BCAA’s or Branched Chain Amino Acids – Effects, Contraindications and Use

If you are into fitness, you must know what Branched Chain Amino Acids are. In fact, they are one of the most popular products in several sports due to their extraordinary properties.

Together with Protein, Amino Acids are very valuable for athletes due to their unparalleled properties.

In this article, we will tell you all you need to know about the BCAA’s:

BCAA’s What are they and what are they for?

The branched chain amino acids or BCAA’s are a trio of essential amino acids made up by: Leucine, Valine and Isoleucine.

Above all, the essential amino acids are those that our body is unable to synthesize. Consequently, we need to obtain them either through the diet or supplementation.

They make up a third of the skeletal muscle, which is why they are so important

BCAA’s are very important because they perform the following functions:

Which are the members of the BCAA’s?

Leucine

Leucine could be one of the most powerful natural supplements to gain muscle. It is an ingredient that allows the creation of clean, dense, and solid muscle mass. It also plays an important role in activating the protein synthesis (mTOR pathway).

This also happens due to its ability to retain nitrogen and create an ideal balance to trigger anabolism

Without enough Leucine, the remaining protein will not be used and the all the tasks related to will not be performed adequately

Valine

This amino acid performs a crucial task in the nervous system and cognition. In fact, it can effectively support a treatment against insomnia or nervousness, as well as muscle tissue disorders.

However, if we take a proper dose of this essential amino acid, our immune system will function properly.

It can be quite interesting for athletes who undergo a high physical wear, since it is a key element to repair the muscle tissue while improving the metabolism.

The BCAA’s can delay the onset of fatigue that is caused by a prolonged physical effort

Isoleucine

It is a leucine isomer. Above all, it is important to regulate the blood glucose levels, apart from supporting the blood coagulation.

This amino acid is absolutely necessary for an optimal post-workout recovery. In fact, it is indispensable for those who suffer, since their muscle mass may be compromised with a workout with weights.

It is equally important to maintain a positive nitrogen balance.

Branched chain amino acids can even be used by the organism in order to save muscle glycogen during physical efforts

What are the sources of BCAA’s?

These three amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine) are mainly present in protein sources of animal origin.

They are available in any source of protein. For instance, eggs or meat, as well as supplementation. The later will depend on the physical exercise and intensity.

Differences between BCAA’s supplementation and Food

Comparative Chart of Evobcaas by HSNsports (1 serving) and Main Food Sources of Protein (per 100g)

4 Important Facts about BCAA’s

BCAA’s To Gain Muscle Mass

Everyone says that you have to take protein with essential amino acids if you want to grow your muscle mass. But the BCAA’s are the most important elements when it comes to synthesizing muscle tissue.

Actually, BCAA’s do not only repair or build muscle mass. It goes way beyond that, since they are necessary for a proper growth, even more than the rest of amino acids.

BCAA’s To Lose Fat

If you follow a low calorie diet (or cutting phase), your body may enter a catabolic state. To put it briefly, this means that your muscles are compromised because the body tends to use them to obtain energy when there is a lack of calories.

A high blood BCAA levels during the workout is a muscle tissue breakdown marker. In fact, the body will start using more fat as energy instead of the amino acids.

In fact, the organism is capable of breaking down the muscle fibers if necessary when there is a lack of calories in order to obtain glucose. Otherwise, we would suffer what it is commonly known as catabolism, which is something we have to avoid at all costs.

The body breaks down the amino acid chains to use them as energy

Our body will  organism will obtain energy from any source. If we do not eat enough food, it will use fat, enhancing the catabolism

Use of the BCAA’s in Sport

Reduce the Fatigue of the Central Nervous System

The BCAA’s directly compete with the L-Tryptophan essential amino acid to cross the brain-blood barrier, where the brain can transform it once again in the serotonin neurotransmitter. The amount of Tryptophan that enters the brain is notably reduced through BCAA’s supplementation, which will lower the production of serotonin.

The levels of serotonin are high after 30-40 minutes of physical exercise, which increases the sensation of fatigue. This results in a lack of performance during our physical work.

A positive tryptophan balance will make you feel sleepy…

Accelerate the Recovery after Physical Exercise

You have probably experienced in your own flesh the so called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). The DOMS is the result of microscopic breakages in the muscle tissues and, even though we cannot avoid it, we can shorten the recovery time.

