You’ve probably heard of BCAAs or branched chain amino acids and have seen it on labels of your whey supplements. Plus, there are tons of rave reviews from other bodybuilders who take BCAA supplements. Now you might be thinking, do I need it?
To answer this question, take a look at what BCAA supplements has to offer.
Build Muscles More Quickly
Some studies have shown that BCAA supplements actually work better than the more popular whey supplements with regard to giving muscle fibers the required amount of amino acids.
Why? Because while peptide-bound amino acids in whey supplements need to pass through the liver before your body could use them, BCAAs don’t have to go through this step. This means that your muscles could immediately use the amino acids from BCAA supplements after working out.
You could even use BCAA enhancements like the Evolution BCAA supplement along with your whey protein if you want to bulk up or just maintain whatever muscles you have right now.
Reduce Catabolism
Aside from minimizing the effects of catabolism on muscle fibers, which is the release of energy that results in breaking down lipids and proteins in the body – think the opposite of anabolism. BCAAs could likewise aid in minimizing muscle soreness post-workout and muscle atrophy.
Research shows that BCAAs do this by reducing the CPK or creatine phosphokinase and LDH or lactate dehydrogenase, which results in minimizing muscle damage after lifting. Other studies also indicate that BCAA promotes the anabolic hormone, which significantly helps in muscle recovery and building.
Improve your Immune System
Lifting and other forms of exercise could be extremely taxing on the body. And because BCAAs help minimize muscle damage, they also aid in keeping your immune system in top shape.
Improve Athletic Performance
Aside from giving you fuel to work out like a beast, studies have also shown that BCAA supplements help prevent fatigue since it could hinder the crossing of tryptophan into your blood-brain barrier.
So yes, the answer is “yes, you need BCAAs” if you’re looking to build more muscle faster, improve your athletic prowess and immune system, as well as give your muscles ample time to recover.
