Home » Expert Guides » Supplements BCAA Supplements Guide: Powders, Benefits & Best Products 1. The Three BCAAs 3. BCAAs And Performance 4. Effects On Hormones 5. BCAAs And Fat Loss 6. BCAAs As Signaling Molecules This Guide Teaches You: What BCAAs are, and how they impact performance and muscle building.Why leucine, isoleucine, and valine are essential and must be obtained through diet.How studies back the effectiveness of BCAAs upon improving performance.How BCAAs positively impact testosterone levels when taken pre-workout.The benefits of supplementing with BCAAs during fat loss.The recommended daily BCAAs dosage.Branch Chain Amino Acids are the "Building Blocks" of the body. They make up 35% of your muscle mass and must be present for molecular growth and development to take place. Eight are essential (cannot be manufactured by the body) the rest are non-essential (can be manufactured by the body with proper nutrition). Besides building cells and repairing tissue, they form antibodies, they are part of the enzyme & hormonal system;
they build RNA and DNA and they carry oxygen throughout the body. Proteins are made up of amino acids. The difference between full spectrum amino acids and regular protein powders is that protein powders have fillers, sweeteners, dyes and extra carbohydrates. More than 20 amino acids are needed to build muscle, red blood cells, and hundreds of other molecules that sustain life. Your body can produce all but 8-10 amino acids which must be obtained through your diet or supplementation. A complete amino acid profile is needed by your body to reach your maximum fitness potential. They act as nitrogen carriers which assist the muscles in synthesizing other amino acids needed for anabolic muscle action. In simpler terms, BCAA's combine simpler amino acids to form a complex whole muscle tissue. In this action, BCAA's stimulate production of insulin, the main function of which is to allow circulating blood sugar to be taken up by the muscle cells and used as a source of energy. This insulin production promotes amino acid uptake by the muscle.
During intense weight training the body is normally in a highly catabolic condition. At this time glycogen stores are being rapidly depleted and the liver in turn must synthesize glucose by a conversion of L-Alanine. Alanine makes up over half of the amino acid content released from muscles during exercise. The release of BCAA's is generally recognized as the signal to the body to stop protein syntheses in the muscles, especially during times of stress. Providing the Branch Chain Amino Acids, especially during those times of stress may profoundly affect this signal and allow protein synthesis to continue onward. As with most nutrition, many bodybuilders overlook the importance of combining and inclusion of co-factors when supplementing. Below is a list of supplements that play a part in increasing the effectiveness of BCAA supplementation. The most desired form is chromium picolinate which functions to increase the effectiveness of insulin, a hormone composed of 91 amino acids, manufactured in the beta cells of the pancreas.
Insulin is the most essential link in the muscle building chain. Chromium enhances the rate at which protein is synthesized by the body, and promotes intracellular uptake of free amino acids from the blood and assimilation by the cells. It retards the rate of protein degradation by the body within the cells. This is an absolute must to include in a quality Branch Chain Amino formula. Learn more about chromium. Zinc is the regulator of insulin. The natural co factor to this element is Vitamin B-6. As Vitamin B-6 is an important intermediary in amino acid metabolism; those athletes whose diets are high in amino acids need additional amounts from the body. The transport of amino acids in the cellular interior is most dependant on an adequate supply of Vitamin B-6. Learn more about zinc. Another important water soluble nutrient that must be present in the protein metabolism and in the synthesis of amino acids. This all important member of the B family has an important role in protein synthesis and the manufacture of glycogen.
With BCAA's 4-8 grams before a work out and 4-8 grams after is optimal. Lesser amounts are effective but if increased performance and recovery are needed a higher dosage is more effective. Taking BCAA's immediately before or during a strenuous workout or cardio session will increase performance. Taking them after with a post work out meal or recovery drink will help speed the replacement of BCAA's in the muscles, speeding muscle recovery and preventing overtraining. For optimum results in supplement form, it is desirable to take your BCAA's separately from the other amino acid groupings for the fact that they totally dominate the race for entry into the bodies' systems. Branched Chain Amino Acids are among the most beneficial and effective supplements in any sports nutrition program. Although these supplements have been around for a long time and the scientific understanding in the exercise performance benefits of BCAA supplementation is rich, many people don't know exactly how they exert their effects or how vital BCAA supplementation is.
