Branched Chain Amino Acids Bcaa Powder

1. Promote Muscle Growth

To gain muscle, your body needs to build protein faster than it breaks it down. That’s why protein powders are so popular with weightlifters. BCAAs are thought to play a special role in muscle growth. Leucine in particular is known to promote muscle growth. 

One small study found that all essential amino acids are key for activating mTORC1—a group of proteins that controls protein synthesis (how cells make proteins). However, BCAAs might be mainly responsible for protein synthesis.

2. Prevent Fatigue During Exercise

BCAAs compete with other amino acids for transport to the brain, including tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that gets converted to the hormone serotonin. Serotonin is linked with fatigue. Consuming BCAAs right before or during exercise may lead to reduced fatigue during exercise since it limits how much tryptophan makes it to your brain and gets converted to serotonin.

3. Prevent Muscle Soreness

Numerous research reviews have found that oral (by mouth) supplementation of BCAAs leads to reduced muscle soreness, particularly in resistance athletes like weightlifters. Signs of muscle damage and reports of muscle soreness up to 48 hours after exercise were lower in participants who took BCAA supplements compared to those who didn't.

The studies in these reviews had many variations in terms of supplement timing and dosage. Some supplements also contained other amino acids or carbohydrates, so it's unclear whether the benefits were solely due to BCAAs. Researchers also wonder if leucine is more responsible for these muscular benefits than all three BCAAs combined.

BCAAs supplements are often found in powdered form, similar to other protein powders. You simply mix them with your favorite water or other beverage according to the manufacturer's instructions. You can also find BCAAs in capsule form, which are typically best taken with a meal. 

Most people take BCAAs before or after a workout, or before bed. You may see improvements in muscle soreness in the day or two following your workout.

You can also find BCAAs in protein-rich foods like chicken, beef, fish, eggs, and dairy products. If you're already consuming adequate BCAAs from food, you may not see a big difference from BCAA supplementation.