SS Ep.3 BCAAS

Branch chain amino acids...confused already? Don't worry, we've got you! Todays supplement Saturday is BCAAs.

Not to be scared off by their name, BCAAs are amino acids. Amino acids are found in your body and there are 11 of them. These are used to make proteins that then lead to the gainz and adaptations you look for with your training. Where BCAAs differ are the fact that they are essential amino acids. This means your body doesn't produce them and they must be ingested through your diet. There are 9 of these essential amino acids that must be ingested from your diet.

Still lost? Well, BCAAs are 3 of those essential amino acids missing from your body. They are:

-leucine

-isoleucine

-valine

leucine is the most important of these 3 and also out of the 9 missing. These 3 amino acids have many benefits, lets take a look!

First of all, BCAAs may aid in reducing fatigue. A study found individuals that ingested BCAAs had a lower level of serotonin in their blood. This brain chemical is important however, it also plays a role in fatigue during exercise. The same study also showed supplementation improved energy metabolism and reduced the level of substances in the bloodstream that indicate muscle damage like lactate. In conclusion, they found BCAA improved performance during exercise!

Research also points to supplementation aiding lean muscle mass progression. A study found athletes using BCAA had more of a significant decrease in body fat % and greater increase in lean mass compared to other groups. However, we stick by being in a caloric deficit (eating less than you burn) to be the only fat burner out their. The increase in these acids though will create more proteins aiding in increasing your muscle size and therefore strength and endurance.

If you are reading this and are wondering what if your ill well... a study found BCAAs aided individuals that are chronically ill to maintain muscle mass. This has to be couple with a high protein diet though. It also points to aiding people with liver disease, benefiting people with advanced liver cirrhosis but there is no further research into the effects yet.

Now, if you are sat there and I've sold you on BCAAs you may be thinking "how much do i take?" Well... let me help you with that! If you are a male, a dosage of at least 12g a day is advised and for the ladies reading 9g per day. However, if you are especially active, a dosage of 18-20g a day may be beneficial. Alternatively, you can work out the dosage using this calculation:

-65mg per kg of bodyweight

So to round us up... BCAAs are an easy and effective way of ingesting those missing essential amino acids that will give you a load of benefits. However, it is not a necessity for performance and improving yourself to reach your goals. A high protein diet can be as nearly as effective or just as effective. So there is some food for thought for you, excuse the pun!!