What are BCAA's

So we have recently spoke about Carbs and Protein Post Workout. Whether it be in the form of supplementation(liquid nutrition) or whole food is all your choice! There is another supplement in the world of fitness we refer to as BCAA's or Branched Chain Amino Acids, that are also great for before, during or post workout. Some Protein/Carb supplements have BCAA's built right into them and there is no need for additional supplementation post workout, but others like to have a little extra in their life or Pre workout.

BCAA's are like the secret sauce many do not know about that will help you recover faster from your workouts, so you can crush it even harder next time. If your workouts are intense like CrossFit that sometimes leaves you sore for a few more days than you'd like, BCAA's can help aid in muscle recovery and a little less soreness. Now please do not take this out of context and thing if you drink BCAA's you'll never be sore again. I wish it were that simple, but its not. They just help aid in more recovery than if you didn't take at all.

When your glycogen stores run low, your body relies on three types of BCAA's. These are Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine and they are called on for fuel. The catch....your body can't product BCAA"s on its own, so you typically have to get them from diet or supplementation. In addition to making our workouts more efficient, some studies have found that the BCAA Leucine, specifically, may help you feel more full by improving sensitivity to the hunger hormone leptin. Other research shows that Leucine could help promote fat burning and balance your sugar levels. That is very important because imbalanced blood sugar levels can lead to weight gain.

BCAA's aren't necessary for every workout, depending on your level of intensity. But when your activity is relatively intense, your muscles tear slightly and then repair, growing stronger in the process. That is when supplementing with BCAA's can benefit you. Now we are able to get BCAA's from whole foods through good nutrition, but some people like to sip on BCAA's during their workouts or immediately after to help aid in the quickest recovery possible. Also, if you do not eat meat or just don't like certain kinds of animal protein that much, you will be missing out on many natural forms of BCAA's. As always, liquid nutrition (aka supplementation, shakes etc) will always take effect faster since they don't have to be digested like whole foods. This makes having a quick BCAA shake before, during or after workout a good option if you don't like exercising with food in your stomach or have the ability to eat right after.

Have you tried taking BCAA's surrounding your workout? Maybe its time!

Coach Nick