4 Benefits of BCAAs
- Written by Sarah Williams
Are you physically beat after an exhausting workout? Do you feel your muscles getting sore from some gym activity? Or are you tired due to field-related work demands? If you think that your body wants to give up on you even when it is not yet time to rest, then taking a supplement might be a good option. Branched-chain amino acids – better known as BCAAs – keep your metabolism up and running while allowing your muscles to recover.
The BCAAs is a branched-chain of three highly essential amino acids, namely isoleucine, valine, and leucine. Though bunched together, these have different functions. Isoleucine is in charge of the metabolism of the muscle, immune system function, and energy control. Valine produces energy and muscle regeneration. And leucine is necessary for wound and muscle healing. But together, all three help stimulate muscle building and repair, which the body needs after any strenuous activity.
These much-needed amino acids are essential for any athlete or fitness buff. Unfortunately, the body cannot produce these. Supplementation is a must. And here are four reasons why you should be taking them.
Promoting Muscle Growth
Both athletes and fitness enthusiasts use BCAAs as a supplement to building muscle. A study showed that the muscle protein synthesis of the people who take it after an arduous workout had a 22% increase. So it has a significant role in muscle growth and proven effective in increasing muscle mass.
Reducing Muscle Soreness
If you are new to the exercise world, then your muscles may not have fully adjusted to the strain of your workout. After exercising, your muscles may develop minuscule tearing, which in turn causes some muscle damage. Delayed onset muscle soreness can appear approximately twelve to twenty-four hours after your body-building feats. It can also last for up to 72 hours. BCAAs help reduce the pain after your workout. Taking the supplement before, during, and after exercise helps hasten the recovery time of your body.
Stimulating Weight Loss
BCAAs improve lean muscle mass, which decreases the body fat percentage of a person. It regulates and maintains your glucose levels, which reduces the risk of a dip in your blood sugar. So there would be no binging or sugary food cravings. It also allows you to maximise your exercise routine, so you burn more fats in the process.
When you lose fat, a part of muscle mass also goes with it. BCAAs prevent muscle loss even if you lose fat, so it is safe to use. And serotonin levels are also lowered, so you are alive, alert, awake, and more enthusiastic when it comes to your training.
Increase Muscle Endurance
All those who exercise believe that maintaining and strengthening the muscles is essential. Successful strength training leads to a better metabolism, more robust health, and resistance to injury. The branched-chain amino acids replace the damaged muscles with the formation of new strands of muscle protein (also known as myofibrils), which make the muscles thicker and more durable. The new myofibrils protect the tissues from the next strenuous workout and lead to increased muscle recovery and endurance.
If you decided to become a full-time fitness enthusiast, then you may want to bulk up on your muscle mass. The scientific community agrees that BCAAs are the perfect supplement to your health and nutrition program for the overall maintenance of your muscles and an improvement in your workout performance.
Sarah Williams is a blogger and writer who expresses her ideas and thoughts through her writings. She loves to get engaged with the readers who are seeking for informative contents on various niches over the internet.
She is a featured blogger at various high authority blogs and magazines in which she shared her research and experience with the vast online community.