Is BCAA necessary?
Text by Cleydson Sobral
💥Who hasn’t heard the story of someone who hadn’t even started exercising regularly and had already bought their magic combo: Whey Protein, Maltodextrin, Glutamine, Pre-Workout, and the famous BCAA?
The arguments for the supplement are always the same:
– Prevents protein breakdown;
– Increases lean muscle mass;
– Muscle definition;
– Source of energy;
– Prevents fatigue
There are so many claimed effects that you become enchanted by the product and end up buying it.
For those unfamiliar with the acronym, it comes from the English term “branched-chain amino acids.” BCAAs are made up of valine, isoleucine, and leucine.
Of these amino acids, leucine plays an important role in the hypertrophy signaling cascade due to the activation of mTOR (a protein that regulates protein synthesis). But is this famous amino acid really that effective?
Study on BCAA
In a study published in Nutrition And Health, Spillane et al. (2012) compared two groups: a placebo group and a BCAA group.
The results showed that consuming 9 g of BCAA, when combined with resistance training ( weight training ), did not have the expected effects on body composition and muscular performance compared with the placebo group.
Whole-food protein
Keep in mind that whole-food protein sources, for the most part, contain 15–20% of their protein as BCAAs. To be clear, a 100–140 g serving of meat, chicken, or fish, or 4 whole eggs or 200 g of cottage cheese, generally contains around 25 to 35 g of protein—in this case, 3.75 to 7 g of BCAAs, equivalent to 7 to 10 BCAA capsules, for example.
Is supplementation worth it?
If you have a diet rich in whole-food protein sources—meat, eggs, chicken, and fish—or even liquid sources such as whey protein, blends, or egg white protein.
YOU DON’T NEED TO SPEND MONEY ON BCAA!!!
