BCAAs and recovery after injury -
The best food sources of BCAAs include 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 :. Many protein-rich foods contain high amounts of BCAAs. If you consume enough protein in your diet, BCAA supplements are unlikely to provide additional benefits. The branched-chain amino acids BCAAs are a group of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
BCAA supplements have been shown to build muscle, decrease muscle fatigue , and alleviate muscle soreness. They have also successfully been used in a hospital setting to prevent or slow muscle loss and to improve symptoms of liver disease. However, because most people get plenty of BCAAs through their diet, supplementing with BCAA is unlikely to provide additional benefits.
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. BCAA stands for branched-chain amino acids. These are essential amino acids with several benefits for muscle growth and performance.
While pre-workout supplements may boost your exercise performance, you may be worried about side effects. Here are 5 side effects of pre-workout…. Glutamine is an important amino acid. This article discusses the benefits, uses and side effects of glutamine supplements.
Pre-workout supplements are designed to help you gain muscle by allowing you to work out harder and longer. Here are the 10 best pre-workout….
This is a detailed article about whey protein and its health benefits. It can help you lose weight and gain muscle, while improving your overall…. Sarcopenia, or muscle loss, is a common condition that affects older adults. This article explains what causes sarcopenia and how to fight it.
Learn about the best pre-workout nutrition strategies. Eating the right foods before a workout can maximize performance and speed up recovery. Eating the right foods after workouts is important for muscle gain, recovery, and performance.
Here is a guide to optimal post-workout nutrition. While they're not typically able to prescribe, nutritionists can still benefits your overall health. Let's look at benefits, limitations, and more.
A new study found that healthy lifestyle choices — including being physically active, eating well, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption —…. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.
Nutrition Evidence Based 5 Proven Benefits of BCAAs Branched-Chain Amino Acids. Medically reviewed by Amy Richter, RD , Nutrition — By Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD — Updated on December 6, Increase muscle growth. Decrease muscle soreness. Reduce exercise fatigue. Prevent muscle wasting.
Benefit people with liver disease. Foods high in BCAAs. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: History. Dec 6, Written By Gavin Van De Walle. Jul 11, Written By Gavin Van De Walle.
Share this article. Read this next. BCAA Benefits: A Review of Branched-Chain Amino Acids. By Alina Petre, MS, RD NL. By Daniel Preiato, RD, CSCS. Glutamine: Benefits, Uses and Side Effects. By Grant Tinsley, Ph. By Ellen Landes, MS, RDN, CPT and Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of a BCAA supplementation on markers of muscle damage elicited via a sport specific bout of damaging exercise in trained volunteers.
The damaging exercise consisted of consecutive drop-jumps. Creatine kinase CK , maximal voluntary contraction MVC , muscle soreness DOMS , vertical jump VJ , thigh circumference TC and calf circumference CC were measured as markers of muscle damage. A significant time effect was seen for all variables.
The VJ, TC and CC were not different between groups. The present study has shown that BCAA administered before and following damaging resistance exercise reduces indices of muscle damage and accelerates recovery in resistance-trained males.
It seems likely that BCAA provided greater bioavailablity of substrate to improve protein synthesis and thereby the extent of secondary muscle damage associated with strenuous resistance exercise.
Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT Although many resistance exercises require both shortening and lengthening contractions, it has been well documented that exercise biased by lengthening contractions are a more powerful stimulus for neuromuscular adaptation compared to shortening contractions [ 1 — 3 ].
As a consequence, many athletes will routinely incorporate this exercise modality in order to maximise the potential adaptations from lengthening contractions.
However, lengthening contractions, particularly when high forces are generated, precipitate temporary exercise-induced muscle damage EIMD that can last for several days after the initial bout [ 4 ].
This EIMD manifests as a reduction in neuromuscular function, reduced range of motion, increased muscle soreness, limb swelling and the elevation of intramuscular proteins in blood [ 4 — 6 ]. These signs and symptoms impair muscle function and inhibit the potential to engage in high intensity exercise on subsequent days, which is often required by athletic populations.
In an attempt to reduce the negative effects of EIMD a number of interventions have been explored; these include cold water immersions [ 7 ], antioxidant supplementation [ 8 , 9 ], ergogenic aids [ 5 ], non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [ 10 ] and nutritional interventions [ 11 ].
These examples have shown mixed success, however one nutritional intervention, branched chain amino acids BCAA , have shown a reasonable degree of efficacy in reducing the effects of EIMD; in the most part following strenuous endurance exercise. BCAA are a group of essential amino acids that are a key substrate for protein synthesis and recovery [ 12 ].
