Branched Chain Amino Acids We've come to the end of our series on the effectiveness of BCAAs. Since we started, we've gone over potential benefits of supplementation including: strength & aerobic training applications, ability to increase protein synthesis, decrease body fat, improve recovery, and aid in weight loss. The current research...
BCAAs and Weight Loss One of the main alleged benefits of BCAA supplements is their ability to make weight loss more efficient. BCAAs are supposed to maintain muscle mass during weight loss, keep you out of a catabolic state, and give you energy during fasted cardio sessions. Let's see whether the...
BCAAs and Recovery A popular claim of BCAAs is improving post exercise recovery. Workouts cause damage to muscle tissue which the body repairs during rest. During rest, the body needs sufficient amounts of nutrients, including protein and essential amino acids to adequately recover. Because BCAAs are thought to increase protein synthesis, they...
BCAAs and Body Composition One of the many claims associated with BCAA supplementation is an improvement in body composition. BCAAs are supposed to help lower body fat percentage while also increasing muscle mass. While there is limited research on BCAAs and body composition, we can take a look at the available...
Supplement Database Many (maybe most) supplements are marketing hype over results. This tool is designed to help you figure out what works and what doesn't through research done on supplements. The Supplement Database looks at specific claims (examples: increases strength, increases muscle mass) of supplements (examples: whey protein, creatine, branched chain amino...
BCAAs and Protein Synthesis All muscle is made up of protein, and more specifically, amino acids. When you eat protein, it's broken down into amino acids, which are then sent to tissues all around the body. There, they are reassembled into new proteins: muscle tissue. The body is constantly breaking down...
BCAAs and Aerobic Exercise In the previous post (BCAAs and Strength Training), we discussed whether BCAAs were effective in increasing strength. The same reasons BCAAs SHOULD increase strength are the same reasons they SHOULD increase aerobic performance. In this post, we'll go over research specifically looking into BCAAs and aerobic exercise...
BCAAs and Strength Training In the first post of this series (Introduction to BCAAs), we looked at what BCAAs are, how they work, and some of their potential benefits. One of the areas where BCAAs have the most promise is improving strength. BCAAs can provide the muscle with energy, increase protein...
BCAAs Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) have become one of the most popular supplements in the fitness industry. Both as a standalone product and ingredient in protein supplements, pre-workouts, and recovery drinks, BCAAs are everywhere. At approximately $18 per pound, its high price SHOULD deliver great results, right? What are BCAAs? There are...
Strength comes from three main areas: healthy diet practices, solid workout routines and genetics. Since you can't change your genetics, diet and exercise are the two areas that need attention. Through proper exercise, nutrition and supplementation, getting stronger is a very straightforward process. 1. Exercise. Your body strengthens muscles in response...
