What are BCAAs and should you be taking them?
First let’s talk about amino acids. Those are the building blocks of protein that helps your body build muscle, repair muscle damage and regulate immune function. BCAAs are three specific essential amino acids that inhibit muscle protein breakdown and aid in glycogen storage.
Because BCAAs are essential you have to get them from your diet. You can get them from complete proteins which are animal-sourced products: eggs, meat, poultry, fish and dairy.
If you can get them from your diet why would you take supplements? BCAA supplements have other benefits like reducing muscle soreness, increasing power output, increased time to exhaustion, decreased lactate production and weight loss.
What makes them unique is they can be oxidized in the muscles for fuel. When your glycogen stores run low your body uses BCAAs for fuel. Research has been linked BCAA consumption to increased resistance to fatigue, reduced muscle damage and increased muscle mass.
Studies have showed that BCAAs could ramp up fat burning and help regulate your blood sugar levels.
With any kind of supplements, you still need to be careful when taking them. While they don’t have any negative sides affects you still need to take the correct amount bases of your weight, gender and physical activity.
Most people get enough BCAAs from the food they already eat, but for those who aren’t eating enough protein or carbs may benefit from taking these supplements. But keep in mind it is much more effective to make diet corrections than to try to supplements.
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