When Taken Alone, BCAA Supplements Are Ineffective
When it comes to building quality lean muscle mass, we all know it starts with our training and diet. When you are able to stimulate the muscle, break down the fibers, and then feed them the nutrients they need, you’ll be able to rebuild those torn muscle fibers and have them grow back bigger and stronger than before. It’s common for people to be consuming protein shakes post-workout to aid in enhanced and speedy muscle recovery. We have all heard of the benefits of protein when it relates to muscle growth and how protein synthesis comes into play. Yet, another piece of the equation that has been talked about over the years was utilizing BCAAs. However, now researchers are saying BCAA supplements might not be as effective as we first imagined.
Just when you thought you had BCAA supplements figured out
For years brands have been releasing new products to fill a category that is seemingly booming. The BCAA (branched-chain amino acids) is no different. We all know that protein is made up of amino acids. And thanks to protein, we have the building blocks necessary to promote new growth. However, now researchers are saying that when taking BCAAs (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, and L-Valine) alone, there really isn’t that much of a difference being made and there are actually better alternatives out there that you should consider.
Brands across the United States have been pushing BCAA products and deeming them the best thing since sliced bread. You can use them pre-workout, intra-workout, and post-workout. You can even sip BCAAs throughout the day or in between meals they tout. Some brands have been pushing the fact that you don’t even need to consume a protein shake after a workout so long as you use their BCAA product. Well, as the research shows that I’m about to further get into, that claim seems false. Yet, each brand seems to come out with a new unique flavor profile in hopes they can steal some share from another brand. In the end, it just becomes oversaturated like the protein and pre-workout market already is.
BCAAs do aid in the muscle building process (it’s been scientifically studied and proven), but in order to achieve the best results possible for muscle growth, it appears there should also be some EAAs (essential amino acids) present as well. When researchers looked at studies where BCAAs were used alone and then when they were combined with EAAs, they found a much better muscle growth response in the studies with the EAAs.
In a study conducted by the University of Stirling, researchers gathered a group of participants who actively trained with weights. They then gave the participants either a placebo, a BCAA supplement, or 20g of whey protein following a weight training session. What they found was that compared to the placebo, the standalone BCAA product only improved the muscle growth response marginally. On the other hand, when the participants used whey protein that included the same amount of BCAAs as the standalone but also had the addition of essential amino acids, the muscle growth response was more than double.
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