The BCAA’s reduce the muscle damage caused by high intensity workouts

The sooner you recover from a workout, the sooner you will be able to go back to the gym. That is why it is advisable to take BCAA’s before and after physical activity, because the accelerate the recovery process and the growth of the muscles.

How and When should we take BCAA’s?

There are several strategies when it comes to the administration of this supplement. From my point of view, the most important option is the Peri-workout Supplementation (before, during and/or after the workout), while taking BCAA’s at other times is mostly optional.

Pre-Workout

One of the choices is to train on an empty stomach, which will be extremely rewarding if we use this amino acid trio.

Due to the reasons we have previously explained, their use will help us save muscle glycogen and preserve the tissues, specially if we perform activities at a certain level of intensity.

Therefore, one option will be using 5-10g of BCAA’s before training, around 15 or 20 minutes

I personally think that this serving, unless we train on an empty stomach, can be skipped and go directly for the Intra-Workout.

Intra-Workout

In other cases, we can use the product as an intra-workout drink if it comes in powder, it has a good solubility, and it has been sweetened. We will just have to mix it with water in a bottle, and sip throughout the whole session.

In this sense, combining the amino acids with a product that provides energy and hydration can be the best way to face the most intense and demanding challenges.

Post-Workout

And finally, the post-workout choice is quite useful as well.

Taking BCAA’s after the workout nourish the muscle cells, since they do not have to be digested and they go straight to the bloodstream. Unlike protein shakes, which will not be available as soon as free amino acids, which stop the muscle catabolism processes much more faster.

Regarding the dose, it will depend on the conditions of the individual

Dose of Branched Chain Amino Acids

The research suggest that the recommended dose of branched chain amino acids is 144mg X Kg of body weight. For example, a person that weighs 80kg should take 11.5g of BCAA’s.

BCAA’s Ratio

What is the BCAA’s Ratio?

The ratio refers to the amount of leucine, valine, and isoleucine from a BCAA’s supplement. It is expressed in the following way:

A:B:C

where

• A -> amount of Leucine
• B and C -> amount of Isoleucine/Valine

Most supplements offer a minimum 2:1:1 ratio, that is, there is twice leucine for every part of valine and isoleucine.

This would be an example of BCAA’s 2:1:1 Ratio

Leucine has been identified as the one that improves the Anabolic Signalling and the In-Muscle Protein Synthesis in general. There is not literature that clarifies what is the optimal ratio. Normally, this factor will be 2:1:1 due to the fact that it is the proportion that is found in our skeletal muscle.

The products that are currently available in the market have a 2:1:1. 4:1:1, 8:1:1, and even a 12:1:1 relation

When to use BCAA’s Supplements with different Ratios?

We advise taking BCAA’s supplements according to the corresponding ratio in these moments:

Which one is the best ratio?

At HSN, we believe that the choice is the 12:1:1 ratio, which has the highest amount of Leucine.

The reason why we choose the highest ratio is due to the latest research and review that have been performed:

“…leucine is regarded as the main catalyst of acute changes in the translation of proteins (in other words, the main element in charge of encouraging the protein synthesis). In this context, Dreyer et al. and other studies have proven that using creatine after a strength workout increases the mTOR signalling and the translation (synthesis) of proteins…”

“…In particular, leucine is known as the key element that activates the mTORC1 complex with the right amounts (3-6 g)…”

Bibliography:

1. Chad M. Kerksick, Colin D. Wilborn, Michael D. Roberts, Abbie Smith-Ryan, Susan M. Kleiner, Ralf Jäger, Rick Collins, Mathew Cooke, Jaci N. Davis, Elfego Galvan, Mike Greenwood, Lonnie M. Lowery, Robert Wildman, Jose Antonio and Richard B. Kreider (2018). ISSN exercise & sports nutrition reviewupdate: research & recommendations.
2. Drummond MJ, Dreyer HC, Fry CS, Glynn EL, Rasmussen BB (2009). Nutritional andcontractile regulation of human skeletal muscle protein synthesis and mtorc1signaling. J Appl Physiol. 2009;106(4):1374–84

BCAAs + Glutamine

Glutamine and branched chain amino acids create a synergistic combination: while the BCAA’s are the most abundant amino acids in the muscle mass, glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the blood plasma and inside the muscle cells.

