BCAA's

What are BCAAs?

There are three branch chain amino acids (BCAAs), these are: isoleucine, leucine, and valine. BCAA’s are considered essential, as unlike other amino acids they cannot be manufactured in the human body, and they can only be obtained in our diet. In total there are nine essential amino acids, but, BCAAs account for 35% of all the essential amino acids found within muscle protein. They are needed for protein building and can be metabolized and used as an energy source during aerobic exercise. BCAAs are present in all protein rich foods, but are found in the greatest amounts in red meat and dairy products. Whey protein contains particularly high levels of BCAAs.

Who Should Consider Taking BCAA supplements? The main benefits of BCAAs are: A reduction in the amount of muscle breakdown, improved preservation of muscle glycogen stores, improved immune health, and a possible improvement in endurance performance. Therefore anyone who trains intensively, wants to recover more quickly from training, increase lean muscle size, reduce muscle soreness, and improve endurance performance may benefit from BCAAs.

Summary of BCAAs Physiological Effects:

* Stimulates muscle protein synthesis (muscle building)
* Decreases muscle protein catabolism (muscle breakdown)
* Helps to increase lean muscle mass
* Reduces muscle damage and soreness following exercise
* Improves immune function
* May enhance endurance exercise performance



Sports Supplements & Nutritional Supplement Reviews > BCAAs | Branch Chain Amino Acids

Review of BCAAs

* What are BCAAs?
* Who Should Consider Taking BCAA supplements?
* Summary of BCAAs Physiological Effects
* BCAA Research
* Are BCAAs effective?
* How to take BCAAs
* BCAA References

What are BCAAs? There are three branch chain amino acids (BCAAs), these are: isoleucine, leucine, and valine. BCAA’s are considered essential, as unlike other amino acids they cannot be manufactured in the human body, and they can only be obtained in our diet. In total there are nine essential amino acids, but, BCAAs account for 35% of all the essential amino acids found within muscle protein. They are needed for protein building and can be metabolized and used as an energy source during aerobic exercise. BCAAs are present in all protein rich foods, but are found in the greatest amounts in red meat and dairy products. Whey protein contains particularly high levels of BCAAs.

Who Should Consider Taking BCAA supplements? The main benefits of BCAAs are: A reduction in the amount of muscle breakdown, improved preservation of muscle glycogen stores, improved immune health, and a possible improvement in endurance performance. Therefore anyone who trains intensively, wants to recover more quickly from training, increase lean muscle size, reduce muscle soreness, and improve endurance performance may benefit from BCAAs.

Summary of BCAAs Physiological Effects:

* Stimulates muscle protein synthesis (muscle building)
* Decreases muscle protein catabolism (muscle breakdown)
* Helps to increase lean muscle mass
* Reduces muscle damage and soreness following exercise
* Improves immune function
* May enhance endurance exercise performance


BCAA Research In skeletal muscles and the heart, BCAA supplementation alone, has the same benefits of stimulating protein synthesis and reducing muscle breakdown, as is the case when the supply of all amino acids is increased (May and Buse, 1989). BCAAs supplementation has been demonstrated to preserve and even increase muscle size under extreme physical conditions where there would normally be a net loss of muscle tissue (Schena et al., 1992; Bigard et al., 1996). Research looking at the effect of BCAA supplementation during prolonged skiing at altitude, found that the consumption of BCAAs helped to prevent a loss of body mass (Bigard et al., 1996). Research has also demonstrated a positive effect on immune function with BCAAs supplementation (Bassit et al., 2000; Bassit et al., 2002).

During aerobic exercise, or any prolonged exercise session, BCAAs can be oxidized within the mitochondria of skeletal muscles to produce aerobic energy – the six other essential amino acids are mainly catabolized within the liver (Shimomura et al., 2004). It is well known that during aerobic exercise – endurance exercise in particular – the level of BCAAs metabolized to produce energy increases significantly (Rennie, 1996; Kobayashi et al., 1999). Therefore, during any prolonged period of exercise, a significant amount of BCAAs, may be metabolised and may lead to a depletion of BCAAs within muscles.

It should also be noted that Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B6 all have positive effects on mood and may help to alleviate the low feeling sometimes experienced during heavy training.

