prevent muscle mass loss.
Sip on it throughout the workout so you finish the last bit of it as you are leaving the gym and going to have your post-workout shake.
Then, on those days where you put in an extra hard workout performance and need a little additional recovery and support, you might also consider adding another serving either before bed so you have the BCAA’s in your system while you sleep, or else any other point throughout the day when you feel you need a quick boost.
Those who are dieting will want to especially consider two to three servings of these per day as they will be at a higher risk of lean muscle mass due to the catabolic nature of low calorie diets. Using BCAA’s can help safeguard the muscle that they worked so hard to build.
So if you have not yet given BCAA’s a try, now might just be the time to start. You will see noticeable improvements in both your energy level as well as your workout recovery while using them.
