The group of three essential amino acid branches-chain amino acids (BCAAs), is called the branched-chain amino acid group.
BCAA supplements are often used to increase muscle growth and exercise performance. They can also be used to aid in weight loss and reduce fatigue after exercising.
This article provides all you need to know about branched chain amino acids and the benefits they offer.
Three essential amino acids are included in BCAAs:
These three amino acids have been grouped together as they are the only ones with a chain that branches to one side.
BCAAs, like all amino acids are building blocks that your body uses for making proteins.
BCAAs are essential because they can’t be made by your body, unlike other non-essential amino acids. It is therefore essential that you consume them.
> SummaryThe BCAAs leucine and isoleucine are the three main ones. They all have a branched molecular arrangement and are essential for the human body.
BCAAs account for a significant portion of the total body’s amino acids pool.
They together make up around 35-40% of all the essential amino acids in your body, and 14-18% in your muscles (1).
Contrary to other amino acids, BCAAs can be broken down more easily in the muscles than in the liver. They are believed to play an important role in the production of energy during exercise (2).
BCAAs also play a role in the body’s overall health.
Your body can first use them to build protein and muscle (3-4, 5, 5)
They could also help regulate your blood sugar levels by preserving your liver and muscle sugar and stimulating your cells’ ability to absorb sugar from the bloodstream (6-7-8-9).
BCAAs can also reduce fatigue from exercise by decreasing serotonin production in the brain (10).
Leucine, out of all three, is believed to have the greatest impact on your body’s ability to build muscle proteins (3-11).
Isoleucine, valine, and valine are more efficient at producing energy and controlling blood sugar levels (6-12).
> SummaryBCAAs can be used by the body to build muscle protein and generate energy. They can also reduce fatigue by having a positive effect on the brain.
BCAAs can help with mental and physical fatigue.
Study reports that 20g of BCAA, dissolved in 400mL water and 200mL strawberry juice an hour before exercising increases the time it takes to exhaust participants (13).
Another study found that exercisers who received BCAAs reported up to 15% less fatigue than those who received placebo (14-15).
One study found that the BCAA group was 17% more likely to exercise before exhaustion than the placebo (12).
Not all studies have shown that decreased fatigue leads to improvements in physical performance (14-16, 17).
> Summary BCAAs can help with exercise fatigue in some people. It is not clear if this will improve exercise performance.
BCAAs can also make your muscles less sore after exercising.
They may do this by decreasing blood levels of enzymes creatinekinase or lactate dehydrogenase that are implicated in muscle damage. This could improve recovery and protect against muscle damage (18).
Participants were asked to rate the soreness of their muscles after doing strength-training exercises in a variety of studies.
Participants who received BCAA supplements reported a 33% decrease in muscle soreness than those who were given a placebo (19-20, 21).
Some BCAA users performed as well as those who received them 24 hours later in strength-training tests (22, 23, 23).
The effects of your gender and your diet’s total protein may have different results (19, 24, 25).
> Summary BCAAs can be taken either before or after strength training to reduce muscle soreness. The effects of BCAAs can vary depending on the individual.
BCAA supplements can be purchased by people looking to build muscle.
Research has shown that BCAAs activate muscle-building enzymes (25).
Studies have shown that BCAA supplements can increase muscle mass in some cases, particularly if they contain more leucine than isoleucine or valine (25-26).
There is no evidence to suggest that taking BCAAs in a supplement is more beneficial than eating whey protein or consuming them as a diet.
Studies have shown that whole-protein supplements may be more effective for muscle growth than supplements with individual amino acid (27).
> Summary: Getting enough BCAAs can increase muscle growth. They can be obtained from high-protein foods or supplements.
BCAAs can also be used to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Leucine, isoleucine, and leucine can increase insulin secretion, which causes your muscles to absorb more sugar from your blood. This could decrease your blood sugar levels (28-29).
In practice, however, these effects are not supported by all studies (30, 31).
Some even report possible rises in blood sugar depending on what type of diet they followed. Consuming BCAAs in supplement form, for example, with high-fat diets, may result in insulin resistance (32, 33).
