BCAA...

My Branched Chain Amino Acid has a nickname and it is gummi berry juice. Do you remember the cartoon The Gummi Bears and they used to drink it and they would go bonkers bouncing all over the place! That's kind of how I feel when I have my BCAA intra work-out, training without wouldn't be the same!

My favourite is the Gaspari Nutrition Aminolast which you can get here from Complete Supplements Australia. Not only does it taste amazingly sweet like lolly water but there are actually heaps of benefits to using the supplement and reasons why you should be including BCAA in your supplement regime.

So, your BCAAs include leucine, isoleucine, and valine which are the acids that support anabolic muscle building, high-intensity endurance training, improvement of mental function and mood, to name just a few. These are the essential amino acids that our body doesn't make so we need to ingest them through our food (high protein foods such as meat or whey) and supplementations. The coolest thing about BCAA is they trigger protein synthesis, increase energy expenditure and have been shown to improve glucose tolerance.

The amino acids have a branched side chain which helps our body convert amino acid into energy during intense exertion. The more BCAAs that are present in the muscles, the more they will be used for energy, slowing the breakdown of muscles cells and preventing catabolism (metabolic breakdown of complex molecules).

Here are some more reasons why you should be taking BCAA...

1. They enhance muscle protein synthesis
BCAA supplementation results in maximal protein synthesis due to the increase of intracellular availability of amino acids and activates the mTORC1 signalling pathway that is essential for muscle building.

2. Better testosterone to cortisol ratio
When we exercise, our body releases the stress hormone Cortisol. By taking BCAA during our work-out, we minimise our body's cortisol response which will stop the hormone degrading our muscles. Remember, less muscle the lower our metabolic rate. Less cortisol will result in a better testosterone to cortisol ratio meaning quicker recovery and more muscle gains and the more muscle we have the higher our metabolic rate which means more calories burnt at rest.

3. They can decrease muscle soreness and DOMS
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a result of inflammation to the muscles. As we have mentioned above, BCAA can prevent muscle catabolism and breakdown. Although it won't stop you getting sore all together it will go some way in reducing the inflammation.

4. Get happy
BCAAs can improve production of the neurotransmitters, boosting cognitive function. BCAAs have been shown to assist in the synthesis of the neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA, which will help you generate energy when you need it and keep you cruising along when you don’t.

5. Improve your health
Recent research has shown that BCAAs have an anti-aging effect and increase the formation of new mitochondria (structures within cells that convert the energy from food into a form that cells can use), which can increase energy production.

BCAAs are definitely at the top of my list of supplements that I take religiously. At the moment I am having one scoop (14grams) during my work-out and I have another scoop in the afternoon when I am feeling sleepy.



Source: Poliquin Blog