BCAA stands for branched chain amino acids, which, as you may recall from middle school science class, are the building blocks of protein. Branched chain amino acids — leucine, isoleucine, and valine — are considered “essential” because our bodies don’t process them on our own, meaning we have to consume them in our diets.
Why Do We Need Them?
The big picture answer is that leucine, isoleucine, and valine have a synergistic effect in fueling and building muscle and supporting the immune and intestinal health.
If you want to get a little more granular, leucine in particular has been shown to activate the protein mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), which plays a role in regulating cell growth and protein synthesis.
Not only do BCAAs stimulate muscle growth, they also prevent muscle breakdown as a result of intense training and speed up recovery. These amino acids decrease lactate production during exercise, allowing the body to undergo less stress and increase physical output for a longer period of time. What’s more, various studies found that participants who took BCAA rated their muscle soreness 33% lower than their counterparts given a placebo.
So Where Do I Get Them?
The most common dietary sources of BCAA come from typical animal-based proteins, like meat, dairy, and fish. To give you a sense:
- Beef: contains about 5 grams of BCAAs per 100 grams
- Chicken breast: contains about 4 grams of BCAAs per 100 grams
- Tuna: contains about 3 grams of BCAAs per 100 grams
- Cottage cheese: contains about 2 grams of BCAAs per 100 grams
While plant protein sources like quinoa, soy, and lentils also contain BCAA, it’s in much smaller amounts. However, that means that vegetarians and vegans tend to benefit from a supplement even more than meat-eaters.
Should I Supplement?
It’s important to check in with your physician before going all-in on a supplement, but more often than not, plant-based eaters could do well with an additional helping of BCAAs.
We created our Performance BCAA formula with vegans in mind, keeping it simple with just the big three (leucine, isoleucine, and valine), plus L-glutamine for additional immune system support. It’s a naturally orange-flavored powder that’s easy to mix with water for a pre- or post-workout recovery beverage.
