BCAAs and Muscle Repair: How They Can Help
The human body runs on thousands of different proteins made of exactly 20 different amino acids. Out of these 20, eleven are non-essential amino acids whereas nine are essential amino acids. While non-essential amino acids are readily available inside our body, we must consume the other nine essential amino acids through our diet to keep growing. Three essential amino acids including isoleucine, leucine, and valine are categorized as branched-chain amino acids or BCAA. with a branched-chain type chemical structure. The BCAAs are quite common in protein-rich foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products. However, most people prefer consuming BCAAs as supplements in powder form. So what is BCAAs? How they can benefit muscle repair. Below, we will roll through the basic definition of BCAAs again and explain their benefits in muscle repair.
What is BCAAs?
A group of three essential amino acids including isoleucine, leucine, and valine are collectively called BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids. People consume BCAAs to promote muscle growth and also boost their exercising ability. All three BCAAs carry a branched-chain to one side. Our body uses these to create proteins and since these are essential amino acids, we have to rely on our diet for them.
BCAAs and Muscle Repair
Muscle Building
If you think your muscle growth depends on how heavy you lift, you are sadly mistaken. It equally depends on how quickly your body can heal after working out and what’s the rate of muscle protein synthesis, which is our muscle-making process. A study conducted on BCAAs ingestion showed that consuming 5.6gms of BCAAs regularly can boost their muscle protein synthesis by 22% as compared to people consuming a placebo drink. However, you can further double the rate of muscle protein synthesis if you consume the same amount of BCAAs regularly in a whey protein supplement.
This implies that even if the other essential amino acids are missing from your diet, the three BCAAs can solely boost muscle protein synthesis. When it comes to BCAAs and muscle repair, even with supplements without complete protein sources, they can be quite beneficial in terms of building new muscles quickly.
Muscle Soreness
If you just had a heavy workout day, it’s evident that you will have some sort of muscle soreness for at least a day or two. It happens more often if you have just started with a new exercise routine. This soreness is medically termed as delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. It can develop within 24 hours of working out and can go for as long as 72 hours. BCAAs can be a great help to avoid these tiny holes in your muscle after exercise. Since BCAAs prevent muscle damage, the severity & length of DMOS is minimized after consumption. Studies (1,2,3 )have shown that BCAAs don’t allow much protein breakdown while working out and also decrease creatine kinase levels, which indicates muscle damage.
Exercise Fatigue
Just like muscle soreness, BCAAs can be a relaxing aid in exercise-induced fatigue. Since everyone has experienced exhaustion and fatigue from working out at some point. But how quickly your physique ends giving up depends on several factors including, but not limited to, environmental condition, your sleep routine, your nutritional routine, exercise duration or intensity, and fitness level. However, using BCAAs during your workout allows your body to stay away from fatigue.
Studies(1,2) have shown that BCAAs help you with better mental focus while exercising that further leads to a fatigue reduction. These amino acids are also helpful in preventing muscle breakdown. Muscle breakdown or muscle wasting can be due to anything from chronic infections to malnutrition issues. BCAAs and muscle repair walk side by side and that’s why BCAA supplements inhibit the breakdown of muscle protein.
Conclusion
Essential amino acids are a must for everyone but if you are into fitness, experts recommend BCAAs for muscle building. These branched amino acids have the tendency to repair your muscles quickly after a workout and also improve your muscle protein synthesis. Explore our website to get BCAA Lemon Lime supplements of the highest quality.
