BCAA's: should I be taking them? -

If you’ve every talked to someone about fitness, or looked anything up about fitness, chances are you have come across BCAA’s (branched chain amino acids). Maybe you looked into them a little bit, or maybe you looked into them a lot. Or maybe you skipped right over them because you never thought you needed them. Let’s explore what they are, why they’re used, and if they’re truly beneficial.

What are BCAA's?

Amino acids are critical as they are the building blocks of protein in the body. Some amino acids are non-essential (we can make them in our bodies), conditionally essential amino acids (when our bodies are sick or stressed we’ll need to get these from food), and essential amino acids.

BCAA’s are essential amino acids, which means your body cannot make them and you have to get them from what you eat. There are 3 BCAA’s:

Valine

Leucine

Isoleucine

BCAA’s are broken down mainly in the muscle (rather than being metabolized by the liver first), unlike the other amino acids, which is why so many people are interested in them for the gainz. It’s been suggested in the research that BCAA supplementation can lessen exercise-induced muscle damage and promote recovery.

What do BCAA's do?

BCAA’s are used for protein synthesis and energy production, among other metabolic and signaling functions.

Muscle:

When you exercise, you put stress on your body, and your cortisol levels and free radical levels increase. This can increase muscle protein breakdown. Leucine has been shown to stimulate protein synthesis and prevent protein breakdown.

BCAA’s may also prevent fatigue during exercise.

BCAA supplementation prior to exercising has been shown to reduce muscle damage and muscle fatigue for a few days after exercising too.

Leucine specifically has been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.

—> And on the flip side…

In a study where researchers gave 2 groups of rats a high dose of BCAA supplements for a few days and a low dose of BCAA supplements for a few days, they saw that the rats who were given the high dose of BCAA’s actually had WORSE exercise performance than the rats given the low dose of BCAA’s.

Endocrine:

When looking at rats in 3 groups taking BCAA supplements, researchers saw that rats who were given the isoleucine had a significant reduction in blood glucose (blood sugar) levels after being given a large dose of glucose than the rats who were given valine or leucine.

But… some research shows that high levels of BCAA’s in obese persons correlate with insulin resistance and are a predictor for diabetes in the future.

What’s more is some studies show that eating a high protein diet, so not even just high doses of BCAA supplementation, can promote insulin resistance! This means that the body’s cells don’t respond as well to insulin and glucose cannot move into the cell to be used for energy. Over time, this causes blood sugar levels to rise, and eventually results in a diabetes diagnosis.

The research is mixed when looking at BCAA supplementation and athletes. Some studies show that BCAA’s are beneficial, while others show no effect at all.

We also have to address the fact that most BCAA research uses rats who were infused with BCAA’s, rather than ingesting them orally, much like us humans would do on a daily basis. The infused BCAA’s may have more of an affect since they are bypassing the stomach and GI tract, and going straight to the blood stream to be absorbed and used by the muscle.

Should I be taking BCAA's?

BCAA’s have shown benefits, but they have also shown no effect at all, or even a detrimental effect on the body. Taking BCAA supplements is completely up to you. If you decide this is something you might want to try, follow these general guidelines:

1. Make sure you are already consuming a healthy, well-rounded diet. BCAA’s should compliment what you’re already eating, not be the only source. Many studies have shown that consuming BCAA’s with other foods/beverages is the best way to absorb them in your body and utilize them in your muscles.

2. Read the label, and follow the instructions by consuming them before exercise. Recent research has shown they can be effective if taken 30 minutes before exercise, all the way up to 5 hours before you exercise.

3. To get the effect from taking BCAA’s, you need to take them consistently, it’s not just a one time thing. Then you have to spend money on this supplement, and take time to consume them. If this is important to you, it may be worth your while.

What foods naturally have BCAA's?

While taking supplements can be fun, and in some cases beneficial, you already know what I’m going to say: Get your nutrients from food! (if you can).

You’ll find BCAA’s in protein-rich foods like:

Meat

Poultry

Fish

Eggs

Dairy products

Nuts and seeds

Beans, peas, and lentils

There’s even options for vegetarians and vegans, so there’s no excuse not to get your BCAA’s from food!

The bottom line

While taking BCAA’s can be a feel-good and fun activity, and the research is promising for muscle growth, there are still mixed results if BCAA’s are good for you in the long run when taken in supplement form.

Taking them alone and in large quantities can possibly have no effect, or even a detrimental effect on your insulin function and glucose utilization.

It’s better to take BCAA’s in supplement form with other food or beverages as part of your healthy diet and meal habits so you have more nutrients to facilitate a positive and full response in your body and muscles.

A dietitian’s opinion:

From our founder, Alexa.

“I’ve seen BCAAs be used in the exercise setting with success, and I’ve seen people use it to no benefit at all. In graduate school, my research centred on antioxidants, and I feel the main takeaway I had in that realm is applicable here. Studies showing consuming foods that naturally have BCAAs may yield better results and safer results versus taking the isolated form. In antioxidants, this is seen when large doses end of having a pro-oxidant effect. Consuming whey protein may be better than a BCAA supplement as whey contains BCAAs and has shown excellent results in the research”.