You’ve Been Duped: The Truth About BCAAs

It’s likely that if you do CrossFit or just work out in general, you are currently taking BCAAs or know someone who is. BCAAs, short for branched-chain amino acids, are very popular amongst athletes and are one of the lower cost supplements out there. Those taking BCAAs do so because they are said to help build muscle, aid in recovery and improve athletic performance.

The problem is that new research has shown that the opposite might be true. Yes, BCAAs might actually slow the rate of muscle gain and have negative effects on overall health.

Recently, meta-analysis taken from research between 1985 and 2017 showed zero human studies that proved BCAAs alone were responsible for protein synthesis or better athletic performance. That’s right…not one study has shown taking BCAAs on their own helps create muscle and improve athletic performance.

But then why do athletes swear by BCAAs?

For BCAAs to work, they need all nine essential amino acids. BCAAs make up just three of the nine essential amino acids, also known as EAAs. When you take that scoop of BCAAs, your body has to pull the other six amino acids out of your blood or from your existing muscle tissue to support the stimulation of muscle growth.

The problem is that when you start taking the other six amino acids from your muscle tissue, you are actually doing the opposite of the goal. Your muscle is breaking down to help with the excess BCAAs in your system. To put it another way, studies have shown that taking a BCAA supplement could actually be catabolic.

From a general health perspective, B vitamins are also affected by taking BCAAs. Similar to amino acids, B vitamins can also be pulled from your system in order for the BCAAs to work effectively. But rather than muscle loss, a B vitamin deficiency can disrupt numerous functions like digestion, brain health, hormone production and nervous system function.

So should I stop taking BCAAs?

Yes and no. BCAAs are essential for health and are a good source of fuel for workouts. The problem is that you need all nine of the essential amino acids, not just the three in BCAAs (leucine, valine and isoleucine). 

That is where EAAs come in. When you take all nine amino acids in a supplement, your body does not need to steal from your muscle tissue. The supplement already has everything it needs.

Thus, when you take an EAA supplement you are getting the BCAAs PLUS the other six amino acids. By doing this, your body can take the EAAs in the supplement and begin building muscle, help with recovery and improve your athletic performance without sacrificing B vitamin levels or pulling from your existing muscles.

When looking for an EAA supplement, you will want to make sure it includes the following amino acids. Note, the first three are your BCAAs and the next six are the other amino acids needed to generate the benefits you are looking for.

1. Leucine, one of the most crucial EAAs for muscle protein synthesis, is essential for building muscle, blood sugar regulation, and producing growth hormones.
2. Valine helps stimulate muscle regeneration and is involved in energy production. It’s also important for immune function, hemoglobin production, and energy regulation.
3. Isoleucine helps prevent muscles from breaking down during exercise, which may support faster recovery.
4. Lysine plays a role in growth hormone secretion, which supports muscle repair and recovery. It’s also an important part of structural proteins like collagen and elastin, which help build strong connective tissue.
5. Methionine helps the body process and eliminate fat, promotes heart health, and supports the liver to eliminate toxins in the body.
6. Phenylalanine has pain-killing and anti-depressant effects and is important for processing norepinephrine and dopamine. It also helps the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline, which are important for a healthy nervous system.
7. Threonine promotes a healthy metabolism and immune system. Like Lysine, it’s also an important component of structural proteins and connective tissue.
8. Tryptophan is a precursor for serotonin, which manages sleep, appetite, and mood. It also has pain-suppressing qualities and can increase pain tolerance during hard workouts or competitions.
9. Histidine is a precursor to histamine, which can help the body respond to free radicals produced during exercise. It’s also a precursor to carnosine, which turns lactic acid back into usable fuel and reduces soreness.

But like other supplements, there are differences between brands. The ratios of the individual amino acids are important. That’s where Kion comes in. Kion has formulated it EAA supplement, Kion Aminos, such that the ratios of the amino acids matches the composition found in your muscles.

There are plenty of EAA products out there to choose from. However, I have been taking Kion Aminos for the past three months and have been happy with the results. Kion Aminos is one of the cleanest, most effective amino acid supplements out there. It contains all nine EAAs listed above and has 40% leucine to maximize muscle protein synthesis.

Kion is offering readers of The Barbell Spin the opportunity to save 10-20% when purchasing a product from their website.

Go to getkion.com and use code THEBARBELLSPIN at checkout.

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