BCAA is a complex of essential amino acids. The body cannot produce them on its own, which is why many athletes take them as a supplement. This allows you to improve training results and quickly form a beautiful body relief. The abbreviation stands for and translates from English as “branched-chain amino acids.”
As you know, proteins are vital for the body’s normal functioning. They are made up of amino acids, so athletes looking to build muscle and lose fat often take amino acid supplements.
Essential amino acids can also be obtained from food, so proper protein-rich nutrition is an important step toward a beautiful body. For BCAAs to be beneficial, they must be taken correctly; the dosage should be calculated and combined with physical activity.
The composition of the dietary supplement
BCAA is a complex of amino acids. Their combination can cause noticeable changes in the body, especially in weight loss and muscle building. The composition of BCAA dietary supplements includes 3 essential amino acids:
Valin. It is an important element for the recovery and growth of muscle tissue. If a muscle injury occurs during training, thanks to valine, the healing time of tissues can be significantly reduced. During physical exertion, the muscle protein breaks down, and valine prevents this.
Leucine. It is necessary for the normalization of glucose levels, is involved in synthesizing growth hormones, and contributes to the restoration of muscle and bone tissues.
Isoleucine. Helps to energize and increase endurance, extend training time, and increase effectiveness. Reduces recovery time after damage to muscle tissue.
For those who exercise regularly, leucine is especially important because, after exercise, the concentration of this particular amino acid in the muscles is significantly reduced. Leucine is also an important source of ATP.
BCAA effect
First, BCAAs are used by those who are actively involved in sports and want to increase the effectiveness of training. So, for example, people who lose weight often take kre alkalyn supplements. Amino acids, which are part of the dietary supplement, normalize blood sugar levels, which means they reduce appetite. However, this does not mean you must drink BCAAs and wait for weight loss. Such a technique will be effective, along with the sufficient physical activity.
BCAA supplements are taken for the following effect:
Prevention of muscle breakdown during grueling workouts;
The rapid growth of muscle mass (during the “drying” of the body, when you need to acquire a pronounced relief);
- Reducing the amount of fatty tissue in the body;
- Increase in strength indicators;
- Maintaining immunity;
- Protein synthesis and muscle growth;
- Increased effectiveness when taking other sports nutrition.
Combining BCAAs and thoughtful training will allow you to get six-pack press and relief muscles in a shorter time.
It would seem that it is enough to eat meat and eggs; however, with active loads, a lot of protein is required, and not everyone can eat so many protein foods. In addition, the proteins contained in food are broken down much faster than the finished product.
Even though the supplement is for muscles, one should remember its important role in immunity. Active, exhausting workouts can disrupt the immune system and reduce the body’s resistance to various infections.
These amino acids are useful not only for athletes but are also necessary for everyone to produce insulin, a sufficient amount of energy. Also, BCAA is a component for forming other amino acids in the body.
Benefit and harm
The benefits of BCAA are obvious, but the supplement will be useful only with a pronounced lack of protein, that is, with high physical exertion. Uncontrolled intake of the supplement can lead to side effects. Sometimes athletes cannot take whey protein due to intolerance, so BCAAs are especially recommended.
For workouts lasting more than an hour, supplements are necessary, as they do not allow the muscles to “burn out” and be damaged. This applies to any training: skiing, running, exercising in the gym, cycling, etc.
The main benefits of BCAAs are as follows:
- Restoration of muscle tissue;
- Increased endurance;
- Protein synthesis;
- Fat burning.
Experts say that supplements should not replace a healthy diet. You must eat chicken meat, eggs, and dairy products to maintain normal protein levels. It is from the diet that a large dose of amino acids should come, and the deficiency, taking into account nutrition, is replenished in the form of supplements.
Synthetic BCAA is no different from those amino acids the body receives from food, so the reaction to the supplement is extremely rare. The only side effect that can be encountered if taken incorrectly is a disorder of the stool.
With proper intake and compliance with dosages, harm is practically eliminated. BCAA can hurt the body if a low-quality product is purchased and with prolonged excessive use of the supplement without observing the norm of physical activity.
If you buy BCAA in an unverified store, you may encounter an expired product or the presence of impurities harmful to the body. Therefore, the choice of a sports nutrition store must be approached carefully. It is worth considering where the additive cost is significantly lower than the market price.
With an increase in dosage, disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract occur, and the absorption of amino acids from food decreases. As a rule, the optimal dosage is prescribed on the package. It is recommended to stay within it.
How to take it?
It is worth remembering that the dosage, in most cases, is selected individually. Depends on the height, weight, loads, and the body’s protein needs. Is necessary to consult a trainer and a doctor if there are health problems. In most cases, athletes have been prescribed a 20-25 g.
In this case, the dosage, as it is correctly crushed, by 2-5 times during the day. You can take the supplement both before training and before it. BCAAs are taken in small amounts before class if a long and exhausting workout is planned. This will increase endurance and acquire the supply of energy for more productive work.
You can increase the dose only after consulting with the trainer, for example, before important competitions and more active training.
It is worth remembering that you need to take BCAAs not only on days of action sports but also on rest days when the muscles begin to recover. Usually, on such days, the dosage is divided in half and taken in the morning between meals. Drinking the supplement during training, before and after it, and before going to bed is also allowed. All this activates various processes in the body.
There are practically no contraindications, but it is strongly not recommended to interfere with the intake of BCAAs with alcohol. Caution should be taken when taking supplements for people with serious kidney disease. It is also not recommended to give BCAAs to children due to the effects on growth hormones.
The use of BCAA for weight loss
People who want to get in shape faster, reduce body fat, and build muscle often resort to the help of sports, diets, and sports nutrition designed to speed up this process.
This is not to say that BCAA acts as a standard fat burner, but this complex is involved in synthesizing an important hormone, leptin, which regulates the metabolism in the body. The amount of leptin in the body depends on appetite and adipose tissue accumulation.
Strict diets often only work precisely because of the lack of this hormone. When the amount of fatty tissue decreases, hormone production also slows down, and the metabolism slows down accordingly.
Taking BCAAs, along with proper nutrition and exercise, allows you to lose weight faster without suffering from increased appetite. In essence, the amino acids that regulate blood sugar levels make the body think that any food (including chicken breast) is high in calories. As a result, appetite decreases, a person reduces the usual portions, and metabolism improves.
