“Proper nutrition is the key to unlock your bodies potential.” - Brian Holifield
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) may sound fancy or complicated, stick with me for a second, while I lay down some science, then we will get into it!
Amino acids are molecules that are the building blocks of proteins and skeletal muscle. When we eat protein, we break it down first with our teeth, then with stomach acid (aka hydrochloric acid) and enzymes. This protein breaks down into amino acids that our body can then reassemble as needed for growth and repair. It’s especially important to those needing a bit of extra recovery, for example, those lifting weights or who are very active.
In general, there are 20-22 amino acids that are important to the human body. Nine of those our bodies can NOT make themselves. We call these “essential” amino acids and this means we MUST get them in our diets.
BCAAs are a collection of 3 of these essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. BCAAs are unlike other amino acids in that they are not metabolized in the liver. In fact, the liver does not make enzymes to break these 3 amino acids down. So, they bypass the liver altogether and go straight to the muscles.
The reason these get their own special group named “BCAAs” is because they make up over 30% of our muscle protein and start something called Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) which helps us build muscles. In particular, we need around 2.5-3 grams of leucine (one of those 3 BCAAs) to start MPS.
In recent studies, including a 2017 scientific review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, there was no research to support the supplementation with BCAAs alone have what we need to stimulate the MPS. (fun fasct, whey protein does!)
So, do we need BCAAs or not?!
Here’s the breakdown…
When to take BCAAs (aka you aren’t likely getting over that 2.5 g of leucine threshold to trigger MPS):
You eat a vegan/vegetarian diet
You eat less than 25 grams a meal
You are exercising fasted and/or get GI upset with food before your workout (if you are still doing this please read last weeks newsletter) and if you still decide to workout fasted, BCAAs would be a great pre-workout drink/supplement. Check out the one I like and personally use, as well as the entire “Sports & Athlete Nutrition” supplement recommendations here.
You are an elite athlete (college, Olympian, professional, or training for extended periods regularly)
You are post-surgery, illness or injury and need more recovery
When NOT to take BCAAs:
You eat animal protein at around 1.7 g/kg of body weight daily. For example, a 150 pound person would need 116 grams of protein daily. OR you eat enough complete plant protein, typically this is 20% higher than the 1.7 g/kg daily due to things like phytates, lectins and oxalates that can block protein and nutrient absorption.
You are not an elite athlete or training at extended amounts daily and regularly.
Additionally, because BCAAs (especially leucine) are essential amino acids, this means we need to and can get them from our diet. So, the good news is if you eat meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, soy products, quinoa, whey protein and pea protein, you are getting BCAAs in your diet.
Before 2016 the research out there on BCAAs supported supplementing with them more often than not, stating that they were needed to help inflammation, muscle recovery, glycogen replacement, and improve recovery time. One of the reasons nutrition can be so confusing is that science keeps evolving and we keep learning more and more. The studies from 2017 to the present day are more supportive of not always needing to supplement unless you meet the requirements above.
So overall, while BCAAs are one of the most used supplements out there, accounting for up to $500 million in annual sales, they aren’t a magic pill or shortcut for building muscles.
The good news is that there have been no negative side effects to supplementing with BCAAs. So if you are curious to see if it helps with your workouts, energy, muscle recovery or otherwise, give it a try. Or just use a high-quality whey protein powder. This is the best bioavailable protein out there, period. I added my favorites here.
Note: While I do have extensive knowledge, I am not a medical doctor and supplements are not FDA-regulated. If you are unsure if this is right for you please contact your medical professional first.
The big takeaway is that there is no substitute for a good diet.
Next week will be the final newsletter on sports nutrition. We’ll discuss, cortisol and alcohol effects on and with training.
Before I say goodbye and you are off, yesterday morning I went to see my regular doctor for my annual physical and fasting bloodwork. As we near the end of the year, if you haven’t already done this, I highly recommend you do it soon! No matter how good or “normal” your doctor says your bloodwork is, I look at it from a completely different and functional medicine lens. This means it’s got some great information on your nutrition in there and optimal health! It’s one of the many things I help my clients with!