One thing is definitely sure though, that anyone who is looking to put on more muscle or gain more energy naturally without any side effects should very seriously consider taking BCAA's.I would vote for EAAs over BCAAs. There is some lliterature floating around that shows EAAs are better for muscle growth and muscle protein synthesis. 10g should be enough to maximally boost MPS.Marcus, Moberg, et al. "Activation of mTORC1 by leucine is potentiated by branched chain amino acids and even more so by essential amino acids following resistance exercise." (2016). Activation of mTORC1 by leucine is potentiated by branched chain amino acids and even more so by essential amino acids following resistance exercise I've seen a general recommendation of 10 grams post exercise, which is what I take, but TP Clark seems to have great data backed recommendations. However, you may want to check out this Recent Studies Cast Shadow Over High Dose BCAA Intake: Increased Protein Wasting, Lower Brain Serotonin and More I still take them, post exercise, in spite of these findings.
I did a n=1 experiment for 1 week and trained (cardio and strength without post workout supplementation) and found that my "legs" felt heavy and tired after workouts when I did not supplement.Aim for 15-20 gms of BCAA per day for optimal results.You can get BCAA from Whey Protein supplements, Casein protein, Soy Isolate protein etc. You can also get BCAA in chicken, lentils, nuts, fish and eggs.Best way to get it is in extracted form as natural food sources won't give u enough required BCAA daily.You can buy flavoured BCAA and unflavoured BCAA also at most reasonable prices in India at Nutrimed Healthcare website - India's Best Bodybuilding Supplements brand, WhThey are offering flat 30% discount and free shipping too...for limited time.Consuming flavoured BCAA is SO MUCH easier than unflavoured bcaa as unflavoured one tastes sour and bitter.To maximize the various anabolic effects of BCAA's and glutamine it is essential that adequate dosages are used. Although dosages as low as 3 grams/day have shown benefit, studies involving BCAA usage show dramatic benefits when using approximately 9 grams per 100 pounds lean bodyweight per day.
Further results may be obtained during strenuous training or dieting periods, or for a real anabolic kick, by using BCAA dosages as high as .44 g BCAA per kg of lean bodyweight. To use thisformula simply deduct your body fat in pounds from your total weight thendivide this number by 2.2 to get kg. Next multiply by .44 g to get the dosage.So a 220 lb individual with 10% body fat would use this formula:220 lbs (total weight)- 20 lbs (body fat in lbs)= 200 lbs / 2.2= 90.91 kg (weight in kg) X .44g = 40grams BCAA per day.For glutamine a minimal dosage for those on a limited budget would be .05 grams per pound of lbw/day. Further results may be seen by using dosages as high as .10 grams to .20 grams per lb of lbw/day. So the same 220 lb 10% body fat individual wouldconsume between 10-40 grams of glutamine per day with the higher numbers mostlikely used during periods of intense training coupled with severe calorie andcarbohydrate restriction.It may take less of a dosage to see a dramatic response.
Personally, if I were new to using these products, I'd start off with a middle of the road dosage of 9g BCAA per 100 pounds lean bodyweight and .10 grams glutamine per pound of bodyweight. Startoff with this and follow the timing guidelines provided next and see whathappens.* � `g�Effective Dosage of BCAA (Branched Chain Amino acids) is 5 g twice daily preferably during or after workout.BCAA are 100% Safe Products with scientifically proven results for Bodybuilding purpose.Most of the BCAA Supplements available in the market have added fillers & thus the effective dosage is increased upto 7 - 8 g so that one effectively gets 5 g BCAA per serving which makes the Products costly )as the Number of servings per piece effectively reduces).Hereby please find Link of BCAA Supplements provider providing 100% Pure BCAA Supplements in 9 exotic flavours (Green Apple, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, Fruit Punch, Cherry, Grape, Orange, Lemon, Mango) at Lowest Prices in India(They are offering BCAA @ just Rs.750 per 250 g)Contact Details are as under:A.M Healthtech Phone No: 09871316375;