Despite this, these studies were often done on animals and cells. Therefore, their results might not be applicable to all people.
Effects in humans also appear to vary among participants.
In one study, participants with liver disease received 12.5 grams of BCAAs 3 times daily. There were 10 participants who saw blood sugar levels drop, and 17 others who did not experience any (34).
Before we can draw any solid conclusions, more research is needed.
> SummaryBCAAs can help with blood sugar management in certain cases. But, further studies are required to confirm their effectiveness.
Branched-chain amino acids can help to prevent weight gain and increase fat loss.
Studies have shown that people who consume an average of 15g of BCAAs per day are up to 30% less likely to become overweight or obese than those who consume an average 12g (35, 36).
It is worth noting, however, that people who consumed fewer BCAAs also consumed 20 grams less total protein per day. This may have affected results.
BCAAs can help you lose weight if you are trying to lose weight.
Competitive wrestlers who ate a high-protein, calorie-restricted diet with BCAAs lost 3.5 pounds (1.6kg) more than those who ate a soy protein supplement for 19 days (37).
Despite consuming similar calories and slightly less total proteins each day, the BCAA group lost 0.6% more body weight than the soy protein group (37).
Another study found that weightlifters who were given 14 grams of BCAAs daily lost 1% more bodyfat over an eight-week period than those who were given 28 grams of whey proteins per day. Also, the BCAA group gained 4.4 lbs (2 kg) more muscle than the 38-gram group.
These studies do have flaws, however. They don’t provide enough information about the supplement or the diet that was followed to determine if it had a significant impact on the results.
Studies examining the effects BCAAs have shown inconsistent results in weight loss studies (39).
> Summary BCAAs can help with weight loss and weight prevention. More research is required to determine if supplements offer any additional benefits over a high-protein diet.
BCAAs can help to reduce the complications of liver failure.
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) can cause confusion, loss consciousness, and coma.
According to a 2014 study, BCAA supplements are more effective than other supplements in reducing the severity and duration of HE (40).
BCAAs didn’t improve the overall survival rate and they didn’t reduce the risk of other complications such as infection and gastric bleeding (40).
A review of studies on patients who had undergone liver surgery revealed that BCAA-enriched products may improve liver function, decrease the risk of complications and reduce hospital stays (41).
BCAA supplements can also help with fatigue, improving sleep quality, and muscle cramps for people suffering from liver disease (42).
BCAA supplements can be helpful in reducing water retention and lowering the risk of death from liver cancer (43).
If you have liver disease, talk to your healthcare team before taking BCAA supplements.
> SummaryBcaa supplements can be beneficial in improving the function of the liver and reducing the chance of complications for people with liver disease.
To determine if branched-chain amino acid supplementation is right for you, consult a healthcare professional.
There are no recommended daily intakes of BCAA, but studies have suggested that different amounts are needed (44, 45).
Supplements are not necessary for people who eat enough protein-rich food.
BCAA supplements are best taken before or after a workout. People who want to build muscle often take BCAA supplements in the morning before going to bed.
It has not been determined if the timing of these doses makes any difference. However, you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that you do not exceed the maximum recommended dosage.
> SummaryThere is no recommended dosage for BCAAs. A diet rich in protein-rich foods might be enough. Talk to a healthcare professional before taking supplements.
There are many foods that contain BCAAs, such as:
* Meat, poultry, and fish
* Beans and lentils
* Dairy products such as milk and cheese
* Tofu and tempeh
* eggs
* quinoa
* Nuts and seeds
> Summary Adding foods from the above list to your diet can increase the amount BCAAs that you receive each day.
Most people find taking BCAA supplements to be safe and without side effects.
Maple syrup urine disease is a rare congenital disorder that causes individuals to have difficulty breaking down BCAAs (46).
> Summary While taking BCAA supplements can be safe, some people do not recommend it.
Supplements with branched-chain amino acids may offer impressive benefits, particularly in the areas of muscle growth and performance.
BCAAs are also found in whole protein powders and a wide variety of protein-rich food.
BCAA supplements are not necessary, particularly if you have enough of them through your diet and a protein supplement.