Research looking at the effect of BCAA supplementation has found that taking 77mg of BCAAs, per kg of bodyweight, before exercise results in a significant reduction in the amount of muscle breakdown (MacLean et al., 1994). So to reduce muscle breakdown during exercise a 70kg athlete would consume around 5g of BCAAs. It has also been demonstrated that the consumption of BCAAs before and after exercise reduces the levels of serum creatine kinase activity – which indicates reduced levels of muscle breakdown (Coombes and McNaughton, 2000; Nosaka, 2003). BCAA supplementation before and after exercise also appears to increase the recovery rate from exercise, as indicated by a reduction in muscle soreness following exercise (Nosaka, 2003). Therefore, BCAA supplementation, before and after exercise, appears to be beneficial for reducing the level of exercise-induces muscle damage and for increasing muscle protein synthesis (muscle building) and enhancing the recovery process following exercise.

A further benefit, is the positive effects that BCAAs supplementation appears to have on endurance performance. BCAAs compete with the amino acid trytophan for uptake into the brain. During prolonged exercise BCAAs are used for fuel and this leads to a decreased level of BCAAs in the blood. The decreased levels of BCAAs in the blood means there is a greater ratio of tryptophan uptake into the brain. High levels of tryptophan in the brain, are associated with increased feelings of tiredness and fatigue, and hence, reduced exercise performance. Supplementation with BCAAs during exercise keeps the levels of BCAAs elevated in the blood and helps to delay the build up of tryptophan in the brain. Research suggests that supplementing with BCAAs during exercise may have a positive effect on exercise performance by reducing fatigue (Blomstrand et al., 1991).

Are BCAAs effective? Research has shown that BCAAs are effective for enhancing muscle growth and recovery from exercise. They also improve immune health and may enhance endurance exercise performance.

How to take BCAAs? The general recommendation for enhancing exercise performance, improving recovery, and increasing lean muscle size, is to consume 3-5grams of BCAAs 30 minutes before exercise, and a further 3-5g within 30minutes of completing exercise. On non-training days the recovery rate may be enhanced, and lean muscle mass maintained, by consuming 3-5g of BCAAs, 1-2 times during the day – consider taking one serving first thing in the morning and one last thing at night. There are no reports of any side effects associated with BCAA consumption (Shimomura et al., 2004).

Beta Alanine

What is Beta-Alanine and where do we get it?

Beta-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid and is the only naturally occurring beta-amino acid. Not to be confused with regular alanine, beta- alanine is classified as a non-proteinogenic amino acid, as it is not believed to be used in the building of proteins.

The greatest natural dietary sources of beta-alanine are believed to be obtained through ingesting the beta-alanine containing dipeptides: carnosine, anserine and balenine, rather than directly ingesting beta-alanine. These dipeptides are found in protein rich foods such as chicken, beef, pork and fish. It is predominantly through ingesting the dipeptide carnosine that we ingest most of our beta-alanine, as the two other dipeptides are not found nearly as plentiful in our typical coniferous diet. However, obtaining beta-alanine through these dipeptides is not the only way, as our bodies can synthesize it in the liver from the catabolism of pyrimidine nucleotides which are broken down into uracil and thymine and then metabolized into beta-alanine and B-aminoisobutyrate. Of course, it can also be ingested through direct supplementation which is the focus of this article.

Below is a list of the benefits from beta-alanine, supported by peer-reviewed university research, published in reputable science journals.
Benefits of Beta-Alanine as supported by scientific studies:

* Increase Muscular Strength & Power Output.
* Increases Muscle Mass
* Increase Anaerobic Endurance
* Increases Aerobic Endurance
* Delay Muscular Fatigue- Train Harder & Longer

What causes our muscles to lose strength,power and endurance during intense exercise?

When we exercise, especially when it’s high intensity exercise, our bodies accumulate a large amount of hydrogen ions (H+), causing our muscles’ pH to drop (become more acidic). This process is occurring whether you feel a burn or not.