On its own, glutamine is essential for the functioning of the immune system and the cells involved in the regeneration and repair processes.

It has been proven that, like with the BCAA’s levels, there is a correlation between the concentration of glutamine in the body and the protein synthesis ratio

In other works, high glutamine markers indicate anabolism

In this sense, when we perform intense physical efforts, there is a breakdown of BCAA’s that can help to preserve the homeostasis, which provide carbon as a direct source of energy, while producing a glucolitic homeostasis that provides substrate for the citric acid cycle (also called Krebs cycle, which is a chemical reaction at the levels of the cells that provides energy from the oxidation of carbs, fats, and proteins), and the gluconeogensis (glucose-alanine cycle)

The glutamine levels in the plasma and muscles are worn out after the workout and it may take a few hours to restore them to basal levels.

The BCAA’s levels are more stable, while said deposits are partially depleted during physical exercise or in situations like a diseases

Reduce the Catabolism

The previous statement can make us question if the BCAA’s are broken down during the workout: the truth is that they are constantly recharged, but this time is through the proteolysis from the BCKA, or branched chain keto acids in the liver.

Therefore, the BCAA’s levels do not drop, rather, they are kept stable with the breakdown of the muscles

We can more or less imagine what the term catabolism means, that is, the destruction of muscle mass. In the context of bodybuilding, the aim is to always limit this parameter, which is why people tend to use BCAA’s supplementation that are supported by the function of Glutamine. Thanks to it, we experience a lower breakdown of the oxidation of leucine.

This happens due to the fact that Glutamine tends to increase the NADH levels, and with it, the NADH/NAD+ ratio, which inhibits the BCKA dehydrogenase, which is the “key” enzyme for the oxidation of the BCAA’s.

NADH and NAD+ are coenzymes that participate in redox processes (oxide reduction), energy transfer cell functions, through the exchange of electrons. They are chemical processes, destruction and later transformation reactions. There will be some bibliography for those who want to read more about this

Pre-workout Stack

BCAA’s are so versatile that they can be combined with other supplements, for example, we can use them as part of a stack of products just before the workout.

The objective of this “combo” is no other than supplying elements that will improve the sport performance, like:

What is the MPS or Amino Acids Pulsing

MPS is an acronym for “Muscle Protein Synthesis”, which is a supplementation strategy that is known as Leucine Pulsing. It consists on taking around 3-4g of Leucine every 3h, alternating solid foods, so that we enhance the protein synthesis by taking advantage of an amino acid peak from the meal that comes immediately after.

Image: https://www.bosstrength.com

Leangains Supplementation Protocol with BCAA – Intermittent Fasting

There is a BCAA’s supplementation protocol for those who train on an empty stomach, and who also follow an Intermittent Fasting, which can give good results. I leave it here for those who want to learn new strategies in terms of nutrition, supplementation, and even training:

In which formats can BCAA’s be purchased?

BCAAs in Chewable Tablets

You can get BCAA’s in chewable tablets due to the fact that they are easy to transport and they can be eaten anywhere at any time.

BCAA’s in Capsules or Tablets

BCAA’s are also available in capsules for those who prefer these formats. In this case, they tend to be combined with an absorption cofactor, like vitamin B6. It is also a very comfortable way to carry this supplement in the gym bag and take it before and after the workout, for example.

Who can benefit from taking BCAA’s?

• Athletes or sportspeople who perform strength or bodybuilding sports
• Athletes or sportspeople who do endurance training or sports
• People who under mental or physical stress
• Vegetarians or vegans
• Patients with muscle weakness
• Patients that are following a diet

Do BCAA’s have any side effect, interaction or contraindication?

BCAA’s do not produce serious interactions, and they would only happen if we take doses that exceed the recommended amounts, something that nobody should do. Moreover, the side effects would only occur if the person has preexisting medical conditions.

Quality of the BCAAs

This is a very important point, but how can we measure the quality of BCAA’s supplements?. We will mainly consider 2 factors:

Raw Ingredient and Manufacturing Process

In this way, we will find “2 quality levels” of BCAA’s in the market:

1. Worse Quality: those products which have a questionable origin, like certain products of the competence that use the hydrolysis method from the hair and even feathers of some animals (like duck feathers, for example)
2. Best Quality: here we can find the BCAA’s by HSN. We have decided to exclusively use products of vegetable origin and which have been obtained through a fermentation process. Moreover, they are GMO-free.

