Actually, what are the advantages and disadvantages of BCAAs supplement? or the pros and cons of BCAAs?
It is true that many people especially, bodybuilders and athletes use branched-chain amino acids called BCAAs, which are the building blocks of protein.
Some use it to build lean muscles while others use it to improve their strength and that is all they know about BCAAs.
Therefore, this article provides you with some of the pros and cons of BCAAs supplements.
Advantages of BCAAs Supplements
The reasons as to why BCAAs is suitable supplements for protein synthesis after intensity workout is examined.
1. Help in building muscles
BCAAs is one of the best bodybuilding supplement.
It helps in the growth of new muscle as well, repair of tissues after exercise(3).
BCAAs also helps in minimizing body fats resulting to lean body muscle you desire.
Your body requires enough amino acids, which is very vital to the body.
Eating a well-balanced diet is the key to build and recover your muscles.
Before using the supplement, make sure you consume meals such as, meat, eggs, and dairy product that are rich in amino acids.
Nevertheless, if you cannot readily find them then you can go for BCAAs.
2. BCAAs reduces fatigue
It helps in fighting fatigue, especially after exercise.
When feeling exhausted and tiresome after a workout.
Feeling uncomfortable, the BCAAs are here for you. It will help in recovery from fatigue.
BCAAs aids in the restoration of the level of tryptophan in your brain. This is a very dangerous substance in your brain, especially when in serotonin form.
During exercise or workout, the tryptophan is converted to serotonin, which results in fatigue.
For that matter, BCAAs stands as the best bodybuilding supplement as it helps improve mental focus.
3. Burning of excess fats in the body
A good weight loss supplement is BCAAs and food rich in leucine.
Obese and overweight individuals may benefit from using this supplement to help prevent the risk of certain cancer caused by fat deposits.
In fact, the combination of glutamine and BCAAs helps in the burning of excess fat deposits in the body leading to lean muscles as shown in studies.
It also helps in normalizing of the visceral fat, which causes metabolic problems.
Therefore, consuming the appropriate amount of leucine in your meal can be great.
Actually, reducing body fats to the required amount stands the only way to a healthy life.
4. Helps in reduction of DOMS
Another merit of BCAAs supplement is that when the correct amount of BCAAs helps in minimizing soreness.
Based on studies, consuming the appropriate amount of this supplement can help delayed-onset muscle soreness after strenuous exercise.
Therefore, you need to incorporate the supplement in your training program.
Note: There are foods that contain a high amount of BCAAs they include cottage cheese, chicken, eggs, tinned tuna/ fish, peanut, and wild salmon.
NOTE
BCAAs are of two forms that are the tablet form and the powder form.
The powdered is mixed with water, which is readily absorbed as compared to the one in tablet form.
Although, tablets are portable and you can carry them easily.
Some of the BCAAs best bodybuilding supplement include:
5. BCAAs are good for exercise endurance
If you want to build bigger muscle as you work out, then BCAAs is the best supplement for you.
It helps boost ATP required for resistance training.
This increases your performance level and enables you to perform hardcore workouts.
Actually, during your workout or physical activities, one of the most essential amino acids called leucine is largely used.
BCAAs are one of the best supplements to help in accomplishing the regeneration of leucine for protein synthesis, especially after exercise.
In fact, most bodybuilders and athletes use this workout supplement to boost their strength, and energy levels to achieve their primary goals faster.
6. BCAAs help with muscle repair
The presence of the essential amino acids present in BCAAs helps in muscle repair and muscle recovery.
It is true that during workouts.
This helps reduces the risks of developing certain chronic illnesses such as diabetes, and blood pressure as cited in most studies.
As you know very well that low insulin sensitivity and high blood sugar levels may lead to high blood pressure, taking BCAAs can help you prevent the risk.
In fact, BCAAs are being used in the health sector due to its advanced health benefits on blood flow and cardiovascular benefits.
8. BCAAs help prevent muscle loss in the elderly
This supplement is being used to help elderly people to stay stronger and healthy. It helps in the building of lean muscles preventing aging.
Well, muscle loss is a common chronic disease in old age, and that is a fact.
Doctors use BCAAs supplements to help your grandfather or grandmother and other older relatives of yours to help them prevent muscle loss and stay stronger.
You may not know until you ask which drugs they actually use to help your elderly relative to recover.
But don’t worry, this supplement is one of the safest to use among other supplements.
Therefore, if you are at an old age and you want to have healthy muscles and prevent muscle loss, then using this supplement is the best way.
9. BCAAs may help with arthritis
It contains active ingredients that help in fighting discomfort caused by arthritis.
Studies show that supplementing with BCAAs on a patient with arthritis could help them reduce joint pain and soreness.
It also helps in muscle strengthening and recovery, which is beneficial to those patients with arthritis.
In fact, people with arthritis need to exercise, which may be challenging.
