CAN BCAAs PROMOTE REGENERATION?
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) cannot be synthesized by the body and must therefore be supplied through food. In the past, these essential amino acids have repeatedly been said to have positive effects on physical and mental performance during training. In one study, Coombes JS, McNaughton LR show that the additional intake of BCAAAS If BCAA intake is already sufficient through food, muscle destruction after endurance exercise can be reduced.
THE OPTIMAL BCAA DOSAGE PER INTAKE IS 1 G PER 10 KG BODY WEIGHT.
Of 16 people who consumed the recommended amount of BCAAs of 0.64 g/kg body weight daily through their diet, 8 received an additional dose of 12 g BCAAs over 2 weeks.
Seven days after starting supplementation, a 120-minute exercise test at 70% of VO 2 max was performed on a bicycle ergometer. Before and after this test, the group received an additional 20 g of BCAAs. The serum concentration of the muscle enzymes CK and LDH, which are considered indicators of exercise-induced muscle damage, increased in all subjects in the hours and days after exercise, although the increase was significantly lower with BCAA supplementation.
Several causes are discussed for these effects: BCAAAS could support anabolic processes and inhibit catabolic processes, so that the breakdown of contractile proteins during physical exertion could be reduced with BCAA intake. This promotion of anabolic processes could occur via the increase in anabolic hormones (growth hormone and testosterone). However, a direct effect on protein metabolism or increased insulin sensitivity of the muscle is also conceivable.