What are BCAAs?
BCAA stands for branched-chain amino acids, and these are proteins that your body uses as part of generating energy in your body. The branched chain is a reference to their chemical structure, but this gives them unique benefits for athletes and gym goers.
What are the health benefits of BCAAs? Are BCAA’s healthy?
When considering the health benefits its best to consider are BCAAs good take for you. If you aren’t exercising heavily, it may not always be necessary, however for those exercising it can demonstrate lots of benefits.
As an essential nutrient, BCAAs can definitely be considered healthy; they help to support muscle metabolism, as well as playing an important role in building muscle tissue proteins. This is why they are widely used by athletes and bodybuilders to help with recovery from workouts. Studies have suggested that BCAAs may help with the following:
- Stimulating muscle growth
- Reduced muscle soreness
- Reduced exercise fatigue
- Aids with a variety of illnesses
How often should I have BCAAs?
Whilst you should generally defer to your supplement providers recommendation, it is generally recommended to take them daily at least as this will help you to see the best results. This is tied to its ability to aid in muscle recovery, which means even on rest days that it can have benefits.
When is the best time to take BCAAs and why?
In reality you can take BCAAs supplements at any time of the day, but general consensus is to have it around 15-30 minutes before a workout; this gives some time for the supplement to be digested. Some studies have suggested that having the supplement before a workout can help to boost energy and stamina whilst exercising.
As a result of this consensus, some BCAA supplements come with caffeine to give an extra boost during exercise. Of course, this is not recommended for those working out in the evening as sleep can be impacted if caffeine is consumed as much as 10 hours before sleep.
Should I choose EAA or BCAA?
EAA stands for essential amino acids. What are essential amino acids? Well, there is 9 of them, with the 3 BCAAs included, and they’re involved in many of your body’s functions. This makes them essential for life.
As the EAAs include the BCAAs then having an EAA supplement covers you both on the BCAA side, as well ensuring that you have the bodies other essential amino acids.
Here at Full Boar Sports, we ensure that we only provide the highest quality of supplements. If you’re looking for EEA formula, then check out the Full Boar Sports recommendations below:
If you enjoyed this article then why not check out some of our other posts, from the Supplements used by the Full Boar athletes and other informative articles on supplements and nutrition.