BCAAs

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) comprise the three essential amino acids l-leucine, l-isoleucine and l-valine. ‘Branched chain’ refers to their chemical structure, which sets them apart from other amino acids. BCAA’s make up 35-40% of the essential amino acids in body protein and 14% of the total amino acids in skeletal muscle. BCAAs are also essential amino acids. Meaning they cannot be made by the body. You must get them from complete protein foods. Remember…protein sources must have had a face and a soul…you may have wanted to have it as a pet at one point in time. Beans and rice…no face, no soul, no pet, no go as a quality protein source.

BCAAs act as nitrogen carriers which assist the muscles in synthesizing other amino acids needed for anabolic muscle action. HUH? Basically, BCAA’s combine simpler amino acids to form a complex whole muscle tissue. BCAA’s stimulate production of insulin, the main function of which is to allow circulating blood sugar to be taken up by the muscle cells and used as a source of energy. This insulin production promotes amino acid uptake by the muscle.

Generally, after a session of intense training (aka: CrossFit) the body is in a catabolic (the breaking down of muscle tissue) state, with a protein synthesis deficit. This is because post exercise the MAPK signaling pathway (the body’s own way to signal muscle growth) is activated. While this is a pathway that will increase protein synthesis, it is not as effective as when combined with the BCAA signaling cascade.

These two pathways act independent of each other. Because of this, when adequate amounts of BCAAs are ingested post workout (think post-WOD drink) the body is placed in a greater state of hypertrophy with a positive amount of protein synthesis. This is extremely important for athletes because it will decrease recovery time as it increases the rate at which lean body mass is gained.

Translation: your are depleted post workout and need to get some high quality protein sources to decrease recovery time and increase lean muscle mass. You know how I keep harping on getting a post WOD meal in 15-30 minutes (up to 60 minutes) post workout? This is one reason why.

So, what is the best source of BCAAs? BCAAs are found in protein-rich foods. The higher the quality of the protein source, the higher amount of BCAAs. Out of all the protein sources whey protein has the best BCAA content.