Dissolution of the BCAAs

This can also help us to measure the quality of BCAA’s supplements. Amino acids are naturally hydrophobic, which means that they do not dissolve in liquids. Many users have experienced problems with different amino acids supplements, since they create a foam layer on the water’s surface, which makes it difficult to drink them.

In order to solve this, HSN uses the “Instant” raw ingredient in all its BCAA’s formulas, which has properties that facilitate the dissolution even in very cold water, which allows us to enjoy the benefits of BCAA’s quickly. The result will always be a fast and comfortable dissolution, both if we choose to take the BCAA’s alone or combined with other products, like the ones suggested for the Pre-Workout Stack, or even with protein shakes.

The expert opinion about branched chain amino acids or BCAA’s

A proper diet that provides enough protein, which also has a good dose of BCAA’s, can be enough for most of people. However, using BCAA’s supplementation is a very interesting and useful choice due to the characteristics of each person’s workout, the physical wear, exigency, and other factors like not being able to follow a proper diet, for example.

Apart from all its properties, it will be a very useful supplement for all those who want to lose weight while preserving as much muscle as possible.

But there is always a list of factors that can go against this objective, like a low level of exigency, a bad training, a diet that does not fit the workout plan, a lack of consistency… In this cases, it is very easy to blame BCAA’s supplementation for the lack of results.

However, if you are a devoted athlete or sportsperson, if you carry out truly demanding workouts, you measure and organize your daily workout, then, the BCAA’s will do their job.

The use of BCAA’s can benefit those athletes who practice demanding activities such as CrossFit

Buy Branched Chain Amino Acids

You can purchase branched chain amino acids in many specialized sport nutrition shops. In HSNstore, we have a wide catalog in which you will find the best brands in the market.

Recent Studies about the Use of BCAA’s to Improve the Markers of Muscle Damage

BCAA’s have caused a lot of controversy, but before starting any conflict or discussion, let’s have a look at the scientific literature to see the conclusions of different RCTs that have been controlled and performed with objectivity.

There are two recently published meta-analysis to back up this statement: Rahimi et al. (2017) y Fouré & Bendahan (2017).

Both focused on reviewing and analyzing the scientific literature that was available up to the publication date regarding the effect of BCAA’s on the recovery based on the control of muscle damage markers induced by physical exercise.

Rahimi’s review is more complete an exhaustive, including 8 RCTs after the discrimination of the inclusion criteria which tried to assess the effect of taking BCAA’s on muscle fatigue (MS), and the concentrations of two serum markers of muscle damage: post-workout Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Creatine Kinase (CK) and with a follow-up as prolonged as possible with the information of the RCTs (up to 96h in some parameters).

The results show that the BCAA’s are an useful tool to significantly reduce the CK when compared to passive recovery (rest), but there were no significant changes in the MS and LDH markers in later measurements.

I want to highlight the word “significant”, because the meta-analysis are based on the evidence of the measured parameters and to reach a clear conclusion they have to show positive results with a very close reliability interval; in this case, it was not possible to conclude the efficacy of the administration of BCAA’s on MS and LDH markers due to the great heterogeneity of the studies, however…

Diagram Analysis

If we check the tree diagrams of the meta-analysis, we will see the size of the sample for the different interventions and their effects. Here, we can see how there is actually a positive tendency in reducing the MS and LDH after taking BCAA’s, even if it is regarded as insignificant, it does not mean that is useless.

Figure I. Tree diagram about the effect of BCAA’s vs Placebo on the MS

In the previous tree diagram we can see how the overall tendency proves that the consumption of BCAA’s reduces the MS, which is more remarkable after 24, 48, and 72h, and it does not show differences after 96h of the post-workout.

Figure II. Tree diagram about the effect of BCAA’s vs Placebo on the LDH

If we observe the tree diagram about the effect of consuming BCAA’s on the LDH concentrations we can see that, in spite of their positive influence on the damage marker, its overall effect is quite low and the heterogeneity of the RCTs is quite significant, which is why the authors have not been able to reach a conclusion about the positive effects of taking BCAA’s for the LDH, and in any case their effects would be very mild.

