Everyone is talking about the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. These BCAAs are intended to provide more energy during exercise and better regeneration after exercise. What does targeted supplementation really do? We spoke to an expert.
What are amino acids?
Amino acids are ingested as proteins with food. Proteins consist of a chain of at least 1,000 amino acids, which are only broken down into their basic building blocks during digestion in the intestine. From there, most amino acids go to the liver, where they are either converted into endogenous proteins or further metabolized.
A distinction is made between essential and non-essential amino acids. The latter can be produced by the body independently, while the essential amino acids have to be supplied through food. Many dietary supplement manufacturers offer various preparations of amino acids. The advantage over conventional protein powders is the faster availability of the amino acids.
What are amino acids needed for?
The two most important functions of amino acids for endurance athletes are, on the one hand, the provision of energy during intense exertion and, on the other hand, the restoration of cell structures after the muscular system has been overstrained. With long-lasting stress, the proportion of energy production from proteins increases. For this purpose, amino acids are released from the muscles and converted into glucose in the liver. This happens especially with increasing glycogen deficiency.
Intensive stress leads to the smallest tears in the contractile elements of the muscles. The damaged cell material must be exchanged and replaced. Amino acids serve as the building blocks for this.
BCAA - the miracle cure?
Especially the BCAA preparations are said to have a high effect. These are the so-called branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. These three amino acids alone account for a large proportion of the daily requirement for essential amino acids.
Normally, amino acids are metabolized in the liver as described. However, the branched-chain amino acids can be used energetically directly in the muscles from the blood. Scientific studies have shown that taking BCAAs delays muscle breakdown.
When should I take amino acids?
In the case of long and intensive training sessions or competitions, it is advisable to take amino acids during exercise. Thus, the free amino acids in the blood can be used directly for energy production and the muscular amino acid pool is spared. Thus, the catabolic (breaking down) muscle metabolism is prevented. Many sports nutrition manufacturers are now adding amino acids to their energy bars and gels.
The supply of amino acids is also well suited after exercise, because then the muscles are most receptive to nutrients. It comes to a faster muscular regeneration, as well as muscle-building processes.
Our tip
Amino acids are readily available in many natural foods. Combinations of animal and plant sources have proven to be particularly effective. For example, potatoes with eggs, cereals with milk, or legumes with meat are very good suppliers.
However, the use of preparations can be particularly useful for taking directly after training. Here, large portions can lead to digestive problems immediately after exercise, since most of the blood required for digestion is still in the muscles.
What are BCAAs and what are their functions?
The branched chain amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine are called BCAA. On the one hand, they serve as a source for the synthesis of glutamine and, on the other hand, they are metabolized directly in the muscles, while other amino acids are absorbed via the liver. BCAAs serve the body primarily as fuel under stress. If there is insufficient supply, the body falls back on muscle tissue that consists of 35 percent BCAA. So muscles are broken down if not enough BCAA is supplied through food.
BCAA is the abbreviation for " B ranched Chain Amino Acids ". What does "branched chain" mean?
The three amino acids (L-leucine, L-valine, L-isoleucine) are referred to as branched-chain because of their non-linear side chains.
Is it true that BCAAs can delay fatigue?
Under stress, the ratio of BCAA to the amino acid tryptophan is changed, which accelerates the formation of tiredness-promoting serotonin. The supply of BCAAs during performance prevents serotonin from taking over and thus delays central fatigue during long endurance performances.
Which foods contain particularly large amounts of these amino acids?
Animal foods in particular, especially milk and dairy products, contain high levels of BCAAs in the range of 25 percent of the protein content.
Can you overdose on BCAAs?
Even Paracelsius knew that you can overdose anything, even water. However, an overdose cannot occur with just a few capsules too many, as is the case with vitamin or mineral preparations. Protein and amino acids are used as nutrients and burned, an overdose can only occur at very high levels, which are almost unrealistic. Caution is only required from 4 g/kg body weight per day (= 240 g for an 80 kg person!). From such amounts, the kidneys are put under excessive strain, which can be tricky if too little is drunk at the same time. These amounts apply to protein in general, not just BCAA.
What are the benefits of additional supplementation?
A targeted supplementation with BCAA helps to protect the body's own reserves, minimizes protein and muscle breakdown after exercise and promotes muscle regeneration. Leucine in particular shows both via insulin and insulin-independent effects on increased protein synthesis, i.e. muscle building and regeneration. Taking it during exercise also helps to delay central fatigue caused by serotonin.
At what level of sport is supplementation worthwhile?
While strength athletes are usually aware of the importance of protein for muscle building and cover the additional requirement with protein supplements, endurance athletes often neglect their protein requirements downright criminally. However, it is increasingly becoming apparent that insufficient protein intake is actually more of a problem for endurance athletes who are in a negative energy balance. During endurance training, protein synthesis is also reduced and protein breakdown increases.
It is difficult to make a general recommendation, since scope and intensity must be considered together. The daily diet can also make a supplement more or less useful. Furthermore, it must be distinguished which purpose is being pursued with the intake, as well as the general objective of the athlete.
Because with occasional athletes the physical training adaptation of the body does not play as optimally and smoothly as with a competitive athlete, which in principle can increase the resulting effects of the supplementation, especially in the case of ambitious amateur athletes. However, he often does not have the same ambitious goals as the competitive athlete and does not have to/do not want or cannot recover as quickly and be able to perform again. Fatigue more quickly plays less of a role for him.
So the question should rather be: Do I need the achievable effects and not necessarily from what extent do I need something.
Why are BCAAs anti-catabolic (against muscle breakdown)?
On the one hand, because the body's own BCAAs are protected. Furthermore, through the insulinogenic effect (effect on the insulin level), but in the case of leucine also through an insulin-independent, not entirely clarified, effect on protein synthesis (conversion). Overall, accelerated amino acid transport and turnover seems to be crucial.
Are there different dosage forms? And are there pros and cons for each?
BCAAs are tasteless and odorless. The form of administration is therefore easily possible as a powder, capsules or tablets. However, the powder is very fine and it may not be easy to add it to a liquid. On the other hand, capsules and tablets have to be taken in relatively large numbers and handling on the go may be disadvantageous. In the case of tablets, excipients are often required to ensure timely disintegration in the digestive tract.
How long do BCAAs take to be absorbed by the body?
There is no exact data on that. This is also dependent on residual gastrointestinal contents and gastrointestinal activity due to stress. The absorption time depends above all on the gastric emptying time, which in turn depends on the volume of liquid or food consumed.
It takes about 30 minutes through the digestive tract until an increased amino acid turnover in the muscle cells can be measured. This phase lasts about two hours after exertion. This is one of the reasons for the so-called "open window effect" after a load of two hours. In this phase, the intake of carbohydrates and protein for recovery is particularly important.
With regard to the influence on the serotonin level in the brain, there is no good data regarding intake over time. However, only the phase from the time of ingestion to its arrival in the blood should be relevant in terms of time, since from this point on the competition with tryptophan plays a role in overcoming the blood-brain barrier.
In which training sessions are BCAAs worthwhile?
Strength athletes take BCAA during or immediately after exercise to prevent the body's own BCAA from being broken down.
Dosage: Approx. 1 gram per 10 kg of body weight divided into two portions shortly before and after exercise, or with the sports drink during training.
Endurance athletes take BCAAs before or during exercise to improve endurance and delay fatigue.
Dosage: approx. 0.5 to 1 gram per hour output
In units of a purely regenerative nature, it is certainly not necessary to take BCAAs separately during performance. Otherwise, the same applies here: What is the goal of the athlete?
