Introduction
BCAAs are no longer only interesting for sports. They are considered to be energy suppliers and are supposed to promote muscle building. However, BCAAs can do much more.
In addition to the positive effects for athletes, BCAAs are increasingly used to support weight loss. In addition, they are increasingly used in medicine. BCAAs work in our body in different ways and in different places. Since there are 20 amino acids, it is not so easy to keep track of the different areas of application and effect.
What are BCAA?
BCAA are protein chains that are composed of the individual building blocks of proteins, the amino acids. There are a total of twenty amino acids, of which eight amino acids are essential, and twelve amino acids are non-essential. The essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body and must therefore always be supplied by the diet. The non-essential amino acids can be produced by the body itself. The many amino acids have different modes of action in the body and all serve their own purpose.
Effect in the body
The effect of amino acids can basically be divided into different areas. BCAAs have an effect on muscle building and performance, have an anti-aging effect, support weight loss and are used in medicine. The so-called Branched-Chain Amino Acids are valuable energy donors and can supply the body with energy quickly when needed.
Of the BCAAs, leucine in particular is one of the best-known amino acids and serves as an energy source, thus preventing the breakdown of muscle protein. Furthermore, amino acids can be made responsible for releasing more insulin. This means that more sugar is transported in the bloodstream to the muscle cells.
This has the advantage that the muscles are always supplied with fresh, fast energy. For strength development and muscle build-up, the study situation is not yet completely clear, but there is a strong tendency for the intake of BCAA to have a positive effect on muscle build-up and fat loss. In addition, the musculature should regenerate faster and BCAAs should also prevent muscle loss.
With aging BCAAs can also have a positive influence. Since aging slows down the protein synthesis, the cells cannot regenerate as quickly. The amino acid leucine can help here and prevent cell loss, especially in the muscle area.
BCAAs are also said to have a positive effect on weight reduction in general, as they are supposed to prevent overweight and stimulate the fat metabolism more. Above all, however, BCAAs play an important role in medicine and can be used for various clinical pictures. In liver diseases, for example, BCAAs are responsible for the formation of albumin.
This substance is required, above all, in cirrhosis of the liver to remove fluids from the abdominal cavity. In this way, the life of the affected patients can be significantly improved. BCAAs can also lead to successful treatment in fatty liver. BCAAs have also been used successfully in diabetes, burns, blood poisoning or trauma. What other means and methods are available to boost the fat metabolism, you will learn in our article How can the metabolism be stimulated?
