BCAA+AMino+Acids-+Yvo

BCAA stands for Branched-Chain Amino Acids. These are the essential amino acids that must be consumed as part of our diet due to the fact that our body doesn’t produce it. These amino acids are building blocks of proteins in our system and they include leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

These amino acids can be acquired through consumption of foods such as meat, dairy products, and legumes. The “Branched-Chain” portion of its name derives from the chemical structures these specific amino acids have that differs them from the rest of the essential amino acids that our body requires.

BCAAs can be ingested in many different ways. Supplement companies provide numerous forms such as powdered form (flavored or unflavored), capsules, and more often infused with other ergogenic aids such as protein powders, pre-workouts, post-workouts, and amino acid blend drinks.

The cost of this supplementation varies regarding which brand is purchased. The price may vary from approximately $.60 all the way up to around $2.00 per serving. BCAA products can be purchased from varieties of supplement stores. They are available in grocery stores but usually only carry a brand or two but other places it can be purchased are supplement stores such as GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, and plenty of online stores. And based on the research I have done in regards to NCAA regulations and BCAA supplementation, it is not a banned substance but it is up to the athlete and trainers to make sure that it is not mixed with products that may be banned by the NCAA since there are supplement blends that may be infused with possible illegal substances as BCAAs can be found in certain types of products and brands.

One of the articles that I came across regarding BCAAs is the effects of this supplement along with carbohydrates and caffeine ingested prior to a 2 hour running exercise. The study was conducted using a randomized double blind sample in thirteen trained adult males. Some were given the supplementation while the other group received the placebo through the consumption of sports drinks. The results showed maintained levels of glycemia, along with other effects on the runners such as reduced reported RPE and central fatigue (Peltier). Another article I stumbled upon during my research is the effects of BCAA supplementation when consumed late at night and its ability to reduce the frequency of muscle cramping with advanced hepatic cirrhosis. Eight patients diagnosed with advanced hepatic cirrhosis ingested BCAA supplementation late in the evening for duration of 3 months. The results showed a significant decrease of muscle cramping suffered by the patients, and showed up in the data early in the testing stages approximately a week into the three month window of supplementation (Sako). But although these results may show great results, it is not fully clear that these positive results were from BCAAs alone due to the fact that dietary therapy were partially involved in the study. There are speculations that there is an association between nocturnal BCAA supplementation on muscle cramps and its positive effects of abnormal energy metabolism. The final source I found studied the correlation between Amino Acid supplementation, mainly BCAAs, and its projected effects with recovery from high-intensity resistance training. The study included eight trained male subjects that were divided into an experimental group who received dosage of BCAAs and a control group who were given the placebo. The study was 3 weeks long and blood samples were taken from the subjects analyzing serum for components such as testosterone, cortisol, and creatine kinase levels. The results from this experiment showed that “suggest that short-term amino acid supplementation, which is high in BCAA, may produce a net anabolic hormonal profile while attenuating training-induced increases in muscle tissue damage” (Sharp).



__References__

Peltier, Sébastien L, Lucile Vincent, Guillaume Y Millet, Pascal Sirvent, Jean-Benoît Morin, Michel Guerraz, André Geyssant, Jean-François Lescuyer, Léonard Feasson, and Laurent Messonnier. "Effects of Carbohydrates-BCAAs-caffeine Ingestion on Performance and Neuromuscular Function During a 2-h Treadmill Run: A Randomized, Double-blind, Cross-over Placebo-controlled Study." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 8 (2011): 22.

Sako, Katsumi, Yasushi Imamura, Hiroto Nishimata, Kenji Tahara, Osamu Kubozono, and Hirohito Tsubouchi. "Branched-chain Amino Acids Supplements in the Late Evening Decrease the Frequency of Muscle Cramps with Advanced Hepatic Cirrhosis." Hepatology Research, 26.4 (2003): 327-329.

Sharp, Carwyn, and David Pearson. "Amino Acid Supplements and Recovery from High-Intensity Resistance Training."Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24.4 (2010): 1125-1130.