The breakdown of ATP and the subsequent rise in H+ concentrations occur in all of our energy systems but H+ buildup is most prevalent in an energy system called glycolysis, which also produces lactic acid. At physiological pH, lactic acid dissociates H+ and is the primary source of released H+ ions during exercise, causing pH to drop. It is the released H+ from lactic acid that causes muscular performance problems, not the leftover lactate ions as many incorrectly believe. While lactic acid is the primary source of released H+, it is not the only source. H+ ions are also being released at a rapid rate when you break down the high energy compound ATP during exercise. With the presence of many sources during energy production releasing H+, pH drops quickly.

As our muscles pH quickly drops, so does their ability to contract forcibly and maintain a high level of performance throughout your workout session. Not being able to perform and maintain forceful muscular contractions and push your body to the limit during your workout session, seriously hampers your ability to maximally overload your muscles and force new muscle gains.

In a nutshell, H+ causes your muscles pH to drop, in tern decreasing your strength and causing you to fatigue faster. These limitations stop you from adequately overloading your muscles and forcing NEW muscle gains

So how can beta-alanine help us overcome this drop in pH that limits exercise performance?

To understand how beta-alanine works to fight the drop in pH within our muscle, you must first understand how carnosine works. The reason being is, beta-alanine’s performance benefits are not direct but realized through its ability to boost the synthesis of carnosine.

Background on carnosine:

The Russian scientist Gulewitsch was the first to identify carnosine in 1900. Eleven years later, he would discover and identify its constituent amino acids, beta-alanine and histidine. Seven years later, Barger and Tutin and Baumann and Ingvaldsen confirmed Gulewitsch’s findings. However, it wasn’t until 1938 that the first research on carnosine and its effects on muscle buffering were published.

Carnosine is a naturally occurring di-peptide that is found in both type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers, but is in significantly higher concentrations in type 2 fibers. Type 2 muscle fibers are primarily used in high intensity strength workouts and are most responsive to muscular growth.

How does carnosine work?

There are a handful of ways carnosine is thought to impact performance but its most studied function, and the focus of this article, is its role as an intracellular buffer. Carnosine helps stabilize muscular pH by soaking up hydrogen ions (H+) that are released at an accelerated rate during exercise.

Our bodies work to keep our pH in balance by utilizing various buffering systems. Buffers largely work by soaking up H+ to maintain optimal pH balance, which we need to function most effectively. As mentioned above, our muscles function best in a specific pH range. When pH drops below that range, so does muscular performance. By helping to keep us in a more optimal pH range, our muscles can continue to contract forcibly for a longer time.

There are a handful of buffering systems that work in our bodies. Some maintain pH in extra cellular fluids (ECF) outside of the cell, while others perform their duties in intracellular fluids (ICF) inside the cell and some perform in both. Our focus in this article is on exercise performance and, as mentioned above, the primary source of H+ released during exercise is from lactic acid and ATP breakdown. Take a guess where this breakdown and release of H+ is occurring? If you guessed inside our muscles or intracellular, you would be correct. As a result, the first line of defense in absorbing the H+ is going to be the cell from intracellular buffers such as carnosine, not from extra cellular buffers.

Aside from carnosine being just where we need it, buffering H+ inside our cells, it has additional, unique attributes that make it really shine. Carnosine is unique; in that, other natural buffering systems our bodies use are also used in many other cellular reactions aside from buffering, watering down much of their buffering abilities. However, what makes carnosine really exciting, is that by supplementing with extra beta-alanine, we can specifically and dramatically increase carnosine levels. How much, you ask?

Researchers have shown that when supplementing with beta-alanine for just 4 weeks, we can increase our carnosine concentration by 42-65%. Longer beta-alanine studies going up to 10-12 weeks, show carnosine concentrations increased up to 80%. This is a tremendous increase in an already powerful intracellular buffer. It is this large increase in buffering capacity within our muscles that is largely responsible for the strength, lean body mass, power and muscular endurance gains that researchers are seeing from beta-alanine studies.

Section summary:

By boosting carnosine concentrations, with beta-alanine, our type 2 muscle fibers can soak up more H+ and stay in an optimal pH range. By keeping our type 2 muscle fibers in an optimal pH range, they are better able to maintain maximal strength and endurance throughout your workout session and bring on new muscle gains


Frequently asked questions


Who can benefit from beta-alanine?

