Benefits of the BCAA dietary supplement for the athlete
✅ 1- What is BCAA:
It represents the chain of branched-chain amino acids, or as it is called for short, BCAA (branched-chain amino acids).
It is a combination of three essential amino acids: valine, leucine, and isoleucine. BCAAs are called essential amino acids, because the body cannot manufacture them on its own, but rather needs to obtain them from external sources such as nutrition or nutritional supplements.
✅ 2- What are the amino acids formed for BCAA?
It consists of three essential amino acids, namely:
☑️-Isoleucine: Its function is concentrated especially within the muscle tissue, where it mainly works on energy production, and it is also important for the function of the immune system, as well as contributes to the production of hemoglobin.
☑️-Lucine: Helps in the process of creating protein and repairing muscle tissue. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels and stimulate the production of growth hormones.
☑️-Valene: It plays a role in stimulating muscle building as well as energy production.
✅3-What are the benefits of BCAA amino acids?
☑️-Enhance the muscle building process
One of the most important supplements that you may have heard of if you are a bodybuilder is BCAA amino acids.
It is one of the essential supplements for every bodybuilding athlete due to its significant role in improving the muscle building process.
Leucine (one of the three BCAA amino acids) stimulates the process of protein synthesis within the muscles.
☑️-Reducing muscle pain after exercise
BCAAs help achieve positive results in reducing the damage that can happen to muscles during strenuous exercises. This greatly helps in reducing the time it takes for muscles to repair damage.
☑️-Raising the body's athletic abilities
Every athlete feels fatigue and fatigue during exercise upon reaching a certain point. The feeling of fatigue is linked to several factors. Such as the intensity and strength of the exercise, the duration of the exercise and the conditions of the exercise as well as the person’s nutrition and physical readiness. During the intense exercises, the branched chain amino acids (BCAA) act as a source of energy for the muscles.
It contributes to maintaining glycogen levels, which form fuel for the body in general and for muscles in particular.
BCAA amino acids also contribute to improved mental focus, which directly helps reduce feelings of fatigue during strenuous exercise.
☑️-Limiting muscle demolition
Muscle catabolism is the exact opposite of protein synthesis.
Muscular catabolism is the process of breaking down the protein present in the muscles, and converting it into amino acids in order for the body to use it as an energy source. Muscular catabolism is an indicator of malnutrition, and also occurs in some cases: such as septic diseases, cancer, during periods of fasting and as a result of aging Amino acids play a major role in reducing the phenomenon of muscle catabolism, as they reduce the activity of the vital processes responsible for the breakdown of protein within the muscles and promote the process of protein synthesis.
✅-What are the sources of BCAA acids?
As we mentioned earlier, BCAAs are among the essential amino acids that the body cannot manufacture.
Therefore, it should be obtained from food sources or from supplements. Here are the most important sources of BCAA acids:
Red meat, chicken and fish
eggs
Dairy products, such as milk and cheese
Nuts and some seeds
soy products
Vegetables and legumes such as beans, lentils and chickpeas
🔹 The most popular BCAA supplement
In addition to some foodstuffs that are a source of BCAA amino acids, they can also be obtained from nutritional supplements, the most famous of which are:
Extend BCAAs
BCAA + Glutamine Express
BCAA 5000
R1 BCAAs
Best BCAA - BPI
✅-How to take a BCAA supplement
Since the body requires more amino acids during exercise, it is recommended to take BCAAs around the so-called “semi-training” training period. If your diet is sufficiently rich in complete proteins, it is also not necessary to eat them every day, but it is preferable to eat them on training days. BCAAs are also quickly absorbed by the body (faster than protein powder, for example), in about 20 minutes.
☑️-Before training (before training):
It is recommended to take amino acids before training, especially if you do not eat protein before exercise. This pre-workout supplement ensures that the body is supplied with amino acids to avoid muscle catabolism. You can take your BCAAs 15-20 minutes before a training session, at a rate of 5g;
During Training (During Training):It may be wise to take BCAAs (5-10g) throughout training (in drink form, for example) to help counteract catabolism. If you choose to consume during training, finish your drink 20 minutes before the end of training;
☑️ Post Workout (Post Workout):
Even if you eat protein after your workout, you should increase your BCAA intake to help your muscles recover. Then add 5g of BCAA to your snack, meal or protein drink.
It is not recommended to take more than 15 grams of BCAA per day.