Branch chain amino acids (BCAA) are amino acids that do not require digestion and travel straight into the blood stream for immediate use by muscle cells. An insufficient supply of proper amino acids can cause active individuals to make little or no progress. BCAAs provide 70% of the body’s nitrogen, and are of special importance for athletes because they are metabolized in the muscle rather than in the liver. Once protein has been broken down into individual amino acids during the digestion process, the amino acids are either used to build new proteins or are burned off as fuel to produce energy. So if you are exerting a high level of energy it is vital to ensure that the body has enough amino acids to both build new proteins and keep the fuel tank full for optimal energy production.
Benefits:
*Increases recovery
*Improves endurance
*Stimulates protein synthesis
*Advances fat loss
*Boosts immune function
Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle protein, and are burned rapidly during exercise. BCAAs are popular with bodybuilders because they enable the body to avoid many of the negative effects of BCAA depletion, like inadequate recovery and training stagnation. Although BCAAs are particularly important for bodybuilders, they have been shown to stimulate significant and preferential losses of body fat, making them very advantageous for both the professional and amateur athlete alike.
Increased recovery is one of the key benefits of BCAA supplements. By increasing the metabolic recovery rate, there is a substantial decrease in the amount of post-exercise muscle soreness experienced soon after taking BCAA. Faster recovery from exercise induced protein damage means quicker size and strength gains, and this in turn means more frequent trips to the gym and rapid advancement toward your goals. BCAAs are also able to function as a contributor of nitrogen in the formation of l-alanine, providing the body with glucose after glycogen stores have run dry. This means that BCAAs enable you to endure longer and higher intensity training for greater periods of time.
Maintaining optimal immune function in the body is crucial in order to keep you at the gym rather than in bed, just as it is essential to be able to recover quickly after illness without losing too much strength and size. Training at high degrees of intensity or volume can bring a considerable risk of immune suppression and infection. BCAAs help reverse glutamine loss and prevent a catabolic state in the body, which is essential for immune function, improved recovery, and lessening the damaging effects of exercise sessions can have on the body.