Answering The Most Popular Questions About BCAA’s

For so many, supplementing with BCAA’s is a no brainer- but should it be? The blog post will review the most common questions about BCAA’s and how to apply them, or not, to your fueling routine.

What are BCAA’s?

BCAA’s are branched chain amino acids [proteins]. There are 20 amino acids, 9 of which are “essential”, and 3 of the essential that are BCAA’s- those are leucine, isoleucine, and valine. “Essential” amino acids can’t be created by the body like the non essential ones, so they are essential to consume through food [get it? ;)]

Because of the way BCAA’s are metabolized, it’s hypothesized that they can be benefits for strength training, muscle hypertrophy, and recovery from exercise. Research has shown that BCAA supplementation may reduce muscle damage and soreness, but results have been varied and evidence of BCAA supplementation is still weak.

BCAA’s vs Amino Acids?

BCAA’s are branched chain amino acids (proteins) but not all amino acids are BCAA’s. There are 20 amino acids, 9 of which are “essential”, and 3 of which are BCAA’s- those are leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

BCAA’s or EAAS?

EAA’s stands for “essential amino acids” and, to reiterate, BCAA’s fall under that category. The 9 essential amino acids are methionine, threonine, histidine, valine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, tryptophan.

BCAA’s or Pre Workout?

The purpose of pre-workout is to provide energy before a workout, which are usually sources of carbohydrates and/or caffeine. In a systemic review of BCAA supplementation in athletes, researchers found that “the role of carbohydrates on performance is crucial (Martinho, D. V., et al 2022).” Although some studies have claimed that BCAA’s can be used to fuel a workout instead of carbohydrates, it’s been shown time and time again that carbohydrates have much more of an impact.

Proteins are essential in our diet, but they are not a pre-workout. When it comes to pre-workout, I recommend an NSF or Informed Sport tested product or my personal fav, an applesauce packet like Go-Go Squeeze and/or some sips of coffee 15 min before activity.

Are BCAA’s Vegan?

BCAA’s can come from plant or animal sources. When choosing a BCAA supplement, be sure to check for third party testing (such as NSF or Informed Sport) and then check the ingredients for animal products (like gelatin).

Should you take BCAA’s everyday?

The jury is still out on whether you need to be taking BCAA’s at all, but protein supplements are safe to take daily to meet protein needs.

IN Closing

While BCAA’s have been shown to improve muscle recovery, so has a traditional protein supplement or eating a meal to recover from a workout. If you must supplement after a workout, I recommend taking an NSF tested protein supplement rather than specifically BCAA’s to promote muscle recovery and consume all of the amino acids, not just 3 out of 20. My favorites are Orgain or Up2U Nutrition.

For more evidence based nutrition information and recommendations, follow me on Instagram at @theflexiblerd.

Sources

Neinast, M., Murashige, D., & Arany, Z. (2019). Branched Chain Amino Acids. Annual review of physiology, 81, 139–164. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-physiol-020518-114455

Martinho, D. V., Nobari, H., Faria, A., Field, A., Duarte, D., & Sarmento, H. (2022). Oral Branched-Chain Amino Acids Supplementation in Athletes: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 14(19), 4002. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14194002

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Written by Chelsea Shafer, RD, LDN, CYT

Hey, I'm Chelsea!

I’m a Registered Dietitian, 200-hr certified yoga instructor, and cat mom! As an HSH RD I love all things intuitive eating + movement and I’m glad you’re here! Learn more about me and the HSH offerings here.