Why EAAs/BCAAs Are Important During Workouts
Many fitness enthusiasts, athletes, and bodybuilders are turning to Essential Amino Acids supplements (EAAs) and Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) to aid their workouts. But why do you need BCAAs or EAAs during exercise?
Taking EAAs and BCAAs can increase your endurance, improve muscle growth, and reduce soreness after working out. First, you need to understand what these supplements are, their differences, and why they are essential. Read on and learn more about EAAs and BCAAs.
What Are Essential Amino Acids?
Proteins are building blocks and nutrients necessary for your muscles, skin, organs, ligaments, and intestines. Proteins are also used to make hormones and enzymes. In turn, proteins are made up of amino acids. Twenty amino acids are used to make up protein in the body.
Amino acids are in two categories: essential and non-essential.
Essential amino acids are the ones your body cannot make on its own, which makes it necessary to get them from your diet. The nine essential amino acids include:
• Isoleucine
• Leucine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Phenylalanine
• Valine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
The remaining eleven amino acids are non-essential, meaning the body can make them, so you don't need to get them from food.
What Are Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
There is confusion about the difference between BCAAs and EAAs. For easier understanding, there is not much difference between the two. BCAAs are no different than essential amino acids. The slight difference is that they are only three of the essential amino acids: isoleucine, leucine, and valine. The chemical structure of these three amino acids makes them look like a tree with branches, hence the name "branched chain".
BCAA is just a simple way to describe the structure of the three essential amino acids. The other amino acids do not have a branch-looking chemical structure.
Why Are EAAs and BCAAs Supplements Important During Workouts?
The amino acids in BCCAs and EAAs supplements are readily available, so your body does not have to break them down first compared to eating protein. Your body absorbs them faster than it would with a regular meal.
When you train, your muscle fibers get damaged. Some hours after the workout, your muscle gets repaired through the muscle protein synthesis process. The process helps you come back even stronger and more rejuvenated. Also, BCAAs and EAAs trigger muscle protein synthesis. Muscle growth is one of the most touted benefits of taking BCAAs and EAAs.
Taking EAAs/BCAAs supplements before, during, or after exercise may reduce pains and aches associated with intense workouts. The soreness is clinically referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Besides reducing muscle soreness from workouts, BCAAS and EAAs may also reduce exercise fatigue. It is common to experience exhaustion and fatigue at some point as levels of BCCAs and EAAs in your blood get reduced. By taking these supplements, you experience the fatigue-reducing effects of EAAs/BCAAs. Drinks with EAAs and BCAAs help keep your body hydrated during workouts. Being well-hydrated during exercise will improve your performance, aid in weight loss, and facilitate better sleep after training.
The Magic Formula: Legacy STACK'd BCAA/EAA + Coconut Water
Taking BCAAs/EAAs supplements before, during and after workouts can increase muscle growth. However, the positive effects of these amino acids depend on the quality of the supplement. Legacy Stack'd BCAA/EAA + Coconut Water amino acid helps stimulate muscle synthesis while keeping your body hydrated.
With this ultimate amino acid formula infused with coconut water, you enjoy:
• Unprecedented muscle recovery.
• Increased muscle protein synthesis.
• All nine essential amino acids, plus hydration.
• A formula enriched with antioxidants.