If you are working out and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, most likely you already know what BCAAs should be part of your supplement arsenal. For those who are new in this, let us explore the best BCAA supplements. Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, are basically supplements which can be helpful with muscle growth, repair and overall athletic performance.
BCAAs consist of a group of three very important amino acids: Leucine, Valine and Isoleucine. All three are essential for reduced fatigue, weight loss, muscle growth and ultimately – better performance during workout. Perhaps you are wondering when to take BCAA supplements, and how to incorporate in your current supplementation.
We hope that the following information will help you enhance your results and have a better understanding on the intake of this important supplement.
When to take BCAA supplements?
Experts have have divided opinions on when is the best time to take BCAA supplements, but there are some general guidelines. First of all, it is important for you to be physically active or working out when you consume BCAA supplements. Taking just the supplements won’t really help you much in losing weight or achieving better results at anything. You are just wasting your money on something your body doesn’t need in order to function.
The best time and way to take branched-chain amino acids is 5 to 10 grams of BCAAs mixed in whatever liquid you prefer either before or after your workout. Either way, the results won’t be much different. Your body will improve muscle retention, fat loss, endurance, and focus during workouts. . Remember that the critical time for taking these supplements is around your workout time – either before or after.
In addition to BCAAs
Another thing you should know is that BCAA supplements are also beneficial during times when you do not have access to proper meals. So, BCAAs can substitute a high protein meal in the event you are on the go and it is time for your next meal. There is also the option to combine BCAAs with a high quality whey protein. You can find our article with the best whey protein isolate reviews here.
It is very important for you to take BCAAs if you don’t have a regular schedule consuming protein-rich food. After all, BCAAs will provide proper muscle support when your body is at protein intake deficit.
How to take BCAA supplements?
If you plan taking aminos individually, there are certain things you should know.
It is common to be confused about the proper ratio of BCAA. People were trying to sell me all kind of things but I opted for a reputable brand expecting to have the correct ratio of BCAAs. After a bit of research I found out that the best BCAA ratio was 2:1:1.
Basically, this means that a ratio of 2:1:1 (Leucine to Isoleucine to Valine) provides more Leucine than Isoleucine or Valine. The quantity of Leucine is greater because this amino is very important, and your body doesn’t produce it naturally. Experts on this matter found that 4.2 grams of the BCAA leucine can have a significant effect on the body’s anabolic processes. This is applicable to both young and mature adults who work out. So, it is effective if you add it to a low-protein drink at 10 grams.
Benefits of taking BCAAs at proper times
Branched chain amino acids can have several positive effects on your body, but the secret is of course, taking them at the right time a few minutes before or after your workout. It’s important to note that these essential acids cannot be produced by our own bodies but they are important.
Even if you’re not actively trying to develop huge muscles or go into intensive training mode, BCAAs should be incorporated into your daily diet. . One of the well known BCAA manufacturers is BPI Sports and they offer the best BCAA range which we reviewed on our article here. Of course you can always “stack” BCAAs with other supplements if your overall training target is to achieve muscle hypertrophy. Few of the popular and well known companions of BCAAs are:
Creatine Monohydrate for increased strength and fuller muscle appearance.
Natural testosterone boosters for optimal levels of testosterone levels in male athletes.
Whey isolate protein as an additional source of protein between meals.
SARMs to break training plateaus and build muscle mass fit for competitive levels.
if you are consistent in maintaining a healthy lifestyle with proper BCAA supplements, here is how your body will benefit from them:
1. Improved muscle growth
It is a well-known fact that Leucine helps your body stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Basically, this means that you will experience muscle growth relatively faster than ithout BCAAs. Especially if you engage in resistance and weight workouts.
The muscle protein synthesis is increased by no less than 50% if you consume high-quality protein or BCAAs.
2. Decreased Muscle Soreness
Another helpful benefit of regular BCAAs consumption is the decreased muscle soreness you get after an intense training session or when starting over after a long break from the gym. We all know how frustrating it is to not be able to get out of bed or walk down stairs, or even raise a glass of water. It is a very common effect of a heavy weight workout or when you implement few changes in your routine including a new exercise. So, BCAAs will provide a bit of relief with muscle soreness.
Also, this means that your recovery time after workouts will be significantly improved.
3. Less fatigue – more energy!
If you remember, when you first started working out, the pain and exhaustion after each session was something painful. However, with time and effort the fatigue effect is lowered when you maintain a workout schedule. Even at this stage of your fitness journey, from time to time you still feel exercise-induced fatigue.
Sometimes this can happen because of non optimized nutrition, stress and even factors like your environment. We don’t always have control of what is going on around us, but fatigue is definitely something we all want to avoid. BCAAs play a significant role here, as they minimize the chances of feeling overly tired after an intense workout.
4. Helpful for people with liver disease
There are people who know or are yet to find out that they have liver-related health issues. Sometimes, this turns into a chronic disease like cirrhosis. Experts say that 50% of the people who live with cirrhosis are likely to develop hepatic encephalopathy. Basically, this means that if their liver is overloaded and can not release toxins, the brain function is also affected.
In addition to being helpful for those with liver disease, BCAAs also have the potential of reducing the chances of liver cancer.