Furthermore, BCAA conserve muscle mass in conditions characterised by protein loss and catabolism [ 13 ] and a recent review has proposed BCAA to provide a therapeutic effect following damaging resistance exercise [ 14 ].
Indeed, studies examining recovery from heavy endurance activity [ 15 — 18 ] have shown evidence that BCAA are beneficial in reducing muscle damage and accelerating the recovery process. Whilst this positive evidence is encouraging, muscle damage is far more prevalent following high intensity resistance exercise, although few studies have examined the efficacy of BCAA following damaging resistance exercise.
Nosaka et al. Additionally, in a recent well-controlled example [ 20 ], muscle soreness was reduced with BCAA; however, changes in blood indices or recovery of muscle function were absent. The aforementioned studies [ 19 , 20 ] used untrained volunteers and an isolated muscle group, which are not wholly representative of the stimulus often encountered by many athletic populations who routinely use damaging lengthening-biased resistance exercise as a training stimulus.
Shimomura et al. Interestingly, and in some support of this supposition, Stock et al. This study contradicts the general findings from other research, which may partly be attributable to a methodological difference such as providing leucine alone and not leucine, isoleucine and valine combined.
Additionally, Sharp and Pearson [ 24 ] recently examined BCAA supplementation during a resistance training programme designed to induce over-reaching. Nevertheless, the current evidence is promising and we therefore hypothesised the magnitude of EIMD in resistance-trained individuals would be lower with BCAA supplementation compared to a placebo control.
Consequently, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of BCAA supplementation on recovery from a sport-specific damaging bout of resistance exercise in trained volunteers. Participants engaged in specific resistance exercise at least twice per week during the competitive season.
Following a health-screening questionnaire, all volunteers provided written, informed consent. The sample size was based on previous research examining supplementation and EIMD that had shown a significant effect [ 21 , 25 ]. Prior to the start of data collection all procedures were given institutional research ethics approval and subsequently registered as a clinical trial ClinicalTrials.
gov , NCT Experimental design and a flow diagram of the participants allocation to groups. The supplementation protocol followed a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled design.
The BCAA supplement Myprotein, Cheshire, UK contained a ratio of leucine, isoleucine and valine, respectively. Artificial sweetener rather than a carbohydrate-based placebo was used to prevent a rise in insulin that may have altered protein metabolism [ 22 ]. In accordance with previous work [ 21 ], all participants were strongly advised to maintain regular dietary habits and avoid taking additional protein or any supplements for the duration of the study.
In an attempt to control for diet, participants were asked to record food intake in the loading phase of the trial and replicate this diet as closely as possible following the damaging protocol. Participants performed a total of drop-jumps from a height of 0.
Upon landing, participants were encouraged to immediately jump vertically with maximal force. This protocol has been previously shown to cause significant elevations in muscle damage indices [ 19 , 27 , 28 ]. Plasma CK was determined from an earlobe capillary blood sample. The sample was analysed immediately using an automated, dry slide photospectrometer Reflotron Plus, Bio Stat Ltd.
Stockport, UK. Similarly to previous work [ 5 , 11 , 27 ], participants were seated on a plinth where the strain gauge was assembled.
The strain gauge was attached to the ankle, immediately above the malleoli. Each MVC was performed at a knee joint angle of 90 0. The joint angle was assessed prior to each repetition with a goniometer Bodycare Products, Warwickshire, UK at the lateral condyle of the femur.
Each participant was familiarised with the test procedure and received strong verbal encouragement for each attempt. Three MVCs were recorded and the maximum value was used for data analysis.
To account for inter-subject variability, MVC was expressed as a percentage of pre-damage MVC. Vertical jump VJ performance was assessed using the Vertec instrument Sports Imports, Columbus Ohio.
Participants performed a counter movement jump in which, on command from a standing position, they descended rapidly to approximately a 90° knee angle and performed a maximal vertical jump, tapping the device with the dominant arm [ 30 ]. Each participant was familiarised with the test procedure prior to the recorded efforts and received strong verbal encouragement for each attempt.
Mid-thigh and calf circumference was assessed as a measure of limb swelling using an anthropometric tape measure Bodycare Products, Warwickshire, UK. Both measures were obtained with the participant in a standing position.