The good news is that using BCAAs supplement may help you reduce the soreness and also delayed-onset muscle soreness after strenuous exercise with arthritis.
10. It may help reduce blood pressure
Studies show that supplementing with BCAAs may boost your metabolic rate, thereby, increasing your blood circulation.
This helps reduces blood sugar levels and increases insulin sensitivity.
With this change in metabolism, you can be able to lower your blood pressure and even diabetes as according to a study.
However, if you have high blood pressure, consult with your doctor before using BCAAs supplement.
11. BCAAs may help reduce the risk of cancer
Taking BCAAs supplement helps in burning excess body fats in your abdominal cavity.
For instance, the presence of active ingredients, glutamine, contained in this supplement help regulates visceral fat in the abdominal cavity and other excess body fats that are linked to cancer.
In fact, excess body fats are proven to cause a wide array of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, obesity, blood pressure, and many more.
Therefore, by using BCAAs can help you reduce the excess body fats that are linked to all these chronic diseases.
12. BCAAs may help prevent certain neurological disorders
The use of this supplement is suggested in a few studies to boost brain functions. It helps in improving the arteries’ functions and blood vessels efficiency, thereby, improving coordination.
The neurotransmitters also work best when the whole cardiovascular system is healthy and that is what BCAAs do.
Furthermore, a study shows that BCAAs can help treat some neurodegenerative conditions of the spinal cord.
13. BCAAs help treat liver disease
Studies show that BCAAs can be used to treat the liver disease that’s made the brain to soften up.
In fact, supplementing with BCAAs prevent hepatic encephalopathy, which is a decline in brain function that occurs as a result of severe liver disease as cited in studies.
In this condition, your liver can’t adequately remove toxins from your blood.
This causes a buildup of toxins in your bloodstream, which can lead to brain damage.
Therefore, you are on the safer side when you use this supplement.
14. It helps in treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS is a specific disease that causes the death of neurons controlling voluntary muscles.
Studies show that BCAAs helps in muscle growth and prevent muscle loss. It also helps prevent the risk o amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease and treat it.
In fact, BCAAs are used in most health hospitals in treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis patients.
15. Treat psychiatric patients with mania
BCAAs supplement is shown to help in the treatment of psychiatric and mania.
The psychiatric disorder is a mental illness diagnosed by a mental health professional that greatly disturbs your thinking, moods, and/or behavior and seriously increases your risk of disability, pain, death, or loss of freedom.
While manic is a state of abnormally elevated arousal, affect, and energy level, or “a state of heightened overall activation with enhanced affective expression together with lability of affect.
The BCAAs is widely being used in health hospital globally to help treat these diseases by doctors.
16. Help in Treating Tardive Dyskinesia
BCAAs have active ingredients that are beneficial to patients with tardive dyskinesia.
Tardive dyskinesia is a side effect of antipsychotic medications.
These drugs are used to treat schizophrenia and other mental health disorders. Tardive dyskinesia causes stiff, jerky movements of your face and body that you can’t control.
However, with BCAAs supplement you can able to treat this type of illness.
17 May be used clinically to feed patients with chronic diseases
BCAAs is used in feeding anorexic patient, frail elderly who may be malnourished.
It is also used to feed the chronic kidney disease patient with a poor appetite as it helps boost appetite and is also nutrient-dense.
Furthermore, BCAAs are given to the cancer patient whose feeding pattern may be compromised.
At what time should you take BCAAs Supplements?
Well, this is very important to know.
The BCAAs supplements are best taken 15 minutes before workout.
For those who are trying to lose weight, take BCAAs 30-45 minutes before meals
While to patients, it is recommended to follow your doctor’s advice.
Furthermore, you can take it three times a day depending on the prescription. It is very crucial to read the label carefully before using the supplements.
RECAP
Generally, BCAAs has several health benefits and is used in most clinics or health centers to treat a wide array of chronic illnesses as compared to other bodybuilding supplements.
Disadvantages of BCAAs
When you specifically follow the instructions on the correct amount of BCAAs supplement to use, then you should have no worry.
It only happens when you do not follow the instructions and it still remains the best bodybuilding supplement.
I strongly request you to follow the instructions and use at most three times a day not more and in the correct amount.
BCAAs are generally safe to use, there are no proven cons.
Some of the effects
May not be good for pregnancy
If you are pregnant, then this supplement may not be suitable for you. Actually, the use of supplements is not recommended for pregnant women. Though, BCAAs are still safe.
2. Not good for breastfeeding women
Women who are breastfeeding should not use supplements, therefore, if you are breastfeeding, then you need to void BCAAs unless recommended by the doctor.
3. Few reports that BCAAs make them fatigue
In rare circumstances, some users claim that they feel fatigued, which is is not scientifically proven. It might be the overdose or not following the dosage as prescribes.
RECAP
BCAAs supplements are safe, however, the use supplements are not recommended to pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. therefore, always consult with your doctor before using these supplements.