Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) cannot be manufactured by the human body and must be administered in the diet or in pharmaceutical preparations, especially during intense muscular physical exercise.

Amino acids are the units that make up proteins. Among the essential amino acids, the branched chain accounts for around 40% of the daily requirements. There are 3: Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine.

Normally these requirements can be provided through the proteins ingested in the diet, especially in animal protein and dairy.

Once absorbed, they pass through the liver where only 26% are captured, the rest is distributed mainly in the muscle tissue for which it has a great affinity.

The actions attributed to BCAAs are based on their physiological functions, both at rest and during exertion:

– They stimulate the synthesis of muscle proteins and decrease their degradation during exercise, that is, prevent muscle breakdown- They act like energetic substrate during muscle contraction during exercise.

– BCAA supplementation decreases fatigue during prolonged exercise through indirect effects on the central nervous system.

Role of BCAAs during exercise

In a situation of glycogen (carbohydrate) availability, branched-chain amino acids are not an important source of energy either at rest or during exercise. The body uses proteins and amino acids as an energy substrate ONLY when it does not have glycogen.

Furthermore, if the blood encounters a low concentration of certain branched-chain amino acids (after hard weight lifting training or very prolonged aerobic exercise), it secretes the so-called tryptophan. Once the brain captures the "signal" sent by the blood, it will release serotonin, producing muscle fatigue or tiredness.

When to take a BCAA supplement.

lack of BCAAs after prolonged effort or when working intensely on one or a few specific muscles, it translates into a increased muscle recovery time and, therefore, a decrease in performance before the next training session.

BCAA supplementation will prevent injuries y will shorten muscle recovery time after intense or prolonged exertion. For this reason, they are widely used by professional athletes to maintain continuous training and high performance throughout the season.

In people who perform great muscle training efforts, it is recommended 2 to 3 daily shots of about 5 grams. of BCAAs in the pre and post training and in the morning or before going to bed (they usually come in tablets). Some specialists advocate up to 5 daily intakes of 5 grams. half an hour before meals, although it can be considered excessive.