2021-08-19 19:48:44 0 282
BCAA or branched chain amino acids are 3 essential amino acids that must be obtained from food. They are needed for protein synthesis, muscle growth and other functions of the human body.
BCAA supplements come in powder or tablet (capsule) form and are available over the counter.
A common question asked when purchasing a BCAA supplement is: “Which is better: tablets or powder?” Read on to learn about the pros and cons of BCAA tablets and powders, and which is best to choose.
What is BCAA
BCAA is a complex of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine.
They are called essential because they are not synthesized in the human body, but are supplied only with food. For an adult, 8 amino acids are essential, but only three of them have a special molecular structure with a branched side chain. It is these amino acids that are included in the BCAA complex.
Why them? Because these compounds are the main material for building muscle tissue and make up about 35% of all amino acids in muscles.
A deficiency of essential amino acids, in particular BCAA, triggers catabolic processes in the body, which leads to the destruction of muscle fibers, tissues and internal organs.
BCAA regimens for weight loss
So, how to take BCAA correctly for weight loss:
- Basic techniques: immediately after waking up, before and after training.
- Additionally: in between meals during the day to satisfy hunger and prevent catabolism (breakdown) of muscle tissue. But here it is allowed to use protein instead of BCAA.
- To enhance the effect: an additional portion during cardio training, 20 minutes after the start of running.
- On days off from training: one dose in the morning, afternoon and evening 20 minutes before meals.
- Single dosage. The recommended average dose is 4-8 g.
We advise you to study in more detail: “Why do girls need protein.”
Which BCAA to choose for weight loss: traditionally, this sporpite contains leucine, isoleucine and valine in a 2:1:1 ratio. This is considered the most optimal ratio, regardless of the purpose of use.
What is the best way for girls to take BCAA for weight loss: with regular visits to the gym - 15-20 g per day, divided into 4-5 doses. With more intense and frequent training, the daily dose can be 20-25 g.
Rules for how to take BCAA for weight loss for men. Here, as a rule, we are talking about weight loss through strength training. The average bodybuilder weighing 90 kg needs to drink 5-10 g before, during and after training. To take during training, it is better to prepare a shake from 5-10 g of BCAA and 300-400 g of water - this mixture is drunk in small portions during training. And, of course, another 5-10 g after training.
Why take BCAAs?
Athletes whose goal is to build a beautiful, muscular body need more amino acids than a non-exercising person. But getting the right amount of BCAAs from food is quite difficult, since food proteins contain only 20-25% of these amino acids. Therefore, if you want to build muscle, tone it and speed up the recovery process after training, then optimize your diet by taking BCAAs.
In addition to muscle recovery, taking BCAAs helps slow down catabolic processes in the body. After training, the concentration of amino acids in muscles decreases significantly. And in order to replenish their reserves, the body begins to destroy protein compounds, that is, muscle fibers. Taking the supplement after training will prevent the breakdown process and speed up muscle recovery.
If your diet is in a calorie deficit or you limit the amount of animal protein in your food, then muscle tissue is destroyed more during training. An additional portion of amino acids can prevent this process and speed up recovery.
It is also worth noting that BCAAs help the body cope with stress and strengthen the immune system.
How to take a BCAA complex on days when there are no workouts?
Taking bcca on non-training days should be done on a regular basis. This will allow you to “charge” your muscles with energy for the future and avoid morning catabolism. BCAA on rest days allows you to consolidate the results of past physical activity, speed up the process of muscle tissue restoration, and replenish the balance of amino acids in the body. The first serving of BCAAs on a non-workout day should be taken immediately after waking up. Daytime appointments can be excluded. It is mandatory to take amino acids before going to bed at night, especially if an active workout is planned for the morning.
Some athletes, in order to save money, prefer not to take amino acids on weekends, explaining this by sufficiently replenishing the necessary elements during meals. But this approach is not entirely correct. Amino acids that enter the body with food begin to work only after a certain period of time. Thus, a temporary deficiency of protein occurs in the body, which is simply undesirable for athletes.
It is recommended to take VSAA at a reduced dosage on non-training days. The amount of BCAA complex can be reduced by half, but it is not at all advisable to stop taking it.
