Brach Chain Amino Acids, or BCAA, is one of the most popular sports supplements and is one of the most commonly used supplements.
Proteins are made of 20 amino acids. These 20 amino acids can be divided into categories known as branches. BCAA mainly indicates three amino acids among these branches. They are:
- Leucine: Leucine increases protein synthesis.
- Isoleucine: It enhances glucose metabolism.
- Valine: It improves fat metabolism.
However, in this article, I will break the ice regarding BCAA and talk about everything I know and what you should know about it so that you do not waste your precious money. Yes, do not waste your hard-earned money on BCAA, as it does not provide any significant benefit.
I will summarize everything so that everyone can understand BCAA in short, and the article will not get too scientific so that everyone can understand.
Contents
Why BCAA Got So Popular?
The primary reason for BCAA’s popularity is the marketing of the fact that it bypasses the gut and liver and goes directly to the bloodstream.
This fact has been marketed a lot. People were told that as it directly goes to the bloodstream, it can be an excellent choice for an intra-workout (middle of workout) as it will increase the recovery rate.
However, people also started believing in made-up facts like:
- BCAA increases focus.
- BCAA can be an alternative to pre-workout drinks or powders.
- BCAA can recover from session to session 2x faster.
What Research Has to Say About BCAA?
- Research has found that a healthy man weighing 70 KG only needs around 5.5 grams of BCAA daily, which can easily be fulfilled if we eat enough protein. I am referring to 0.8 g per pound of body weight by an adequate amount.
- Multiple pieces of research have concluded that BCAA is mostly useless when consumed in supplementary form. You basically do not need BCAA from external sources; a proper diet with a good amount of protein will already cover your daily BCAA needs.
- If you don’t consume enough protein from whole foods, you can take whey protein, which contains a good amount of BCAA.
- Researchers have combined multiple studies of BCAA and found that BCAA has some benefits only when people do not consume enough protein; still, the usefulness was insignificant.
- If you do some research, you will find some studies that show significant benefits; however, if you look closely, you will notice that BCAA companies or manufacturers have conducted most of those studies. Most of those studies are not transparent, and biased results can be found.
- BCAA will help during a workout only when you do it in a fasted state, which most people do not. Before lifting, we usually do not stay in a fasted state.
- In 2010, EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) conducted research on BCAA to determine its usefulness. The result was that it almost failed in all the parameters that they measured.
Takeaway
Thousands of companies make thousands of claims about BCAA, but if you fact-check, you’ll find that most of those claims are marketing gimmicks..
Do not unnecessarily waste your precious money on useless supplements. You do not need to take different supplements if you are not a professional bodybuilder or athlete.
If you can fulfill your needs with whole foods, then there is no need for supplementation. If not, then you can purchase the following:
- Whey Protein
- Creatine
- Pre Workouts (Optional)
There are some other good supplements, like omega-3 fatty acids, Multivitamins, Etc. However, consult your doctor before buying omega-3 or multivitamins, as if you do not need them, there is no point in buying them.
Do you like our bite-size article or prefer the prolonged form I used to write? Let me know in the comments.