best pre workout supplements| nutrition, supplements
BCAAs, short for branched – chain amino acids, have become one of the most sought after supplements in recent times.
Most fitness pros and strength trainers swear by BCAA supplements which contain the three vital muscle building amino acids with a branched – chain structure- Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine.
Most fitness pros and strength trainers swear by BCAA supplements which contain the three vital muscle building amino acids with a branched – chain structure- Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine.
These 3 branched-chain amino acids are being touted as the best way to build muscle, maintain muscle, and increase your metabolism rates especially when taken pre-workout.
But do BCAAs really do all of the above? And do they help you increase lean muscle mass, workout intensity and cut down on recovery time?
Let’s find out.
Fortunately we are living at a time when a lot of research has already been done on BCAAs and their role in muscle building, so we do know for a fact that-
- Your body, especially your skeletal muscles, uses BCAAs as energy during exercise. Your muscles are infact designed to burn BCAAs for energy.
- The longer and harder you workout, the more is the requirement for BCAAs in your muscle for energy.
- There is also conclusive proof that 3% to 18% of all workout energy is provided by the BCAAs.
- And your body’s need for Leucine is 25 times greater than other amino acids in your blood which are waiting to be used.
Why BCAAs benefits as a pre workout?
BCAA is one of the best pre-workout supplements because of one amino acid – LEUCINE.
Leucine is the most anabolic, muscle-building amino acid out of all amino acids.
Leucine has been shown to increase protein synthesis by up to 145% so when BCAAs which contain leucine in high quantities are taken pre-workout, they stimulate muscle growth due to the muscle-building effects of leucine.
If you are trying for the shredded look and are on a low-carb diet, BCAAs and leucine have the most important role to play as pre-workouts as they-
-Help prevent your body from breaking- down muscle for energy hence preventing hypertrophy and muscle-loss. Or in simple words, you prevent muscle loss by taking BCAAs pre-workout.
You can take about 20 gm of BCAAs pre-workout which will provide approximately 6 to 10 gm of leucine to achieve the shredded look.
Point to note here is that as you age your requirement of BCAAs goes up to maintain your lean muscle mass. Requirements also climb –up with your stress levels and in the presence of hormonal imbalances. So as a younger bodybuilder, you may require just 10 gm of BCAA pre-workout and this requirement may increase up to 20 gm for doing the same exercises for the same period of time to get similar results, when you hit 35.
- Leucine also regulates blood sugar levels, providing energy to muscle cells and supports brain function to keep you focused and motivated for a long and heavy workout if taken as a pre-workout.
- According to research, leucine supports the function of insulin which helps to transport nutrients like glucose to your muscles. This helps in making available more energy to your muscles when BCAAs are taken pre-workout.
- As insulin also inhibits the breakdown of muscle and encourages the uptake of BCAAs by your cells, BCAAs are one of the best pre-workout supplements to prevent muscle catabolism.
Other factors inimical to leucine also make BCAAs precious as gold when taken pre-workout is the fact that leucine supports muscle development and therefore it increases the basal metabolic rate of your body, which means you lose body fat and get the shredded look faster.
And that’s not all, as a part of BCAAs leucine gets absorbed into your blood stream very fast as compared to any other supplement that you can think of like whey or a protein powders. This gives you a tremendous pre-workout punch.
Perhaps the best reason to include BCAAs as pre-workout is that your body does not have to break any peptide bonds to release the muscle-building leucine- It’s found in a ’pre-digested’ state in your BCAA supplement. This means, leucine is more quickly absorbed and broken down to nitrogen in your muscle cells.
Most other pre-workout supplements or simply protein supplements have to be digested before they can start acting when taken pre-workout.
When Taken Pre-Workout, BCAAs Have Also Been Found To:
- Improve endurance by inhibiting the production of the brain chemical serotonin, which often rises during exercise. Serotonin increases the feeling of fatigue which means you tire easily during your workouts. This means you can work out for longer and push harder towards your goals.
- Improve recovery and reduce muscle soreness after workouts.
One of the best BCAA you can use for all the above benefits is MFF BCAA 5000. This product provides 2500 mg pure Leucine per serving and has a ratio of 2:1:1 for muscle growth and recovery, and for preventing muscle breakdown.
Which Supplement Can You Take With BCAA In Your Pre-Workout?
Creatine is a common pre-workout ingredient which is often used by athletes to increase both power output and lean mass. Decades of research on this molecule has conclusively proven that it can help you build muscle and improve strength. It has also been proven to improve endurance and reduce post-workout muscle damage and soreness.
So, if you want to build lean muscle, creatine and BCAA are a bloody great pre-workout combination.
For creatine to absorb and influence your performance you need to take it atleast an hour before you hit the gym. What it will do when absorbed is to enter into your muscle cells to participate in respiration to power your gym routine.
Start with 5 gm of creatine along with your daily dose of 10-20 gm of BCAA supplement taken depending on your age and workout intensity. You can take this an hour before your workout.
One thing is clear where pre-workout supplementation is concerned- never follow the latest trend.
Design, mix – and-match and tweak your pre-workout based on your individual needs, goals, physical and mental health and well-being.
So do your homework and understand why you want to supplement and last but not the least , listen to your body and do it’s bidding.
For any other query on pre-workout supplementation, get in touch with us. We shall answer all your queries, we promise.
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