BCAA’s explained- Why are BCAAs Essential for Your Workout?

Are you here to kick start your fitness journey and don’t know which are the right tools to fuel your routine? In this article we will dive deep into why and when you should take BCCAs supplements and cover all the essential benefits that you can’t ignore, you will learn about their composition, optimal intake ratio and when’s the best time to consume them.

What are BCAAs?

Our body comprises 2 types of amino acids, essential and non essential, Out of 20 amino acids, 9 are essential. Branched Chain Amino Acids are 3 essential amino acids out of the 9, these three sets of BCAAs have unique and very specific chemical properties which play a crucial role in protein synthesis, brain and neural function, immune system maintenance and insulin regulation, they allow the body to rebuild and grow new muscle, making them high performance proteins.

BCAA Composition

BCAAs comprises of 3 individual compounds i.e. Valine, Leucine and Iso-leucine, with Leucine being the most well known key component. The unique properties and chemical structure of these compounds allows them to get absorbed directly into the muscles and not in the stomach making them the fastest absorbing amino acids.

When and why should you take BCAAs?

Some people swear by BCAAs supplement and some people think that they are garbage but what does the science say about BCCAs?

Most people know that protein is necessary for muscle gain but people don’t actually know why? Your body has two processes going on at the time of muscle growth, i.e. building up and tearing down, in order to maintain the muscle growth you need to keep the two processes in balance. If you do not focus on building up compared to tearing down, the growth gets stagnant. On the other hand, if you focus more on strength training and bulking off than normal, the growth of your muscles gets better overtime. This is a part of the building up process which is called muscle protein synthesis. Muscle protein breakdown is when your muscles start to tear down after a good workout session. They both function in our body simultaneously, all the time.

To initiate Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS), consuming protein, specifically BCA leucine, which is the key trigger for starting muscle building process. While BCAAs assist to send signals to initiate MPS, you still require all the other essential amino acids to keep the muscle building process going.

BCAAs are crucial for people who aim to achieve a lean muscular physique. Leaning up involves a training program with extensive cardio and a calorie deficit diet, here BCAA plays a very important role as it prevents catabolism- when your body breaks down muscles along with fat for energy.

Exercising along with being on a calorie deficit diet can lead to muscle loss because there are no glycogen stores available for energy. BCAAs assist in saturating your muscles and provide your body an adequate anabolic environment and muscle energy.

Another time when BCAAs are useful is when you have lower quality protein, for example, in vegan diets if your protein intake completely relies on sources like soy, beans and quinoa, which contain lower amounts of BCA Leucine and might stimulate muscle growth, compared to animal protein. Adding 3 grams of BCAAs will assist in stimulating muscle growth and give plant based proteins that little kick that they need for optimal MPS.

Another use of BCAAs is in endurance training. Adding BCAAs to your diet after endurance events like marathons can reduce muscle damage and soreness, however it does not have any impact on your endurance performance. For athletes who do a lot of endurance training and want to feel more recovered after their training sessions then adding BCAAs to your carbohydrate drink is suggested.

When should BCAAs be consumed?

BCAAs should be taken during or right after your training sessions, which is when they are highly effective and can significantly aid in building and repairing muscles that may be damaged from intense workout.

The benefits of BCAAs typically peak around 30 to 60 minutes after consumption, so keeping that in mind, choose the best time suitable to optimise your muscle recovery and suppose muscle growth.

Taking BCAAs during and after your workout will also reduce muscle soreness, so keep yourself hydrated and energised to get the most out of your training and hard work.

Cardio lovers should incorporate BCAAs to keep themselves hydrated and energised, specially during HIIT cardio sessions. To counteract muscle loss along with fat loss, supplementing 5g BCAAs in your shaker the moment you start cardio, and sipping it throughout your cardio session is suited the best.

Two crucial times when you should supplement 5g-10g BCAAs are pre- and post workout with your pre workout meal and your post workout shake. People who also prefer brisk walk before bed can also add BCAAs supplements to their diet for muscle recovery and growth.

Sources

There are a number of sources of BCAAs, you can supplement them with pills, powders or within whey protein, such as Bolt Whey Protein.

Amino acids are peptide bound within whey protein. It provides the same benefits as BCCAs, however BCAAs present in whey protein are less bioavailable, compared to BCAAs supplements, which means that the body does not absorb BCAAs in whey protein as quickly.

Whereas while purchasing BCAAs supplements, knowing the Valine : Leucine : Isoleucine ratio should be 1:2:1, with Leucine being the chief component to retain muscle mass.

Key Takeaways to take home

To initiate Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS), consuming protein, specifically BCA leucine, which is the key trigger for starting muscle building process. While BCAAs assist to send signals to initiate MPS, you still require all the other essential amino acids to keep the muscle building process going.

Exercising along with being on a calorie deficit diet can lead to muscle loss because there are no glycogen stores available for energy.  BCAAs assist in saturating your muscles and provide your body an adequate anabolic environment and muscle energy.

Amino acids are peptide bound within whey protein. It provides the same benefits as BCCAs, however BCAAs present in whey protein are less bioavailable, compared to BCAAs supplements, which means that the body does not absorb BCAAs in whey protein as quickly.

The unique properties and chemical structure of these compounds allows them to get absorbed directly into the muscles and not in the stomach making them the fastest absorbing amino acids.