BCAA Information

What are BCAA’s and what do they do?

Among the most beneficial and effective supplements in any sports nutrition program are branched chain amino acids. These are the essential aminos, leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAA’s have been around for centuries but the important health values of them are very important, although many people don't know how and when to use them properly.

You probably know that amino acids are the building blocks of protein. When you eat a food rich in protein, it gets digested in the stomach and intestine into individual amino acids and short chains of amino acids that are small enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream. These amino acids have far-reaching effects in the body from building and repairing tissues, to producing chemicals that enable our brains to function optimally.

What are Essential and Non-Essential Amino Acids?

The body cannot make essential amino acids. You must get them from complete protein foods or combinations of incomplete vegetable foods. There are 9 essential amino acids: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and valine. Your body can make non-essential amino acids by itself from vitamins and other amino acids.

The term "non-essential" can be misleading since all amino acids are essential for proper metabolism and certain non-essential amino acids, such as glutamine, become very essential. The 13 non-essential amino acids are alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, cysteine, cystine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, hydroxyproline, proline, serine, & tyrosine.

The essential branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) are of special importance for athletes because they are metabolized in the muscle, rather than in the liver. Here's how this works: After digestion once protein is broken down into individual amino acids these aminos can either be used to build new proteins or be burned as fuel to produce energy.

Essential Amino Acids (EAA's) get their name from the fact that your body cannot make them. The BCAA’s are crucial amino acids. These BCAA’s are the building blocks of the protein your body uses to produce more muscle tissue. Because you cannot make them, you must get them from the foods you take in and the supplements you use. There are 3 essential amino acids are leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

Some of the highest sources of Branch Chain Amino Acids include dairy foods. Many bodybuilders and athletes are discovering the benefits of supplementing with additional BCAA’s . Adding BCAA supplements can help build skeletal muscle. Studies have shown that BCAA’s can help the body preserve glycogen or stored fuel for muscles that athletes call on during endurance activities. Essential amino acids may also help decrease the breakdown of muscle tissue during weight lifting and aid in building new muscle.

As you know when you are training, regardless of what type of training, you are causing muscle teardown. Everything from swimming, weight lifting, biking, running, etc. causes some type of muscle breakdown. As your body begins these activities, it also begins pulling these essential amino acids for use. Studies have shown that while other amino acids are quickly taken apart by the liver, the BCAA’s generally remain intact. This means that they can help the body make new muscle tissue.

BCAA’s enter your muscles and boost muscle growth in several ways:

• BCAA’s rev up insulin release from the pancreas. Insulin helps deposit extra muscle building protein into the muscle fibers.
  
  
• BCAA’s also start enzymes that also may help lay down extra tissue that makes muscles bulge and perform better.
  
  
• BCAA’s may help keep your muscles from breaking down during periods of rest.

Essential Amino Acids also provide another benefit. They play a role in your body's production of energy for workouts and training. BCAA’s help preserve glycogen which is the starch that muscles store up to help them fuel movement. BCAA’s can also ward off fatigue. Scientists have found out that the tiredness you may feel during your training session is due to neurochemicals released in your body that affect your central nervous system. Exercise raises the serotonin in your body and serotonin release helps control appetite, sleep and emotional mood. Your body makes serotonin from tryptophan, which is another amino acid. By interfering with tryptophan, it is believed that BCAA’s impair serotonin production and tamps down the tiredness that serotonin would otherwise leave in it's wake.

Research shows that BCAA supplementation is safe, but it is still important to ask your doctor before taking any supplement and follow the label instructions. However, people who suffer from neurological diseases should avoid these supplements. In addition, if you suffer from depression or any kidney diseases, you should stay away from these supplements.