Does taking BCAAs help you lose weight?
Studies have proven that essential amino acids stimulate fat burning processes in the body. Leucine, which is part of BCAA, is involved in the secretion of leptin, a hormone that determines the rate of fat burning, body weight and appetite.
When there is a deficiency of amino acids, leptin ceases to be produced, as the brain thinks that these are “hunger times” and not the time to get rid of excess. If there is an excess of leucine, the body “believes” that high-calorie food is being supplied and there is no need to make reserves.
In addition, BCAA increases calorie expenditure by burning fat deposits and speeds up metabolism.
Should you take BCAAs for muscle growth?
The complex of amino acids that make up BCAA is simply indispensable for the construction and restoration of muscle fibers. Since these amino acids are not replenished by the body on its own, their intake is recommended for athletes during active muscle loads.
If the goal of exercise is to gain muscle mass, then regularly taking BCAAs will speed up this process. The first results of exercises in combination with BCAAs will become noticeable within three weeks. A balanced and balanced diet will help improve your results.
How many grams of BCAAs should you take per day?
Professional trainers advise taking 4-8 grams of amino acids at a time, both for weight loss and for gaining muscle mass. Frequency of administration: 1-3 times a day.
What is better to choose: tablets or powder?
The most common forms of BCAAs are tablets/capsules and powder.
The tablet form, at first glance, seems more convenient than the powder form. After all, the tablets can be taken at any convenient time without a shaker. In addition, pure amino acids have a bitter taste, which is not felt when taking pills.
But the maximum dose of BCAA in one tablet is no more than 1000 mg. This means that you need to drink at least 15 tablets to get 15 grams of amino acids.
The powder form is cheaper because it requires fewer manufacturing processes. At the same time, to obtain a daily dose you need to drink only 3 servings of powder. In addition, BCAA powders are often produced with various flavoring additives, and ready-made cocktails can easily replace the usual soft drinks.
How to take BCAA capsules?
Many novice athletes who come across this supplement at an early stage of their journey have a completely logical question: “How to take BCAA capsules correctly?” It is very important to know the answer to the question posed, otherwise you can “mess up” and not get the desired effect.
So, it is widely known that the capsule formula of BCAA, like other supplements, has a longer period of absorption by the body when compared with powder or liquid forms. In order to ease the work of the stomach and speed up the digestion process, capsules and tablets must be washed down with plenty of water. It is recommended to drink it with water and not with any other drinks. The daily dose is usually calculated independently, referring to the amount of leucine, isoleucine and valine indicated on the product packaging. In this case, your main task is to carefully study the data provided by the manufacturer, calculating your individual daily dose.
If you follow science, the daily intake of BCAA capsules is 2-3 times a day. Namely: immediately after waking up, after training and before bed. On non-training days, BCAA supplements are still taken throughout the day. The total daily dosage should be about 30 grams of BCAA. Also, BCAA are a kind of universal product that can be easily combined with other sports supplements - gainers, creatines, proteins, isotonics and others.
We hope that from now on the question is: “How to take BCAA in capsules correctly?” closed for you. And now you can already consider yourself enlightened in this topic.
When is the right time to take BCAAs?
When gaining muscle mass, it is recommended to take 3 servings of amino acids per day:
- in the morning,
- 30-40 minutes before training,
- immediately after training.
Some athletes also take BCAAs during training to provide their muscles with constant nutrition. On rest days, it is recommended to drink amino acids in the morning and afternoon between meals.
When losing weight or cutting, the regimen for taking BCAA remains the same. If you are actively burning fat, you can add several servings in between meals to suppress hunger and catabolism. But experienced trainers recommend using protein for these purposes.
How to use?
Dosage
The recommended dose of BCAA for women is 9 g per day.14 This dose is considered sufficient to produce the desired effects, but at the same time is safe - no side effects will occur. Of course, in each individual case, the doses may vary slightly, because they depend on the woman’s body weight, activity level and diet.
When to take BCAA
For best results to prime your muscles for growth, take BCAAs before or after your workout. If you're determined to gain muscle mass, take a little with breakfast or before bed - just don't exceed the daily safe limit of 550 mg per kilogram of body weight
(For a woman weighing up to 60 kg, this is approximately 33 g per day.)15
What it is?
