BCAA’s are an effective post-workout supplement offering athletes some impactful benefits.
The acronym stands for branched-chain amino acids. They’re important because amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, which make up the structure of the body.
Three BCAAs are classed as essential: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. This means they can’t be made in the body and must be absorbed through our diet.
Here, Built for Athletes takes a look at some of the benefits of consuming BCAAs, either through a supplement or whole foods, post-workout.
Reduce Muscle Soreness
Delayed onset muscle soreness can leave you in pain between sessions and stop you from training as hard or as frequently as you’d like.
Some research suggests taking BCAAs post-workout can reduce the severity of muscle soreness.
This is because soreness is caused by small muscle tears, and BCAAs help to repair the damage.
Support Muscle Growth
Probably the most common reason people supplement with BCAAs is that they can increase muscle growth.
Leucine - one of the essential BCAAs - has been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis which is the process of building muscle.
Some studies have shown that consuming a drink containing BCAAs after a workout can increase protein synthesis by more than 20%.
Delay Fatigue
BCAAs can help to delay the onset of fatigue during exercise, allowing you to push harder for longer in your workouts.
This is thought to be because when you exercise and levels of BCAAs in the blood reduce, the amount of an amino acid called tryptophan increases in the brain. This leads to a greater production of serotonin, which results in a feeling of fatigue.
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