1. Individuals participating in weight training looking to gain muscle mass and increase strength.

2. Any individual involved in athletic activities where strength,power and muscular endurance are needed

3. Exercise enthusiasts who have reached a training plateau and are looking for a supplement to take them to the next level

Is beta-alanine safe?

While this is not a frequently asked question, it should be. We understand many people care most about gaining muscle, looking great and performing at their best. But safety should not be overlooked. We believe it should actually be the first question asked when considering a new supplement, even before you question efficacy.

The answer to the safety question is a resounding YES. Studies, going up to 12 weeks of continued beta-alanine use, have looked at a large array of blood biochemical, hematological and hormonal markers and no negative changes have occurred whatsoever. While it is impossible to say beta-alanine is one hundred percent safe until longer term studies are complete, we do know that up to 12 weeks of continued beta-alanine supplementation is indeed safe.

Why not just take carnosine instead of beta-alanine?

When you ingest carnosine intact, most of it is broken down in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract into its constituent amino acids, beta-alanine and histidine. Some intact carnosine does escape the GI tract freely but even that amount is quickly broken down in our blood by the enzyme carnosinase. In a very short time, all the carnosine you just ingested is either eliminated or broken down into beta-alanine and histidine. These two amino acids are then taken into the muscle, where they are converted back into carnosine with the help of the enzyme carnosine synthetase.

Unfortunately, only about 40% of the carnosine you take actually contains beta-alanine, making it an inefficient source at best. You are better off, from both efficiency and a financial standpoint, taking beta-alanine directly. You would have to take substantially more carnosine just to approach the increased concentrations of carnosine achieved by taking the scientifically recommended dose of beta-alanine. Clearly, taking beta-alanine is the superior solution to increasing carnosine levels.

Shouldn’t I take extra histidine along with beta-alanine since histidine is a component of carnosine?

No, as histidine is already present in high concentrations in muscle, while beta-alanine is only present only in small amounts. Researchers have determined that it is beta-alanine that drives carnosine synthesis, not histidine. Since this has been proven repeatedly in research, there is no need to supplement with extra histidine to increase carnosine levels. There are potentially some select populations like vegans, vegetarians or the elderly that may not get enough histidine in their diets and are thus deficient, which may compromise optimal carnosine levels. But, we still don’t recommend taking just extra histidine with beta-alanine. Instead, we recommend these groups and simply bump up their total protein intake which will in turn solve their possible histidine deficiency. For the majority of healthy people, only beta-alanine is needed as histidine deficiency is rare and no extra supplementation is needed to increase carnosine concentrations.

How much Beta-Alanine is needed to cause performance increases?

Research has shown that you can take an amount between 3.2 grams and 6.4 grams per day to significantly boost carnosine levels and improve performance. The most recent research, now using 4-5 grams a day, is showing comparable carnosine concentration and performance improvements to those using 6.4 g daily. Based off the current research, we suggest 4 grams of beta-alanine a day, with an “optional” 2 week loading phase of 6 grams a day during the first month of use.

How long will it take to start noticing benefits?

Performance benefits typically occur in as little as two weeks, although some individuals will notice benefits within one week. As carnosine levels increase, the benefits will follow. The most dramatic results are generally experienced within the 3-4 week range but they don’t stop there. Recent research is now showing carnosine levels continue to increase for a minimum of 12 weeks which is why we recommend staying on Beta-Alanine for at least three months to optimize your carnosine levels.

Immediate benefits: Many users experience intense vasodilatation/pumps from the very first dose of Beta-Alanine. Because Beta-Alanine increases carnosine and carnosine is a powerful precursor in generating nitric oxide synthase (a group of enzymes necessary for making the powerful vasodilator nitric oxide), this is an added, immediate benefit of Beta-Alanine.

Vitargo

Why is Vitargo better than dextrose and maltodextrin?

* Vitargo is absorbed 70% faster by the muscles than dextrose resulting in a quicker recovery rate from training.

