What could possibly beat a good exercise at the end of your day? You come back from work exhausted, rest for an hour or so, and you still force yourself to get out of bed and head to the gym. Suddenly, your body starts feeling better, and your low levels of energy spike up in a way you didn’t think was possible. Working out has a magical effect on the body, and it is quite often the elixir of life we need to get going. Still, it can be exhausting for your muscles to undergo a strenuous exercise, and that is why it’s often advised that you take supplements for that, like BCAA. Here’s how it can help your body recover faster.
What is BCAA?
BCAA stands for branched-chain amino acids, and it’s basically a group of three different—but equally important—amino acids: isoleucine, leucine, and valine. The thing about those acids is the fact that they cannot be produced in your body, which means you have to take them through your diet or supplements. BCAAs are very common in athletic circles, and a lot of people use them for their variety of health benefits and the fact that they promote muscle growth.
How BCAAs can help with post-workout recovery
Helping with muscle growth
One of the main reasons why people take BCAA supplements is the fact that they help with muscle growth, which, in time, will help your body recover faster after working out. Leucine, in particular, helps stimulate the body’s muscle protein synthesis, which is how your muscles are built. The thing about BCAAs is the fact that you can find them in foods like dairy, meat, and eggs, but you still might need to get a higher dosage so that your muscle mass can grow at a higher rate, which will result in faster recovery time and less fatigue after working out. A 60-kg man doesn’t feel as energetic after an exercise as a 95-kg one with a healthy build. On a different note, it goes without saying that vegans will definitely need BCAA supplements to get their amino acids, since they don’t eat most dietary components containing those.
Decreasing fatigue during workout
If you start feeling fatigued while working out, there’s a very good chance you will continue feeling so after you’re done. BCAAs help decrease both physical and mental exhaustion while you’re exercising, and a lot of people use these supplements for that exact reason. Several studies have demonstrated how taking BCAA supplements during the workout resulted in significantly less fatigue in participants, and it, in turn, higher stamina and the ability to get that extra rep out of everyone who took the supplement. The reason why this happens is the fact that BCAAs help restore the levels of tryptophan in your brain, which usually converts into serotonin when you exercise, and eventually leads to fatigue.
Reducing muscle soreness
Another very important function for BCAAs is how they decrease muscle soreness after a workout. It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced athlete or a novice; most people are prone to feeling some degree or another of soreness after working out, and BCAAs can help with that. The article at www.fitnessinformant.com/rankings/best-bcaa-amino-supplements/ explains how taking any of the various BCAA supplements can help jump-start your muscle recovery after exercise, which will make your entire fitness routine a lot smoother in the long run. Naturally, there are dozens of different branched-chain amino acid products in the market, and you will need to do a little digging until you can find one that works best for your body.
Avoiding muscle wasting
The proteins in your muscles are always breaking down and being rebuilt or synthesized, and when the balance between these two processes is distorted, your muscles start wasting where the protein breakdown becomes more than the synthesis. This is obviously not a good thing for your body, and it might indicate some other medical conditions like malnutrition or cancer. BCAAs can help you avoid muscle breakdown, and although this process will occur one way or another with aging, the branched-chain amino acid products will help slow it down, improving the quality of life of elderly people and those with terminal illnesses who suffer from this problem.
Lowering blood sugar levels
One of the most important benefits of BCAAs is how they help reduce your blood sugar levels. Two of the three amino acids increase insulin production in your body, which helps your muscles take in more sugar from your blood. This, in turn, decreases the blood sugar levels. The problem with having high levels is the fact that it can cause fatigue and exhaustion, which are common symptoms of diabetes that most patients get used to with time. But with BCAAs, there’s a good chance that those sugar levels can go down, which will help you recover faster after working out and feel less fatigued.
Promoting fat burning
It’s a known fact that obesity or being overweight hinders your muscle growth after working out, which will make the process of recovery much more complicated. Some studies have shown that BCAAs can help you lose weight and burn more fat, which will reflect on your weight loss journey and muscle recovery in the long run. Branched-chain amino acids don’t only promote weight loss, but they even help prevent weight gain. This will give you the chance to achieve good results from exercising, and you will also recover a lot faster when your body starts to shed excess fat and become more athletic.
There are numerous other benefits to taking BCAAs other than improving muscle recovery after strenuous workouts. They’ve even been shown to help people with liver disease, and they help avoid complications associated with liver failure, which include fatigue, muscle cramps, and other serious problems. One way or another, taking branched-chain amino acids is bound to help your overall health and boost your energy levels, while improving your body’s recovery process after exercising. Taking these supplements is quite often recommended because most people don’t eat the right foods that contain those acids.
