With fitness being a priority a growing trend, and new supplements making their way into the industry, it sometimes becomes difficult to find out the best ones that help. BCAA, or Branched chain amino acids, is one such supplement that has been a topic of mixed reviews since forever. Questions like are BCAAs necessary, when to take BCAA and how to take BCAA during workout are always on the minds of gym-goers. In this article, I cover these questions surrounding BCAAs in detail.

What are BCAAs

Protein is the building block of muscles, and protein is made up of a collection of amino acids. There are 20 different types of amino acids, and they can be classified into:
a) Essential Amino Acids: These are amino acids that cannot be made by the body. Hence, they are to be taken from an external diet or supplements. There are 9 essential amino acids.
b) Non-Essential Amino Acids: They can be produced by our bodies, even if we do not get them from our diet.
c) Conditional Amino Acids: They are not generally essential, but may be needed during stress or illness.

Out of the 9 essential amino acids, Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine are the most important ones, and they are the ones responsible for maintaining muscle mass and helping you build muscle.

Although BCAAs are available in natural food, there are also many supplements that give you that. In this article we will talk about the supplements and how often you should take the BCAAs, when should you take BCAAs and more. It is important not to take more than you need so that your body can absorb it properly. [Continue reading]