The Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) are quite popular among athletes, competitive individuals and fitness enthusiasts as it is marketed to enhance muscle function and growth. But does it do what it is marketed to be?
However, when we look through the studies that were conducted, BCAA seems to be largely ineffective to cause any benefits that are marketed.
While studies have shown that BCAA can play a role in muscle protein synthesis (i.e. building of muscles) which is mainly due to leucine, the impact is minimal when we have sufficient protein in our diet.
When it comes to muscle recovery, BCAA may not help with it as well. While some studies showed that BCAA can help with muscle soreness and decrease the markers for muscle damage like creatine kinase, it doesn't translate to having improved sports performance. It also doesn't significantly enhance muscle strength, endurance and overall performance.
Although BCAA may show benefits in how it is used in the body, it does not sufficiently translate muscle growth and performance improvements unless sufficient protein intakes and other essential amino acids are present.
Key takeaways:
BCAA supplementations don't seem to contribute to sports performance or recovery beyond what is achieved by having a balanced diet with adequate protein intakes even though BCAA is important for muscle protein metabolism. So, you don't need to rely on BCAA supplements, just include high quality protein sources and balanced diet would be more effective.
So, save your money and buy higher quality food instead!
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