BCAA stands for Branch Chain Amino Acids. These are three essential amino acids that can help with recovery, increase muscle growth, and exercise performance. BCAA drinks are an intra (during) or post (after) workout drink that many of our members use to for many different reasons. Read on to learn more about why to take them, when to take them and all the benefits of using a BCAA drink.
WHAT ARE THE THREE AMINO ACIDS
These can all be taking separately but they are best when taken as a combination. An essential amino acid means that the body cannot produce these aminos on it’s own.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE DRINK
- Muscle repair and growth- Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Protein is important for repair muscle tissue after a workout. This is when all the hard work from the workout really happens. the body starts to build back up all the tissue that we tore down in the workout. BCAA’s can start that process as soon as a workout is done or even during the workout.
- Regulate blood sugar levels– Amino’s can preserve the liver and muscle sugar stores which forces the body to pull the sugar stores from the blood stream. This can help insulin levels stay balanced as well as help with the fat loss process.
- Reduce workout fatigue– BCAA’s can reduce the production of serotonin in your brain which in term helps reduce the fatigue you feel during a workout. That’s why they are great to drink during a workout as they make your fatigue less and get more work done during the session.
- Reduce muscle soreness- By lowering the blood sugar levels, enzyme’s like creatine kinase and lactose dehydrogenase are lowered which helps protect against muscle damage and in turn helps repair muscle tissue.
- Increase muscle mass / definition- BCAA’s help activate enzyme’s that are responsible for muscle growth.
WHEN SHOULD I USE THEM
- ANYTIME- You can use them pretty much any time of the day. The drink is zero calories so it’s a great replacement for sugary drinks you have during the day. The drink is also caffeine free so you can drink at any time of the day.
- Pre workout- This is not the kind of drink that is going to get you jacked up for a workout. There are no pre-workout ingredients that will make your skin crawl. There is also NO caffeine to create that hyped up feeling. However it is still a good pre-workout drink to get ahead of the muscle breakdown process.
- During workout- Sipping this throughout your workout can really help you sustain good energy throughout the workout and make sure the muscles are starting the repair process.
- Post workout- Drinking it after a workout can help the muscles start their repair process.
- Sugar Cravings- If you are getting a sweet tooth during the day this is a great supplement to take the edge off while at the same time making you feel slightly full. I use it all the time for this specific reason and it does wonders. Takes that little sweet tooth edge off and my mind relaxes.
- They do use a small amount of sucralose to flavor the product. This however is very small.
- The product is very clean. This is partly because they do keep sugar content almost non-existent.
- Because the product is so clean, it’s not the sweetest thing. It has a slight metallic flavor but after about 3-4 times drinking it you never notice this. This is the electrolytes taste you are tasting. Most BCAA drinks cover this up with tons of sweeteners but we don’t want to fill your gut with that junk.
We love BCAA’s at Game Changing Performance. It is our number one recommended supplement because it covers so many basis for everyone. Even though protein powder is great, we recommend BCAA’s even more because they can be used more often throughout the day. We mainly use protein powder for smoothies instead of shakes and use the BCAA as that drink instead. If your looking to lose weight, this product can be awesome for that. If your feeling a little tired before or after workouts, this can also really help you from going over the edge of tiredness. Also, if you want to put on some muscle and create some definition these are a must!