In fact, bcaa amino acids are the main builders of muscle mass. Bcaa contains three elements - leucine, valine and isoleucine, the benefits of which in the body are difficult to overestimate:
- valine is considered one of the most active components. Its peculiarity is the rapid regeneration of muscle tissue, protection from injury and, as a result, increased training efficiency. After heavy loads, the muscles seem to tear. Valine promotes their restoration and healing. The result is an increase in muscle fiber size. In addition, taking amino acids helps improve nitrogen balance and stop catabolic processes;
- Leucine is a reliable assistant in the production of growth hormone and lowering blood sugar levels. In addition, leucine takes part in the restoration of living tissues - bones, skin and muscles;
- Isoleucine is another essential amino acid that is quite useful in creating hemoglobin. Its action helps stabilize blood sugar levels and increase endurance. We must not forget another important effect - faster recovery of the body.
BCAA on training days
Cardio
It's definitely known that bcaa's are essential for more efficient cardio, not just because they help muscles grow and relieve stress. BCAAs help the body become more resistant to heat, making cardio workouts easier in hot weather. This is a good bonus, but not the main one. The main benefit of taking branched chain amino acids during cardio is that they help maintain muscle mass and prevent it from being lost during training.
The first 20 minutes of cardio will burn glycogen, then it's time for fatty acids. But along with the oxidation of fatty acids, muscle fibers are inevitably destroyed. They break down into amino acids and are used by the body as a source of energy. This is where BCAAs are needed to solve this problem.
By consuming amino acids before and during cardio training, you preserve muscle and burn subcutaneous fat.
We take 5 g before training, 5 g during training (after 20 minutes of running) and 5 g after.
Power
BCAA are also necessary in lifting because they help build new muscle fibers and repair damaged ones. This especially requires leucine, which should be consumed more than isoleucine or valine.
Energy level during training is important. The more energy you have, the more repetitions you will do, and the more efficiently your muscles will grow. And BCAA serve as an energy source for muscles, therefore, training performance is greatly increased.
Therefore, you should take amino acids before, during and immediately after training. The average amateur bodybuilder weighing approximately 200 pounds should consume 5-10 grams of BCAAs before training. During the lesson, he needs to prepare a shake from 5-10 g of amino acids and 300-400 mg of water and drink it in portions during the training. After classes another 5-10 years.
It's important to remember that the average guy's diet should be completely balanced in protein. He should provide himself with 2 g of protein per 1 kg of weight. In this situation, such doses of amino acids are sufficient.
BCAA amino acids
Content
Amino acids are called building blocks for proteins. All amino substances present in our body, in their structure, are certain blocks that can be connected in chains in different orders. After all the components of the chain are in place, the amino chain folds and the process of protein synthesis occurs. Depending on the order of arrangement of amino substances in a particular chain, different types of protein are created.
Of the three hundred amino acids existing in nature, only 20 are elements for the construction of protein in the human body. 8 of them are essential amino acids, which a person can only obtain either through food or through sports supplements such as BCAA.
Taking BCAA is necessary to supply the body with the three most important amino acids - valine, isoleucine and leucine. Their importance is determined by their structure - not linear, like other amino chains, but with branches that have a much larger number of options for linking elements. This means that the process of protein synthesis occurs faster and better due to the construction of stronger proteins.
Amino acids are the “building blocks” from which proteins are built in the body, including muscle myofibrils
How many grams of BCAA powder should I take correctly?
The daily intake of BCAA depends on the intensity of training and the severity of the diet. The stricter the diet and the more intense the training, the more the body will need to replenish amino acids. Depending on the production, the form of release of the supplement and body weight, the use of 10 to 30 grams of BCAA is recommended .
Our rating of BCAA and amino acids:
- BCAA 1000 caps from Optimum Nutrition (1 serving is 2-4 capsules);
- BCAA Complex 2200 from Dymatize (1 serving is 2-4 tablets);
- BCAA 8:1:1 from VPLab [1 serving is 10g (1 scoop)];
- Amino X from BSN (complex), (1 serving is a measuring spoon in 200 ml of cold drinking water).
