The benefits of targeted BCAA supplementation
This article will look at the benefits that targeted supplementation with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can have for the body. These benefits range from improving general health, supporting fat loss and muscle building to increasing physical performance.
Benefits of BCAAs for muscle building:
Stimulation of protein synthesis
BCAAs have been shown in scientific studies to stimulate protein synthesis independently of other factors. In other words, it has been shown that branched-chain amino acids can stimulate muscle building even without accompanying training.
Further studies have shown that BCAAs can increase levels of the hormones testosterone, insulin and human growth hormone. All of these hormones are highly anabolic hormones that have a significant effect on muscle growth.
One study showed that supplementation with 10 grams of branched-chain amino acids under extreme exercise conditions such as hiking at high altitude for 21 consecutive days increased muscle mass, while no such changes were observed in the placebo group. The important message from this research is that these subjects built muscle under extreme conditions without an anabolic stimulus such as weight training through BCAA supplementation!
Benefits during a diet
Stimulation of fat loss
Scientific studies have shown that branched-chain amino acids stimulate a significant reduction in body fat. As part of a study, 25 wrestlers at competition level were divided into one of the following three diet groups:
- A diet that was rich in BCAAs
- A diet that was low in BCAAs
- A control group with an average BCAA intake
The test subjects followed this diet over a period of 19 days. The results showed that the BCAA group lost the most fat with an average of 17.3%. Much of this fat came from the abdominal region, which could make BCAAs a potential tool for targeted fat loss in the abdominal area.
In another study, 2 groups of climbers were divided into a BCAA supplement group and a control group. Although both groups lost weight, the members of the BCAA group were observed to gain muscle mass while losing fat, while the members of the control group lost muscle mass.
One theory as to how branched-chain amino acids might exert their fat-burning and muscle-building effects is as follows: When high levels of BCAAs are present in the bloodstream during exercise, the body might sense these elevated BCAAs levels, which under normal circumstances are a sign of muscle tissue breakdown, and in response stop breaking down muscle tissue and instead use more fat for energy. At the same time, the additional BCAAs in the bloodstream stimulate the release of insulin, which transports the BCAAs directly into the muscles.
The result of these two processes is simultaneous fat loss and muscle building. To maximize the fat loss effect of BCAAs, it may be helpful to limit carbohydrate intake during the last 2 hours before training.
Anti-catabolic effects and muscle protection during a diet
Branched-chain amino acids exert most of their effects through anti-catabolic activity. In short, they suppress the use of muscle protein to provide energy to the body and thus protect against muscle protein breakdown. This is partly because they themselves can be used as an energy source by the body.
If less muscle protein is broken down during training, the result is higher net protein synthesis and increased muscle growth or better maintenance of existing muscles. This effect is particularly noticeable during a calorie-restricted diet, during which the body increasingly relies on muscle protein as an energy source due to a lack of energy supplied by food.
In a study conducted with severely overweight subjects who were placed on an extreme diet with very low calorie intake, it was shown that BCAA supplementation stimulated anabolism and protected existing muscle mass, so that the subjects burned more fat instead of muscle protein, resulting in better maintenance of existing muscle tissue.
Benefits for physical performance and recovery
Increased endurance
The branched-chain amino acids can act as a nitrogen donor for the synthesis of L-alanine, which supplies the body with glucose when muscle glycogen stores are depleted. In this way, BCAAs can help protect the body's glycogen stores by reducing glycogen depletion during exercise.
In a four-week study, Japanese scientists administered either BCAAs or a placebo to rats and allowed the rats to exercise until complete exhaustion. The BCAA group showed a lower rate of depletion of muscle and liver glycogen stores during exercise, meaning that they were able to exercise at a higher intensity for longer. The reader may now be wondering how to train rats to exhaustion. A commonly used method is to let the animals swim in water and observe how long they can stay afloat under their own power.
Supplementation with branched-chain amino acids could increase endurance and help maintain exercise intensity when the energy normally provided by food decreases. Anyone who has ever followed a very low carbohydrate diet over a long period of time will appreciate such an effect.
Accelerated recovery after training
Perhaps the greatest benefit branched-chain amino acids can have for a hard-training athlete is accelerated and improved metabolic recovery. Most athletes quickly notice a substantial reduction in post-workout muscle soreness after starting BCAA supplementation. Even without the other benefits of BCAA supplementation, this means faster regeneration and recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage, which means nothing more than faster gains in strength and muscle mass, since muscle growth is nothing more than the body's response to this exercise-induced muscle damage. Faster recovery after training also means that you can train more often and therefore achieve your goals faster.
Health benefits
Improving the function of the immune system
When you're sick, it's hard to train and even harder to build muscle mass. In addition, you will lose a lot of strength and muscle mass while you are ill. Fatally, if you train at high volume or high intensity, you risk suppressing your immune function, which is associated with a higher risk of infection. Supplementation with branched-chain amino acids can help reverse glutamine dep letion, which is essential for immune system function. In addition, BCAAs help to prevent a catabolic state, promoting recovery and reducing the damaging effects that exercise can have on the body.
Stimulating the breakdown of visceral body fat
Scientific research has shown that branched-chain amino acids stimulate a significant and preferential breakdown of visceral fat. Visceral body fat, which is found below the subcutaneous fat under the skin, primarily in the abdominal area, is very resistant to dieting and is therefore difficult to break down. This effect of BCAAs is particularly interesting because it is visceral and not subcutaneous fat that is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in overweight people.