BCAA Explained: Do You Need Them?

What are BCAAs?

BCAA stands for Branched-Chain Amino Acids. They're made up of three individual amino acids:

• L-valine
• L-leucine
• L-isoleucine

Why do they matter so much? All three are essential amino acids, meaning your body can't produce them on its own — they have to come from your diet, whether from supplements or, more commonly, from food. They're found in varying amounts in virtually all animal protein (meat) and in most plant proteins too. Inside muscle tissue, BCAAs are the second most abundant amino acid group after glutamine, making up roughly 35% of the total. When your body burns through its available glycogen ("sugar") during training, it starts looking for another fuel source — and BCAAs are exactly that source. At that point your body starts breaking down muscle tissue for fuel. Supply enough BCAAs beforehand, though, and you avoid pushing your body into that self-cannibalizing (catabolic) state, where muscle growth simply isn't going to happen. Taking BCAAs before training can therefore noticeably improve the quality of your workout. Taken after training instead, they speed up and improve muscle recovery.

Let's look at the three amino acids individually:
L-leucine is the most interesting of the three. The body uses roughly twice as much leucine as it does either of the other two, which is why you should look for BCAA products that reflect that ratio between valine, leucine, and isoleucine. Of the three, leucine also has the strongest protective effect on muscle tissue during intense training, and it's even used clinically in the treatment of burn patients.
L-isoleucine and L-valine serve mainly as fuel for the muscles, as mentioned above.

Like most supplements, BCAAs come in a few different forms — usually powder-filled capsules or a liquid form. The difference in effectiveness between the two is minor at most; the liquid form may absorb marginally faster, but the difference isn't dramatic. It really comes down to whether you'd rather carry a bottle and measure out a liquid dose, or take capsules, which make dosing simpler.

BCAAs are particularly useful during a cutting phase, or any time you're trying to lose fat without sacrificing the muscle you've worked hard to build. In my own experience they're genuinely effective, so if this sounds like what you need, they're well worth trying.