What are BCAA's for?
The functions of the complex and its effect on the body are as follows:
- enhances protein synthesis
. Growth activation occurs through mTOR;
- regulates catabolism
. By reducing the production of the hormone cortisol, BCAA reduces the destruction of muscle tissue, while promoting the breakdown of fats and carbohydrates, which is very important for athletes;
- ensures muscle growth and recovery
. Branched-chain amino acids replenish more than a third of all amino acids contained in muscle tissue, stimulating its growth and recovery;
- speeds up metabolism
. BCAA promotes the production of leptin, a metabolism-regulating hormone. As a result, intensive breakdown of fat cells occurs;
- serves as an additional source of energy
. This is especially true for athletes on a strict low-carb diet. With it, glycogen reserves and the body's synthesis of amino acids are minimal, so intense physical activity negatively affects the condition of muscle tissue and metabolism. Taking BCAA immediately before training provides the necessary level of amino acids sufficient to preserve the body's internal reserves.
Considering the specific effects on the body, the amino acid complex is relevant both for weight loss and for preserving and building muscle mass. Since intensive training combined with diet limits the body's internal resources, BCAA gives it all the necessary substances to cope with stress.
How to choose the right one
Our online sports nutrition store Sportfood offers a wide selection of BCAA amino acids. Additives vary in release form, manufacturer, composition, and volume. To choose the optimal product that will help you achieve the desired sports results, you need to understand how to choose the right BCA. We have prepared a short guide that will help you understand the features of your choice.
Decide on a goal. Many people buy amino acids to build muscle mass, others for relief, and still others for weight loss. If you want to improve athletic performance and increase weight, choose pure supplements without additional components. They often have the highest concentration of essential amino acids per serving.
For more effective recovery, you should pay attention to BCA with glutamine. This component actively fights catabolic processes and also supports the immune system.
If you're low on energy, you can buy BCAA's with energy supplements such as caffeine. With their help you can increase the intensity of your workouts.
The form of release depends on individual preferences. Some people find it convenient to take capsules or tablets, while other athletes prefer to prepare a cocktail in a shaker. This drink can be taken directly during training, between approaches. It will not only quench your thirst, but also saturate the body with essential amino acids when needed.
Taste characteristics are also everyone’s personal choice. Our online store has a large number of supplements with different flavors. Orange, Lemon, Coca-Cola, Green Tea, Apple, Fruit Punch and other flavors are available for purchase from us. If you have any questions about the choice of supplement, composition, or method of administration, you can contact the consultants of the Sportfood online store. They will be happy to help you choose and buy BCA amino acids to solve your sports problems.
So that you can quickly and easily choose a sports supplement, we have made a selection of the most popular products among our customers.
BCAA 1000 from Optimum Nutrition
Sports supplement from a famous American manufacturer. BCAA Optimum Nutrition have an optimal amino acid profile - 2:1:1, and a convenient capsule form allows the supplement to be absorbed in the shortest possible time. The supplement is additionally enriched with vitamin B6 to improve absorption and accelerate metabolic processes. Each serving contains 1000 mg of highly purified essential amino acids.
BCAA 12000 Powder Flavored by Ultimate Nutrition
A powerful complex of essential amino acids in powder form. The action of the supplement is aimed at protecting muscles from damage, effective recovery after physical activity, and rapid muscle growth. Each serving of BCAA Ultimate contains 6 grams of branched chain amino acids in a 2:1:1 ratio. In addition to the good composition, many buyers note the excellent taste of the supplement.
BCAA 2:1:1 from Sportline Nutrition
A great-tasting powdered BCAA supplement at an affordable price. Each serving contains 4 grams of essential amino acids to nourish muscles and protect against breakdown. The complex is also enriched with vitamin B6 to improve metabolic processes.
Optimum Nutrition BCAA 5000 Powder
If encapsulated amino acids from an American brand are not suitable for you, we suggest buying BCAA Optimum Nutrition in powder form. A powerful supplement with delicious flavors and highly purified ingredients. Each serving contains 5000 mg of essential amino acids in the classic 2:1:1 ratio.