* Vitargo is 70% more efficient in restoring muscle glycogen than dextrose and maltodextrin. This yields a larger more volumized muscle cell due to a super-hydrated effect of the muscle cells. Vitargo is Non Bloating!. Vitargo also stays in the stomach for just a short time and therefore does not cause discomfort during physical activity. There is no stomach cramping and no bloated feeling with Vitargo Since Vitargo is absorbed so rapidly it can easily be consumed directly before or even during workouts, athletic training and sporting events without upsetting your stomach!

* Vitargo does not absorb water (fluid) from the body's reserves, quite the opposite it can actually increase the water supply into the blood stream by acting as a sort of pump during the activity.

* Vitargo contains NO SUGAR or simple carbohydrates yet it is absorbed 70% faster by the muscles than dextrose or maltodextrin.

* Vitargo is the Ultimate Nutrient Transporter! Due to Vitargo’s unique hypotonic solution, nutrients are super shuttled through the stomach (80% faster than dextrose) and quickly delivered to the muscles. With Vitargo your nutrients will spend less time breaking down in stomach acids and more time reloading your muscle tissue! COMBINE Vitargo with your favorite creatine, glutamine, taurine, arginine, BCAA or Creatine Ethyl Ester combinations and make them TWICE as effective! With Vitargo your nutrients are SUPER shuttled into your blood steam and muscle tissue.

* Vitargo is the Ultimate Carb Loader, IDEAL for pre-contest carbloading! Vitargo pulls more water into your muscles creating a fuller, rounder muscle belly. Dextrose, on the other hand can flatten you out getting stuck in your stomach and actually pulls water out of your muscle! Vitargo has the lowest osmolality on the market that gives an ultra-hypotonic solution. For this reason, the top professional bodybuilders in the world are using Vitargo to achieve that full, round, rock-hard stage appearance!

Creatine

Most of the body's creatine supply resides within the skeletal muscle, where it is used to fuel movement and explosive energy. Humans obtain creatine naturally from meats and fish, as vegetables do not contain creatine. That being said vegetarians who supplement with creatine have found they respond very well.

A commonly asked question about creatine supplementation is weather the 'loading phase' is actually necessary and should creatine be cycled. Of course this comes down to personal preference and trial and error. As mentioned non vegetarian humans do ingest adequate amounts of creatine in their diet for day to day activities. Should you load creatine? Most products on the market that suggest a loading phase contain high amounts of simple carbs (sugars) therefore you can expect to gain weight somewhat suddenly. Along with the fluid retention characteristic of creatine it wont take long to add several pounds when incorporated into a high caloric diet and intense training. Personally, loading creatine wasn't for me. I've always found that using a creatine product consistently first thing in the morning (around 5-10 grams)it gave my muscles a feeling of 'fullness' and hydration. This hydration of course helps with recovery and reduces chance of injury.

Should Creatine be cycled? Some reports would suggest so, advising courses of 2 weeks on 2 weeks off to 12 weeks on 1 week off. Again for me, as long as it's working I will continue to use a product, once I'm not noticing advantages I will 'cycle off'.

Creatine quick points:

* Creatine has been shown to assist in mental energy
* Creatine Mono hydrate is the only type of creatine actually proven to give results
* Creatine is not a pharmaceutical, rather a 'food supplement'.
* Creatine is not specifically a banned substance, however checking with your associated governing sports body would be recommended before supplementing
* Some side effects of creatine supplementation have been reported, including, gastrointestinal complications and water retention.

Protein

Everyone knows a little about proteins and their function in the body, but what exactly are they?

A lot of our foods contain protein but the best sources come from
chicken, beef, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts and seeds. Protein is the
building block of much of our anatomy, it's purpose is to repair,
maintain and build tissue in our body. Our organs, muscles and immune
system are made up of mostly proteins.

In sports, many athletes supplement protein via powders which are derived
mainly from milk or specifically the whey protein, which is the most
bio available source of protein. Other popular protein powder sources
include, soy, rice and albumen or egg protein.

Protein quick points:

* Protein is a 'macro nutrient' meaning we require a lot of it, where vitamins and minerals are considered 'micro nutrients', meaning we require less
* Unlike fats and carbohydrates your body doesn't store proteins
* Protein will not increase strength
* Bodybuilders generally consume between 2-3 grams of protein per pound of body weight

An interesting article/study on protein requirements can be found here: