Branched-Chain Amino Acid Nutrition supplement for bodybuilding

Description:

A branched-chain amino acid (BCAA

The three proteinogenic BCAAs are among the nine essential amino acids for humans, accounting for 35% of the essential amino acids in muscle proteins and 40% of the preformed amino acids required by mammals.

Applications:

Musle Supplement--BCAA:

On the role ofhealth supplements in fitness

In recent years, branched-chain amino acid supplements have come back into vogue in the bodybuilding and fitness community, and with good reason. There's more research that supports the use of BCAAs than most other supplements on the market. While BCAA supplementation may be useful for gaining mass, I believe BCAAs are especially helpful for maintaining muscle mass while on a calorie-deficit diet. They're particularly useful for bodybuilding competitors who take their physiques to the lean extreme.

It's well established that branched-chain amino acids (particularly leucine) stimulate protein synthesis, and might do so to a greater extent than a normal protein on its own. BCAAs also increase synthesis of the cellular machinery responsible for carrying out the process of protein synthesis. Thus, BCAAs not only increase the rate of protein synthesis, but they also increase the cell's capacity for protein synthesis! Yep, you read that right.

BCAAs also work in your favor by reducing the rate of protein breakdown. They do this (primarily) by decreasing the activity of the components of the protein breakdown pathway, and also by decreasing the expression of several complexes involved in protein breakdown. (In this case, they decrease the amount of mRNA produced from the gene that codes for these components.)