The Many Benefits of Using BCAAs

What’s the best way to experience positive changes in your physique? Eat properly for your body type, have an effective exercise plan, and of course use only the best supplements. Branched Chain Amino Acids should be a part of your supplement regimen, especially if you are weight training or an endurance athlete. Max Muscle Nutrition offers Pro BCAA, a potent branched chain amino acid formula that when added to your exercise program, will help you tone, build muscle, improve athleticism and speed recovery.

Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) include leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs are essential amino acids, meaning they are not produced by the body like non-essential amino acids are. We have to get BCAAs through our diet and nutrition. BCAAs have long been used before, during and after exercise to help eliminate muscle catabolism, muscle soreness and to synthesize protein. In particular, leucine is extremely important as it directly stimulates protein synthesis and enhances insulin secretion. BCAAs also contribute as “energy substrates” and are nitrogen donors in the formation of the amino acids alanine and glutamine.

Why We Need BCAAs
We demand a lot from our body during exercise. Whether resistance training or cardiovascular training, when our muscles contract, they must produce more energy to keep our body functioning. Physiological responses to this increased demand for energy can include damage to our muscles leading to DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), suppressed immune system due to the rise in cortisol levels, muscle catabolism, glycogen depletion and inflammation. BCAAs used before, during and after exercise can help to reduce these negative effects of exercise and can actually help us recover faster.

Used before and during exercise, Pro BCAA will help to provide a direct source of energy to your muscles, boost your immune system, provide a source of hydration, reduce muscle damage and prevent muscle catabolism and increase fat burning by sparing other fuel sources.

Used after exercise, Pro BCAA will help synthesize protein to repair and develop muscles, help to reduce muscle soreness and maximize recovery leading to faster muscle and fitness gains.

For those trying to lose weight, Pro BCAA is critical for use during and after exercise. On a calorie-restricted diet, we will often lose muscle as well as body fat. Losing muscle will make your body look soft and will also lower your metabolic rate, something that will set you on a dangerous path of yoyo dieting. BCAAs will provide your body with the benefits of protein but without adding any calories to your diet. This means that you will keep your muscle while you are losing body fat. The end result: a leaner, more toned you.

If I Use Whey Protein, Do I Still Need BCAAs?
Whey protein is high in branched chain amino acids and is an important part of your diet. But taking whey protein alone may not be enough. Additional BCAAs during and after exercise will provide more immediate benefits. Whey protein needs to be digested and the amino acids must be separated before your body is able use them. The digestion process of protein takes time, while using BCAAs in a powder form does not require digestion so the BCAAs are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream for immediate use by your muscles.

Pro BCAA also contains citrulline malate, glutamine and glycine. Citrulline malate promotes anaerobic energy production for intense training sessions and also supports aerobic energy for easy to moderate training. It helps to remove ammonia and lactate from the muscle cells and supports nitric oxide production. Glutamine tops almost every list as one of the most important supplements to take. It is the most abundant amino acid in our body and is the amino acid most responsible for getting and keeping us in an anabolic state. Glycine supports healthy growth hormone levels.

Is your goal to be more toned, build muscle, become a better athlete, lose body fat or maybe all of the above? No matter what your goal, Pro BCAA will help you experience great results. Pro BCAA: your secret weapon in the gym!

By Kimberly Miller, CFNC, and Max Muscle Franchisee