BCAA Branch Chain Amino Acids

What are Branched Chain Amino Acid Supplements

There are 2 types of Amino acids, essential and those labelled non-essential. This simply means that essential amino acids cannot be made by the body, but non-essential amino acids can. There are nine Essential amino acids and each must be obtained from suppleemnts or food. The nine essential amino acids are phenylalanine, threonine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, tryptophan and valine.

Non-essential amino acids are just as important as the essential variety and the term simply means they can be made by the body from vitamins and other amino acids. The non-essential amino acids are alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, cystine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine.

The BCAA's are especially important to athletes because they are metabolized in the muscle rather than the liver. This means that they can be used either to build new proteins or be burned as fuel to create energy. Supplementing with BCAA's has been shown to result in measurable gains in both muscle strength and size. Taken before a workout BCAA's can improve performance and delay the onset of fatigue. They also operate as anabolic agents allowing the body to burn fat and not muscle.

As a supplement that has no reported side effects, branched chain amino acids offer many benefits to the serious bodybuilder.

amino acids are the building blocks of protein – the body breaks consumed protein into these in the stomach and intestines. There are three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs); each has numerous benefits on various biological processes in the body. Unlike other amino acids, BCAAs are metabolised in the muscle. Some claim that BCAAs have an anabolic/anti-catabolic effect on the muscle (build muscle/work against muscle breakdown). For more information on this visit the articles on each of the specific aminos: leucine, isoleucine, and valine.