When to take BCAA
Studies have shown that the greatest effectiveness from the amino acid complex is achieved by taking it:
- in the morning
. This allows you to immediately fill the body with all the amino acids necessary for vigorous activity;
- before training
. Because BCAA stops muscle breakdown, taking it before exercise reduces muscle soreness the next day;
- during training
. Amino acids fill the body with energy, promote the breakdown of fats, and significantly reduce the feeling of fatigue;
- immediately after training
. This helps reduce muscle breakdown and is important for low-calorie diets.
High efficiency is also observed when mixing BCAA with sports nutrition.
What are the components of the supplement responsible for?
The proportion of leucine, isoleucine and valine in a particular supplement varies: 2:1:1, 4:1:1, 8:1:1, 16:1:1, etc. The main component of BCAA is leucine. The need for it is always higher, since during training its reserves are depleted. It is leucine that is responsible for anti-catabolic, anabolic and energy functions. Research also confirms that leucine promotes faster muscle growth and fat oxidation.
Why are the other two amino acids needed?
Isoleucine is responsible for protein synthesis in the body. Also, taking isoleucine in food normalizes blood glucose levels and serotonin production.
Valine is important for the central and autonomic nervous system. Its presence is especially valuable in conditions of regular heavy training. Valine is also important for cognitive activity and has antidepressant properties.
BCAAs are available in various forms: tablets, capsules, powder, and liquid. The release form does not affect the effectiveness; it is a matter of convenience and personal preference. Many skeptics believe that the benefits of taking BCAAs are akin to the placebo effect. But that's not true. The benefits of BCAAs are confirmed not only by reviews from real customers, athletes and fitness experts, but also by numerous studies conducted in clinical settings. Let's give some quotes.
A. Mero “Leucine supplementation and intensive training”:
“When adding BCAA amino acids (76% leucine) to daily protein intake, there was an increase in lean muscle mass and strength performance in athletes, and a decrease in muscle breakdown while reducing body fat.”
Yoshiaru Shimomura:
“Data support that fatty acids may be regulators of BCAAs metabolism and that the body has a higher need for these amino acids during exercise. Supplementing with BCAAs before and after training leads to decreased muscle breakdown and increased muscle protein synthesis.”
© Alexandr Mitiuc — stock.adobe.com
How much to take BCAA
How many times a day to take : Before and after training.
Dosage : 4-12 grams, for beginner athletes the recommended dosage is 5 grams.
Additionally : Diluted in water, can be used together with protein shakes.
It is important to note that the recommended frequency of taking BCAA is no more than 4 times a day. Therefore, it will be important to periodically replace taking amino acids in the morning and during training with the use of sports nutrition and energy cocktails.
So to drink or not to drink BCAAs?
In terms of side effects, there are none.
Maximum if the athlete is allergic to the additional component. Well, stick to the daily norm, but exceeding it can only cause stomach upset and nothing more. As for the need for consumption, you need to take into account that this is not the main meal that will magically build huge muscles. This is a dietary supplement that serves as an assistant and is created to help athletes in their achievements, and not for use by everyone. After all, BCAAs work with increased protein intake, and it is athletes who maintain the required protein level. Although, if a person is not an athlete, but leads a fairly active lifestyle, taking BCAAs in the morning will help restore the body after a hard day at work. And if a person sits or lies all day, BCAAs cannot help him in any way. Essential amino acids BCAA
- This is an excellent sports supplement.
It will help an athlete and an active person to keep the body in good shape and quickly restore it. Strengthens the immune system. We have been producing BCAA in various forms for 20 years and BCAA was our first product. With promo code: “ article”
you can get a
20% discount on your entire order
in our online store!
Author:
Khasanov Adam Alievich more details
BCAA in liquid form
Another form of BCAAs comes in liquid form. It is a concentrate that is diluted in water. Ready-to-drink drinks are also sold. It is advisable to buy them in case of a long trip. It’s enough to throw a couple of these bottles into the glove compartment or travel bag and drink little by little without worrying about catabolism. In this case, you don’t need to take a shaker, a bottle of clean water, or a can of BCAA with you and waste time on stirring.
Concentrated BCAAs are a rather controversial form of release. Often their taste is too sweet and rich, and carrying a bottle of concentrate in your gym bag is a dubious pleasure. It can leak or crack at any moment. Now this form is rather poorly represented on the market, since the demand for it is extremely low.
It is believed that BCAA concentrate has the fastest absorption rate, but in practice it is impossible to confirm or refute this statement.
