The short and simple answer is that if you're tracking your calorie intake and macros, and if you're in a surplus and getting enough protein...then you are probably getting all of the BCAA's you need from natural sources.
If for some reason you don't think you are getting enough (you're in a deficit, you're not sure if you're getting enough protein) , it's fine to supplement.
My understanding is that they are important for muscle recovery. I've occasionally supplemented with extra glutamine in the past when I was overly sore from a workout. I don't do it anymore, I just eat more now.
I know this is an old thread but I wanted to ask some simple questions and this seems the right thread to do it.
i read some of this article from OP but it’s just too much unnecessary information for me to understand when I just want to know the basics.
my questions are as a supplement.
what is BCAA for? I was under the impression it can give you energy/lift heavier? Does it help add muscle mass? Or is it Only for improving recovery/ reducing doms? Do you think it’s even a supplement worth spending money on?
There’s so much information and it just confuses me more.
Please keep it simple if you reply.
thanks guys.
BCAAs are an important tool to have in your kit.
Here are a couple of scenarios when they should be deployed:
1) hitting the gym first thing in the morning without any food in ur belly. This prevents muscles eating themselves. (this one is a little bro science-ish)
2) working out for longer than 90 mins but you want to avoid sugar drinks
3) vegan bodybuilders use BCAAs regularly
I got you bro!
Simple breakdown...
BCAA stands for branched chain amino acids.
BCAA is just the catch all term for 3 specific amino acids that seem to be the catalyst for triggering muscle growth.
All complete proteins have the BCAAs in them, as protein is just a chain of amino acids. Milk, meat, whey, casein, fish... They all have the BCAAs in them, in addition to ALL the other AAs.
They do not give you any more energy than any other food that your body would burn for energy. They are more hype than anything, if you want a shake, get a complete protein shake like whey or casein, as the other amino acids are important too.
I have a bad habit of going to the gym in the morning on nothing but coffee so this applies to me.
A better choice than the BCAAs would be a protein shake or EAAs.
EAAs are all the Essential Amino Acids (this includes the BCAAs) that our bodies need.
Most of the protein shakes have amino acids in them also.
BCAAs prevent protein breakdown, but do not increase protein synthesis.
-Since 1978 a variety of studies have been performed in humans where BCAAs or leucine alone was administrated in varying amounts and durations. An anabolic effect of leucine and the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) on reduction of muscle protein breakdown was found in these studies, with no measured effect upon muscle protein synthesis. In addition, no untoward effects have been reported in any of these studies from infusion of the BCAAs at upward 3 times basal flux or 6 times normal dietary intake during the fed portion of the day (B1).
-BCAA infusion in 10 postabsorptive normal subjects causes a 4-fold rise in arterial BCAA levels. Plasma insulin levels were unchanged from basal levels. Whole-body phenylalanine flux, an index of proteolysis, was significantly suppressed by BCAA infusion. Despite the rise in whole-body non-oxidative leucine disposal, and in forearm leucine uptake and disposal, forearm phenylalanine disposal, an index of muscle protein synthesis, was not stimulated by infusion of branched-chain amino acids (B2).
-Short-term (3 to 4 hours) infusion of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) has been shown to suppress muscle protein breakdown.
An overnight (16-hour) systemic BCAA infusion in 8 subjects increases plasma BCAA concentrations by fivefold to eightfold, and this was associated with a 20% to 60% decline in arterial concentrations of other amino acids.
In the forearm, overnight BCAA infusion resulted in a diminished net release of Phe (-3 +/- 2 v -18 +/- 4 [saline] nmol/min/100 mL, P < .02), and BCAA balance became markedly positive (751 +/- 93 v -75 +/- 30, P < .001) (B4).
-BCAA infusion in 10 postabsorptive normal subjects does not change plasma insulin levels. Skeletal muscle proteolysis was suppressed in the absense of any apparent increase in muscle protein synthesis (B5).
-In humans, infusion of BCAA alone slows skeletal muscle protein degradation, but does not increase protein synthesis. This is perhaps not surprising, as the BCAA also inhibit whole body protein degradation and thereby decrease the arterial concentrations of other essential and nonessential amino acids. This decline may blunt any effect of infused BCAA on protein synthesis by limiting substrate availability and/or interfering with nutrient signaling by other amino acids.
BCAA stimulate the phosphorylation of eIF4E-BP1 and p70S6K involved in activating the mRNA translation apparatus. These results demonstrate that the cellular pathways that regulate translation initiation are, in fact, stimulated by BCAA in humans and suggest a potentially significant anabolic signaling role for BCAA in increasing mRNA translation and protein synthesis. This occurs with increments of circulating BCAA like those seen postprandially, suggesting that this is a normal physiological response.
After a 12 h overnight fast 7 healthy volunteers were adminitered a BCAA infusion for 6 h. Insulin concentrations did not significantly change. BCAA infusion significantly improved forearm phenylalanine balance in control subjects at 6 h (Fig. 4A), although, as we previously reported, it did not increase phenylalanine Rd (B6).
-BCAAs during 1h cycle exercise and a 2h recovery period does not influence the rate of exchange of the aromatic AAs during exercise. In the recovery period, a faster decrease in the muscle concentration of aromatic AAs was found (46% compared with 25% in the placebo condition). There was also a tendency to a smaller release (an average of 32%) of these amino acids from the legs. The results suggest that BCAA have a protein-sparing effect during the recovery after exercise (E5)
-7.5-12 g BCAAs during intense exercise (a 30 km cross-country race and a full marathon) increases BCAA plasma and muscle concentration. In the placebo group plasma BCAA decreased and left muscle levels unchanged. The placebo group showed a 20-40% increase in the muscle concentration of aromatic AAs. BCAA supplementation prevented this increase in aromatic AAs in both muscle and plasma. These results suggest that an intake of BCAAs during exercise can prevent or decrease the net rate of protein degradation caused by heavy exercise (E8).
-Consumption of BCAA (30 to 35% leucine) before or during endurance exercise may prevent or decrease the net rate of protein degradation, may improve both mental and physical performance and may have a sparing effect on muscle glycogen degradation and depletion of muscle glycogen stores (E14).
-77 mg BCAAs/kg supplementation before exercise resulted in a doubling (P < 0.05) of the arterial BCAA levels before exercise (339 +/- 15 vs. 822 +/- 86 microM). During the 60 min of exercise, the total release of BCAA was 68 +/- 93 vs. 816 +/- 198 mumol/kg (P < 0.05) for the BCAA and control trials, respectively. Furthermore, the increased intramuscular and arterial BCAA levels before and during exercise result in a suppression of endogenous muscle protein breakdown during exercise.(E105).
-BCAA activate mRNA translation initiation, but without the anticipated increase in protein synthesis. One possible explanation for this apparent discrepancy is that BCAA inhibit proteolysis and thereby decrease the arterial concentrations of other AA (P4).
Why both, since the EAAs cover the BCAAs?I take Eaa’s / BCAA’s during fasted cardio. I also invest in them because I don’t like drinking plain water at the gym.
Just use whey or another complete protein source and you'll have better results. There is absolutely NO reason to waste your money on EEA's which are less effective.Just personal preference. I know everyone has their own little beliefs and mine is the more EAA’s the better. I use Evogens Amino K.E.M during lifting and if I’m doing fasted cardio I use Nutra Bio’s Intra Blast.