News
Branched-chain Amino Acids (BCAA's)
Last season, Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) started making a regular appearance in the water bottles of many swimmers in its powdered form. Whilst BCAAs are a heavily researched supplement and widely used amongst both athletes and general fitness populations, the need for them in poolside water bottles is debatable.
What are BCAA’s?
There are 20 different amino acids that combine to make up the thousands of different proteins in our body. Out of these 20 amino acids, 9 are ‘essential’ meaning we do not produce them naturally and therefore need to consume them through our diet. Within these 9, they can further be broken down into the 3 which are known as BCAAs, Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. Amino Acids (protein) are the building blocks of muscles and as we don’t produce all 20 naturally, many people turn to supplements to ensure the 9 essential amino acids needs are met. However, natural food sources such as beef, chicken breast, canned tuna, salmon, dairy, and eggs contain these essential amino acids.
Unlike most protein which is broken down in the liver, BCAAs are found primarily in the muscle tissue which gives them priority in energy production as they are rapidly absorbed. This also allows them to act as an additional fuel source for working muscles and to help in overall protein turnover allowing them to regulate whether the body is in a recovery (tissue building) or catabolic (tissue breakdown) state.
So why are people supplementing BCAAs?
In relation to their role, the ideal time to consume BCAAs is an hour before or after exercise to support the energy demand and reduce the breakdown of muscles. With the list of food sources highlighted above, you can understand why a powdered version is more attainable and digestible within these timeframes around training.
The main target industry for BCAAs is adults (18+ years) looking to increase muscle mass or retain muscle mass, or adults who regularly engage in high-intensity workouts and do not consume a nutrient-balanced diet. It is of high importance to not confuse the consumption of a sports supplement and doing the necessary hard work to build muscle, retain muscle, and recover properly post sessions in order to consistently train.
What are the other benefits of BCAAs?
There are a further 6 benefits to athletic performance reported in the literature. The studies promoting these benefits are again conducted on adults and mostly within the general population as opposed to athletes.
1. BCAAs delay fatigue during prolonged exercise.
BCAAs have been found to inhibit both central and peripheral fatigue. Central fatigue is when your brain gets tired, and you start to feel sleepy and drowsy. The role of BCAAs in delaying this feeling is by acting as a roadblock for the amino acid tryptophan, which is a precursor to the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin, the one responsible for making you feel sleepy. Peripheral fatigue is simply when your muscles feel tired. As discussed above, BCAAs act as an energy source and even when your glycogen sources are depleted in prolonged exercise, your muscles can still draw energy directly from BCAAs.
2. BCAAs improve both aerobic and anaerobic performance when taken regularly.
Supplementing a nutritionally balanced diet with 6g of BCAAs has identified a 4% increase in VO2 Max and a 6% improvement in power output when tested in a group of adult-trained cyclists. A further study in cyclists found supplementation of 12g per day across a 10-week period saw a 19% improvement in max power output and a 4% increase in average power when tested against a placebo group.
3. BCAAs fortify the immune system.
Swimming is well known for its early mornings, prolonged training days, and extensive training cycles. Balancing athletic, academic, and social commitments can cause overtraining and a suppressed immune system if the athlete does not recover adequately between training sessions or follow a well-advised training plan.). Supplementing with 12g of BCAAs a day has shown an improved immune response as BCAAs can be used by immune cells within the gut as a fuel source. This allows the immune system to regenerate more efficiently and protect itself against harmful pathogens. A strong immune system aids in recovery and helps you prevent illness.
4. BCAAs protect lean muscle.
During exercise, muscle protein breakdown is increased. As discussed previously, BCAAs can act as an extra energy source directly for your muscles, helping to preserve amino acid (protein) stores. By supplementing these stores, you provide extra fuel for muscles to use.
5. BCAAs promote muscle protein synthesis.
Muscle protein synthesis is the process of producing new muscle protein and is an important component of how the body ultimately maintains and builds muscle. Adequate, and consistent training must occur for muscle to be formed and retained.
6. BCAAs reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness and damage.
Consumption of BCAAs prior to or on the completion of exercise can help to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), the feeling of stiffness or discomfort that lasts for a few days after an intense session. Studies have also shown that BCAAs can help to reduce muscle damage in response to both endurance training (swimming) and resistance training. This allows you to recover quicker and increase readiness to train to next session.
How much to take and when?
Research in BCAAs has been conducted in adult populations and for those primarily looking to build or retain muscle mass. They are however a ‘safe’ supplement to take either sporadically throughout the week or across heavy training cycles and blocks with minimal side effects reported. A dose of between 4-20g per day (can be split into multiple doses) consumed either before, during or after sessions will have the most benefit in aiding recovery and subsequent athletic performance.
“BCAAs will not work as a stand-alone recovery aid.”
Branched-chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) are essential proteins that the body cannot naturally produce. To attain these amino acids, a nutritionally balanced diet should be the first objective. If a balanced diet is not achievable through either dietary constrictions or time restraints, supplementing BCAAs in a powdered form mixed with water is a quick solution. BCAAs can be consumed either before, during, or after sessions to increase the amount of energy a muscle has available. The main reason swimmers would use a BCAA supplement is to reduce recovery time from sessions in high volume/ intensity periods of training. BCAAs will not work as a stand-alone recovery aid. They can only assist recovery when all other aspects of training and lifestyle are adhered to (nutrition, sleep, hydration). They are not a quick fix solution to bad habits and there use year-round or in shorter timeframes in those under 18 years of age has not been adequately researched or promoted by professionals. As with all supplements, anti-doping guidelines should be adhered to with batch-tested products and a reputable supplier.