Figure III. Tree diagram about the effect of BCAA’s vs Placebo on CK

Once again, this tree diagram has a marked heterogeneity in the results obtained from the RCTs. However, we can see how the consumption of BCAA’s significantly reduces the CK concentrations as a marker of muscle damage both in the measurements <24h and 24h. (<24h: MD= -71.55 U.L-1, 95% CI: -93.49 to -49.60, p<0.000, n=5 essays and 24h: MD= -145.04 U.L-1, 95% CI: -253.66 to -36.43, p = 0.009 n=8 essays).

Conclusions

The conclusion is that the consumption of BCAA’s during or after the workout is a smart strategy if we want to reduced the muscle damage induced by the exercise. It improves the perception of muscle fatigue and consequently improves the performance in later sessions, specially if they are close in terms of time (24h).

The review by Fouré & Bendahan (2017) has similar conclusions to the previous review, but they also analyze the effect of the dose and the duration of the consumption of BCAA’s on muscle damage (EIMD). The authors reach the following conclusion, which is what we advise from HSNstore to those athletes who want to obtain all the benefits from BCAA’s supplementation on the reduction of EIMD and an improved performance:

“…Considering the studies with positive and neutral quality ratios, the benefits of BCAA’s supplementation were mainly observed when the supplementation strategies included a high doses of BCAA’s (>200 mg kg−1 day−1 ) in a context of low to moderate degree of muscle damage…”

Bibliography

Studies 1-9

• 1. Stipanuk MH. (2007). Leucine and protein synthesis: mTOR and beyond
• 2. Jim Stoppanir, Timothy Scheett, James Pena, Chuck Rudolph and Derek Charlebois (2009). Consuming a supplement containing branched-chain amino acids during a resistance-training program increases lean mass, muscle strength and fat loss
• 3. Norton LE1, Layman DK. (2006). Leucine regulates translation initiation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle after exercise
• 4. Mero A, Pitkänen H, Oja SS, Komi PV, Pöntinen P, Takala T.(1997). Leucine supplementation and serum amino acids, testosterone, cortisol and growth hormone in male power athletes during training
• 5. Erdman J., Oria M., Pillsbury L. (2011). Nutrition and Traumatic Brain Injury: Improving Acute and Subacute Health Outcomes in Military Personnel.
• 6. Blomstrand E. (2006). A role for branched-chain amino acids in reducing central fatigue
• 7. Jordi Rabassa-Blancoa, Imma Palma-Linaresa (2017). Efectos de los suplementos de proteína y aminoácidos de cadena ramificada en entrenamiento de fuerza: revisión bibliográfica
• 8. Kurpad AV, Regan MM, Raj T, Gnanou JV. (2006). Branched-chain amino acid requirements in healthy adult human subjects
• 9. Carlon M. Colker, Melissa A. Swain, Bill Fabrucini, Qiuhi Shi, Douglas S.Kaiman (2000). Effects of supplemental protein on body composition and muscular strength in healthy athletic male adults

Studies 10-16

• 10. Holecek M. (2002). Relation between glutamine, branched-chain amino acids, and protein metabolism. Nutrition
• 11. L Breen and T A Churchward-Venne (2012). Leucine: a nutrient ‘trigger’ for muscle anabolism, but what more?
• 12. Shimomura, Y. Murakami, T.Nakai, N. Nagasaki, M. Harri, R.A. (2004). Exercise Promotes BCAA Catabolism: Effects of BCAA Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle during Exercise
• 13. J. Nutri Rowbottom DG, Keast D, Morton AR. (1996). The emerging role of glutamine as an indicator of exercise stress and overtraining. Sports Med.
• 14. Blomstrand E, Eliasson J, Karlsson HK, Köhnke R.(2006).Branched-Chain Amino Acids Activate Key Enzymes in Protein Synthesisafter Physical Exercise
• 15. Fouré, A., & Bendahan, D. (2017). Is Branched-Chain Amino Acids Supplementation an Efficient Nutritional Strategy to Alleviate Skeletal Muscle Damage? A Systematic Review. Nutrients.
• 16. Rahimi, M. H., Shab-Bidar, S., Mollahosseini, M., & Djafarian, K. (2017). Branched-chain amino acid supplementation and exercise-induced muscle damage in exercise recovery: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 42, 30–36. 

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