The calf measurement was made at the widest part of the calf, whereas the mid-thigh measure was determined as the mid-point between the inguinal crease and superior aspect of the patella. Both sites were marked with semi-permanent ink to ensure consistent measurements between days [ 27 ].
Detection of differences were determined using a 2-way, repeated measures ANOVA group, 2; time, 5. Significant interactions were followed-up using LSD post-hoc , pair-wise comparisons. L -1 , respectively , which equated to a 3 to 4-fold increase above baseline.
The initial aim of the present study was to examine the effects of BCAA supplementation on indices of muscle damage in resistance-trained volunteers.
The principle findings show BCAA can reduce the negative effects of damaging exercise by attenuating CK efflux, reducing residual muscle soreness and improving recovery of muscle function to a greater extent than a placebo control. The protocol successfully induced muscle damage, which was evident from the significant time effects for all dependent variables.
This supports the efficacy of the protocol as a model to induce muscle damage in a sport specific manner [ 27 , 28 ].
Additionally, the data presented here support previous literature suggesting BCAA as an effective intervention to reduce the negative effects of damaging exercise [ 15 — 18 ] and more specifically from damaging resistance exercise [ 14 , 20 , 21 ].
The novel information offered by these data demonstrate that BCAA can be used as an effective intervention to ameliorate the negative effects EIMD precipitated from a sport specific damaging bout of resistance exercise in trained participants. However, the cell membrane is likely to have undergone some degree of lipolysis as a result of an imbalance in calcium homeostasis [ 4 ], almost certainly from the exercise insult.
The damage literature often shows a high degree of inter-subject variability in CK and other cytosolic markers of EIMD, however, variability in the current study was relatively small, partly attributable to the trained status of the volunteers. The greater conditioning of these participants has almost certainly led to a repeated bout effect [ 31 ], whereby, a conditioning bout of exercise in this case prior training leads to a decrease in damage indices on subsequent bouts [ 4 , 31 , 32 ].
This is further supported by the low CK response seen in both groups following the exercise, when compared to the damage responses seen in untrained volunteers [ 19 , 20 ].
Despite this relative homogeneity, the CK response was less in the BCAA group suggesting the membrane integrity was maintained to greater extent than the placebo group.
The damage response is known to be bi-phasic in nature; a primary response caused by the mechanical stress of the exercise, followed by a secondary, transient inflammatory response over the following hours and days [ 4 ]. Although we cannot definitively support this postulate, it seems plausible that the greater bioavailability provided by BCAA facilitated this response and thereby decreased secondary damage to the muscle.
Furthermore, the group effects support previous data [ 20 , 21 , 34 ] showing a reduction in muscle soreness following a damaging bout of exercise with BCAA supplementation.
Although the mechanism surrounding muscle soreness following a damaging bout of exercise is not well understood, it seems likely to be related to inflammation, particularly to the connective tissue elements [ 35 ] that sensitise nociceptors in muscle and hence increase sensations of pain [ 36 ].
However, previous work [ 20 ] demonstrating a reduction in soreness following BCAA supplementation also measured the acute inflammatory response interleukin-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine and showed no difference between the BCAA and placebo groups.
Jackman et al. Although this idea is somewhat speculative and has no supporting evidence or proposed mechanism, we show similar trends in our data, but it is not possible to support or refute this theory.
Based on the reductions in CK, it makes the expectation tenable that the secondary damage phase is reduced by the aforementioned uptake of BCAA for protein synthesis, thus, limiting the extent of damage and hence reducing the precipitation of soreness.
Whilst there was no difference in vertical jump performance and limb girth, the most notable finding is that reductions in MVC were attenuated and recovery of MVC was accelerated following BCAA supplementation.
This study demonstrated an effect on function and is in contrast to other work [ 20 ] that used untrained participants in a similar experimental design showing no benefits in the recovery of force production with BCAA. Interestingly, other studies [ 21 , 37 ] using non-resistance-trained student populations have shown some benefit in the recovery of muscle function.
These data should be treated with caution however, as both studies [ 21 , 37 ] used a cross-over design which suffers the limitation of the repeated bout effect RBE.
The RBE refers to a protective effect or attenuation of damage indices when the exercise is repeated [4,31,32]. It would seem that differences between our findings and those of Jackman et al. The other obvious difference between the current investigation and previous literature is the amount of BCAA administered.
Interestingly, Jackman et al. Previous work [ 39 ] has shown that timing of a protein based recovery strategy is important and immediately following a damaging bout of exercise can be most beneficial in accelerating recovery.
