What are the benefits of BCAAs for sports training? You should know how and how to use them

Whether you are into sports like fitness or running, you must have heard the name BCAAs! BCAAs, also known as Branched Chain Amino Acids, are the general term for the three amino acids "valine", "leucine" and "isoleucine", and are also the basic structural units of proteins. Help maintain muscle mass and prevent muscle tissue tearing, they account for about 35% of muscle mass, so many fitness people will tell you that BCAAs can effectively increase muscle growth and improve exercise performance to prevent muscle loss!

History and current status of BCAAs:

The history of branched-chain amino acids dates back to the 19th century, beginning with the discovery of leucine by chemist Joseph L. Proust in 1818; valine was discovered nearly a century later in 1901, and isoleucine two years later was discovered in 1903. And in 2002, the US Institute of Medicine established the first official recommended daily allowances of three BCAAs to determine the approximate amount the body needs, and soon after, a series of studies began to cement the relationship between BCAAs and athletic performance. Today, BCAAs are commonly used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including complications from infections such as burns, trauma, and sepsis, and new research suggests that BCAA supplementation may also benefit other conditions, such as diabetes and liver disease, etc. (source/draxe)

In fact, BCAAs have the following six benefits:

1. Enhances muscle growth

One of the most impressive benefits of BCAAs for women and men is the ability to increase muscle growth; almost any bodybuilder and bodybuilder, or bodybuilder in general, will reap the benefits of building muscle from it, plus, according to Frontiers Physiology One published study found that people who took BCAA supplements after resistance training had a 22 percent increase in muscle protein synthesis compared to a control group. However, remember that the key to maximizing muscle growth is definitely not just BCAAs.

2. Speed up recovery time

We all know that muscles experience what's called "delayed onset soreness" after exercise, and BCAAs may help. Foreign studies have shown that BCAAs can reduce the breakdown of protein during exercise, reduce muscle damage to tendon soreness, and accelerate muscle recovery. In addition, a study from Japan even found that due to training, the soreness and muscle fatigue reduced because of The effect of taking BCAA supplements beforehand. For this reason, it's no surprise that a review of eight studies published in Nutrition concluded that BCAA supplementation is a more effective strategy for accelerating recovery than resting after strenuous exercise.

3. Promotes Liver Health

Additionally, there is some research suggesting that branched-chain amino acids may be beneficial in patients with certain liver diseases, such as cirrhosis, hepatic encephalopathy, and liver cancer; for example, a review of 11 studies found that taking BCAAs improved patients undergoing liver surgery liver function, reduced risk of complications, length of hospital stay, and potential financial burden to patients; other studies have also found that taking branched-chain amino acids can prevent liver cancer and benefit hepatic encephalopathy.

4. Prevents muscle loss

For many fitness or sports people, increasing muscle mass is a very important thing, but as we age, the loss of muscle will become more and more serious. After the age of 30, the muscle will be 3- every 10 years. A 5% reduction in speed is often referred to as sarcopenia. According to a study published in the journal Clinical Science, branched-chain amino acids are effective in reducing muscle breakdown in humans. These results were confirmed in other animal research projects. This experiment confirmed that BCAAs can block bone in rats. muscle reduction.

5. Improve athletic performance

For more efficient exercise performance, supplementation with BCAAs not only increases muscle growth and reduces soreness, but also improves strength and performance; for example, a study conducted by Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds Metropolitan University) in the United Kingdom showed that, Supplementing leucine daily for 12 weeks during a resistance training program resulted in significant improvements in overall strength performance.

6. Increase weight loss effect

There is a growing body of emerging research finding a specific link between BCAA supplementation and weight loss. In one study, combined with resistance training in 36 men, it was found that taking BCAA supplements was significantly better than whey protein. More effective at increasing lean body mass and reducing body fat, also, an animal study showed that long-term leucine supplementation helped reduce body fat without affecting the body protein status of mice.

How BCAA is used

Generally speaking, the dosage of BCAAs varies from person to person, but if you are a professional wrestler, bodybuilder or athlete of various specialties, it is recommended to consume a total of 10-15 grams of BCAAs before, during and after exercise. The weight of a pound is about 91 mg . For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, the daily dose required is 13.6-13.7 grams. This dose should be divided into several times a day. It is recommended to use it before, during and after exercise. However, for best results, you must take BCAAs even if you don't train on the day.