BCAA, what are they and when can they be taken?

The BCAA are branched amino acids. They are one of the most popular nutritional supplements among athletes. Surely you have heard of them, but you do not know exactly to use or how they can help you improve your performance. Keep reading and discover the answer to all your questions.

Frequent questions about the BCAA

It is very common that doubts arise, especially if we read any information that does not have contrasted sources. For this reason today we will answer the most frequent questions that are asked about this supplement.

What types of BCAA exist?

There are two types of amino acids:
  • Non -essential amino acids: They are the ones that the body can synthesize, for example: alanine, asparagine or aspartic acid
  • Essential amino acids: They are the ones that the body can synthesize, for example: phenylalanine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine and tryptophan. Within this group are BCAA They are Isoleucine, leucine and valine.

What are BCAA for?

The purpose of the BCAA is Avoid loss of muscle mass When we are training or reduce muscle damage caused, in addition to Increase performance. What they do is stimulate the increase in muscle mass stimulating insulin secretion, after the intake of these branched amino acids, they pass very quickly to the bloodstream, so the body has them immediately For the increase in muscle mass. That is, they oxidize and generate energy. They give rise to an increase in performance by providing muscle substrates that decrease the need for glycogen decomposition. It is known that BCAA supplementation could also cause anabolism because of its ability to modulate growth hormone, insulin and testosterone.

In what format can we find these amino acids?

We can find these BCAA in different ways: in dust, liquid or capsules. You must fix that it is in the proper proportion, if you had to choose having as an increase in energy and fat loss, it would be the proportion 2: 1: 1. The order of the proportion is leucine, isoleucine and valine.

When is the best time to take it?

The best time to take them is Before training To increase performance, after training to reduce the loss of muscle mass during the day if you are in energy deficit.

What are the daily needs of BCAA?

The needs are around Between 150 mg per kilogram of body weight, ideal would be to take it when we carry very intense or prolonged resistance or resistance sessions of demanding force. The body obtains energy from different substrates, and sometimes uses the reserves available in the musculature, which consists of approximately 35% of BCAA. This can lead to a loss of muscle mass, as can happen when we perform very strict and low diets in kilocalorories

When can they be taken?

It depends on the objective of each person, if taken before training, let's say it helps protect muscle mass, since the body as the first substrate uses free BCAA to obtain energy instead of consuming the muscle protein reserves themselves

Side effects of BCAA

Taking nothing and common sense, also, besides You should ask your nutritionist or a specialist. The excess of any amino acid can cause damage to the kidneys, but we are talking about a very abundant amount. It is also advisable to increase daily water consumption to help that filtration.

Is protein or BCAA better?

As for protein synthesis, it always depends on which you compare them, taking BCAA will always be better than drinking water with lemon, it is much better to invest money in protein. The decrease in fatigue at the central nervous system level is losing weight over the years, since there are some studies that demonstrate their disability. Content written by Fabio de laurentiis With the collaboration of Yaiza Perdiguero

Related articles

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published