Introduction
Sportsmen and women who set muscle building as their goal want to achieve this goal as quickly as possible and with an optimal result. For this purpose, nutritional supplements are used in addition to extensive training. BCAA are supposed to promote the muscle build-up, as they provide additional protein components.
Furthermore, the existing muscle protein should be protected. However, it is not so easy to determine the correct dosage. Books and the Internet contain a wide range of information on how high the dosage should be and how often athletes should take BCAAs per day.
Are BCAA useful for muscle building?
The question of the usefulness of supplementation with BCAAs is often discussed. There are many different opinions. A healthy and sufficient nutrition would be sufficient to cause a corresponding muscle growth in combination with a training plan.
Another opinion is that from a certain amount of training on, an intake of BCAAs is indispensable if muscle mass is to be built up sustainably. BCAAs are free amino acids, which are the basic building blocks of the protein molecules in our body. Muscle cells consist mainly of protein.
Through training, a stimulus is transmitted to the muscle cells which causes microscopic injuries in the muscle cells. After training, these injuries are supplied with fresh amino acids during the regeneration phase, which stimulates the new formation of muscle cells. If the free amino acids in the blood are used up by the training, the muscle cannot use the missing amino acids for the new formation.
Now it attacks the muscle protein itself to maintain the regeneration phase. In order to prevent this effect, athletes can introduce new free amino acids into the bloodstream by taking BCAAs. These amino acids repair the muscle cells and can also be used in the new formation.
Since BCAAs can also be taken in through a varied healthy diet, athletes should not simply take BCAAs, but should consult a doctor before. In this discussion it can be decided whether supplementation with BCAAs is necessary and sensible due to the extent of the sport. The dosage recommendation should also be made by a doctor.
Too many BCAAs cannot be absorbed by the body and are excreted without any use. This would result in unnecessarily high costs. A supplementation with BCAAs can therefore be quite useful if athletes want to build up muscles effectively and sustainably.
However, this decision depends on how intensively the sport is practiced and how large the weekly amount is. People who have a lower athletic extent can take up the required amount of BCAAs through a healthy and balanced diet. You can find general information on this topic here: BCAA – effect and function
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