What are BCAA’s?
You might have heard the term “BCAA’s” before but do you really understand what they are, how they work and how they affect the Fit Dad lifestyle?
Some people are also confused with the difference between BCAA’s and other types of amino acids, so we are going to try to clear up some confusion.
BCAA’s are also known as Branch Chain Amino Acids. They’re three Essential Amino Acids that help support protein synthesis and muscle growth, natural processes that your body uses to build new tissue.
Amino Acids are proteins and there are 20 different Amino Acids that make up the thousands of proteins in the human body. There are Essential Amino Acids and Non-essential Amino Acids. 9 of the 20 Amino Acids are considered essential and out of those 9 there are 3 which are Branch Chain Amino Acids or “BCAA’s”. They are Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine.
BCAAs can also help you recover faster from workouts, so if you exercise regularly or train intensely, they could be beneficial for you. A BCAA supplement will often contain other ingredients too – some may include creatine or glutamine for example – but generally speaking it’s a good idea to look out for a product that contains only BCAAs when buying one on its own.
BCAA’s are essential amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own. They must then be consumed through diet or supplementation. These amino acids play many roles in the body but most notably they help to promote muscle growth and reduce muscle catabolism (muscle breakdown). This makes them ideal as a supplement when trying to increase muscle mass and/or strength during training programs such as weight lifting or bodybuilding.
A typical BCAA supplement provides a 2:1:1 ratio of Leucine to Isoleucine and Valine.
Leucine is the amino acid most responsible for stimulating muscle protein synthesis (MPS), which helps you build muscle faster.
Isoleucine helps stimulate MPS and can help prevent muscle breakdown during intense training sessions when Leucine levels are low.
Valine works with both Isoleucine and Leucine to help stimulate MPS, as well as keeping your brain healthy by preventing cognitive decline associated with aging.
These underrated supplements can help Dads 40+ perform to their peak and recover faster after workouts and will also help out with cognitive decline associated with aging.
Disclaimer: Always consult your doctor before trying anything mentioned in this article. All information in this email is intended for educational use only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Fit Dads Over 40 is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article.
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