Creatine Store - Sports Nutrition and Fitness Products

What Does BCAA stand for?

BCAA stands for Branched Chain Amino Acid.

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What are BCAA's?

Branched Chain amino acids are three essential amino acids. These are leucine, valine and isoleucine. They are called Essential Amino Acids because they cannot be manufactured within the body and must be consumed from either a whole protein sources or a combination of other sources such as vegatables. These 3 essential amino acids are responsible for over 30% of skeletal muscle and do an important job in protein synthesis within the muscle. They are most commonly used by strength atletes and bodybuilders to decrease recovery time and increase muscle mass.

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Why should I supplement with BCAA's?

The idea behind BCAA supplementation relates to an occurence known as central fatigue, which states that mental fatigue in the brain can adversely affect physical performance in endurance events. This central fatigue theory suggests that low blood levels of Branched Chain Amino Acids may accelerate the production of serotonin, which is a key neurotransmitter in the brain, and prematurely lead to fatigue.

Increases in serotonin levels in the brain may suppress the central nervous system function and lead to sleepiness and fatigue. The amino acid tryptophan that circulates in the blood, is a precursor of serotonin, and can be more easily transported into the brain to increase levels of serotonin when BCAA levels in the blood are low (because high blood levels of BCAA can block tryptophan transport into the brain).

During exercise, as muscle and liver glycogen levels are used up for energy, blood levels of Branched Chain Amino Acids may also decrease and fatty acid levels subsequently increase to be used as an additional energy source. The problem with these extra fatty acids in the blood is that they need to attach to a carrier protein called albumin for proper transport. When this happens, the fatty acids replace tryptophan from its place on albumin and allow the transport of tryptophan into the brain for conversion into serotonin.

What this means is that the combination of reduced Branched Chain Amino Acids and increased fatty acids in the blood, more tryptophan enters the brain and more serotonin is produced, leading to mental and physical fatigue. Supplementing the diet with additional levels of BCAA is thought to block the tryptophan transport and, therefore, delay fatigue.

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Is there any scientific data to support these claims?

Short term BCAA supplementation before exercise has been shown to increase mental performance, improve cycling endurance, and reduce the time to complete a marathon. Longer Branched Chain Amino Acid supplementation (2 weeks or more) has also been shown effective in improving time-trialing performance in trained cyclists. There are, however, some studies in trained and untrained subjects that have shown no effect of BCAA supplements on exercise performance or mental performance. In some cases, BCAA have been compared to carbohydrate supplementation during exercise with similar results in that they can delay fatique.

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Are BCAA's safe to use?

Studies have shown that supplemental intake of the Branched Chain Amino Acids in the range of 5-20g per day in tablet form and 1 to 7g per litre in liquid form with no adverse side effects. Higher intakes should be avoided due to the possibility of competitive inhibition of the absorption of other amino acids from the diet and the risk of stomach upsets.

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What is the recommended dosage of Branched Chain Amino Acids?

The recommended dosage is 5-20 grams per day throughout the day or during exercise when added to a carbohydrate drink. Concentration of BCCAs should be 1 to 7 grams of BCAA per litre of fluid.

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What Branched Chain Amino Acid Supplements are Available in the UK?

The following BCAA Supplements are available in the UK and are supplied here at CreatineStore.co.uk

• Reflex Nutrition BCAA's
• Prolab BCAA Plus

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