Among ready-made drinks with BCAA, experts highlight:
- AMINOx from BSN (532 ml). The same AMINOx, only in convenient portioned bottles that you can take with you anywhere. Available in one flavor - fruit punch. Contains a lot of vitamin D (calciferol), which has a beneficial effect on the immune system and acts as a preventative against Alzheimer's disease.
- Essential AmiN.O. Energy from Optimum Nutrition (473 ml). Available in two flavors: orange and watermelon. The product contains 100 mg of caffeine, a nervous system stimulant. Small doses of caffeine will help awaken adrenergic receptors and better mentally tune in to the upcoming workout.
- Amino 23 Liquid from ProSupps (946 ml). This product contains not only BCAA, but also many other amino acids in free form. An excellent alternative to a protein shake after a workout, as it is absorbed much faster and immediately starts the process of muscle tissue restoration.
How to check the quality of BCAAs
In the conditions of fierce competition in the sports nutrition market, many manufacturers or distributors deliberately underestimate the quality of products in order to reduce production costs and increase profits.
The ideal option is to choose a product from a well-established foreign brand. Even if it costs 10-15% more than its domestic counterpart, you will know that you spent your money on an honest product, unless you run into a fake. Unfortunately, the quality of many domestic manufacturers is poor. They use low-quality raw materials, the products contain foreign impurities, and the composition and energy value do not correspond to those stated on the packaging.
High-quality BCAAs should have the following characteristics:
- slightly bitter aftertaste;
- when dissolved, a small white sediment remains at the bottom of the shaker;
- the consistency of BCAAs is a crushed powder, something between flour and powdered sugar;
Also pay attention to the label and the seal of the jar. If you see that the label is stuck crookedly or not completely, or you notice that the seal of the jar is broken, do not buy this product. There is a 99% chance that you are holding a low quality fake in your hands. The label must also contain a mark indicating compliance with the GMP quality standard.
BCAA in capsules and tablets
The difference between BCAA tablets and other forms lies in their composition. This product contains only three components: leucine, isoleucine and valine. There are no dyes, sweeteners, flavors, anti-caking agents or other synthetic components. This property is especially important for bodybuilders during preparation for competitions, since additional components tend to retain water under the skin. Capsules and tablets are convenient to carry with you and do not take up much space.
The downside is that after taking the tablets, an unpleasant bitter aftertaste may appear in your mouth. To avoid this, you have to drink BCAA with plenty of water.
According to online stores, the following BCAAs in capsules and tablets are the most popular:
- BCAA 6000 from Gaspari Nutrition. In addition to the amino acids themselves, these BCAAs contain vitamin B6. This is an essential micronutrient for all athletes, responsible for the proper functioning of muscles and the cardiovascular system.
- BCAA Amino Spark. These foods contain huge amounts of vitamin B12 in the form of cyanocobalamin. It is useful for the coordinated functioning of all internal organs, promotes the formation of erythrocytes (red blood cells), without which protein synthesis and muscle growth are impossible.
- BCAA from Optimum Nutrition. Classic BCAAs without additional components. An honest product at a reasonable price.
Food Compatibility
In combination with food, BCAA is completely safe, since these are amino acids, the same as those we consume from foods, just of artificial origin.
The main thing is not to overdo it, because, despite its simplicity, the drug puts pressure on the functioning of the kidneys.
Milk
Manufacturers do not recommend combining BCAAs with milk. Here, most likely, there is some fear of an overdose of protein. Let us repeat that this is an additional burden on the kidneys, which remove the processed product.
There is also an opinion that natural protein and its artificial counterpart can conflict and therefore cause an allergic reaction.
Alcohol
The combination of BCAAs with alcohol is completely contraindicated, since we are talking about the breakdown and absorption of amino acids by the body, and alcohol disrupts or, in some cases, temporarily stops the production of enzymes.
Also, alcohol changes the acid-base balance, which must be correct for protein absorption.
Coffee
Combining BCAAs with coffee may not be beneficial, just because of the temperature. Interaction with caffeine in an unnecessary way is only possible if BCAA has a sufficiently invigorating effect on you, and the combination with coffee can lead to problems with sleep. In general, if you don’t overdo it and don’t be a heavy coffee drinker, there are no problems.