Whist Jackman et al. This is somewhat conjectural and would serve as an interesting question for future research to ascertain the optimal strategy for BCAA supplementation. Regardless of whether the loading phase and timing of the supplementation post-exercise was effective in increasing the bioavailability of BCAA, there is still a stark difference in the total supplementation volume 88 vs.
The larger quantity of BCAA we provided might partly account for the difference between studies in damage indices MVC and CK.
We based our supplementation regimen on previous work that showed a positive effect [ 16 , 26 ] and propose that positive effects beyond attenuation of muscle soreness i. There are two limitations from the study, which need to be acknowledged.
Firstly the lack of specific dietary control might have led to discrepancies in caloric and, more specifically, protein ingestion between the groups.
Although we attempted to control this by asking participants to record food intake during the loading phase and replicate this following the damaging exercise, an approach that has been previous used [ 11 , 21 ], there was no specific control between groups.
Conceivably discrepancies in protein intake can affect the bioavailability of the substrate and hence affect protein turnover and ultimately influence the outcome of these data.
Although the current investigation has a good degree of external validity, future research might like to consider more rigorous dietary control measures such as; 1 asking participants to weigh food and accurately log food intake; or 2 providing a pre-determined menu for the participants to ensure no discrepancies between and within groups, although this still relies on participant adherence outside the laboratory.
Finally, 3 although difficult to facilitate, participants could be housed in an environment where dietary behavior can be imposed and thereby strictly controlled. In summary, these data offer novel information on the application of BCAA supplementation. Most importantly, BCAA attenuated reductions in muscle function and accelerated recovery post-exercise in a resistance-trained population.
Adams GR, Cheng DC, Haddad F, Baldwin KM: Skeletal muscle hypertrophy in response to isometric, lengthening, and shortening training bouts of equivalent duration. J Appl Physiol. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar. Higbie EJ, Cureton KJ, Warren GL, Prior BM: Effects of concentric and eccentric training on muscle strength, cross-sectional area, and neural activation.
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You are viewing 1 ihjury your rexovery free articles. For unlimited access take a risk-free trial. Andrew Znd BSc Balanced meal planner, MRSC, Iinjury, is BCAAs and recovery after injury editor of Sports BCAAs and recovery after injury Bulletin ercovery a onjury of the American College aftrr Sports Medicine. Andy is a sports science writer and researcher, specializing in sports nutrition and has worked in the field of fitness and sports performance for over 30 years, helping athletes to reach their true potential. He is also a contributor to our sister publication, Sports Injury Bulletin. They use the latest research to improve performance for themselves and their clients - both athletes and sports teams - with help from global specialists in the fields of sports science, sports medicine and sports psychology. They do this by reading Sports Performance Bulletin, an easy-to-digest but serious-minded journal dedicated to high performance sports. Heading out the door? One of the biggest risks of Ans sport anv crashing and the ensuing injuries, which usually require a long, Sustained meal intervals recovery process. Sport-specific workouts and consequent Diabetic coma are associated with hormonal afetr inflammatory stress responses that trigger a rapid muscle loss. Of additional concern is the functional strength loss from disuse—and this strength decline is approximately three times the rate of muscle mass loss. This functional strength loss is attributed to alterations in motor unit recruitment and the loss of skeletal calcium and magnesium stores necessary for muscle contractions. In the first week of immobilization, the general thought is the muscle mass loss is due to disuse.BCAAs and recovery after injury -
They have also successfully been used in a hospital setting to prevent or slow muscle loss and to improve symptoms of liver disease.
However, because most people get plenty of BCAAs through their diet, supplementing with BCAA is unlikely to provide additional benefits. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. BCAA stands for branched-chain amino acids.
These are essential amino acids with several benefits for muscle growth and performance. While pre-workout supplements may boost your exercise performance, you may be worried about side effects.
Here are 5 side effects of pre-workout…. Glutamine is an important amino acid. This article discusses the benefits, uses and side effects of glutamine supplements.
Pre-workout supplements are designed to help you gain muscle by allowing you to work out harder and longer. Here are the 10 best pre-workout…. This is a detailed article about whey protein and its health benefits. It can help you lose weight and gain muscle, while improving your overall….
Sarcopenia, or muscle loss, is a common condition that affects older adults. This article explains what causes sarcopenia and how to fight it. Learn about the best pre-workout nutrition strategies. Eating the right foods before a workout can maximize performance and speed up recovery.
Eating the right foods after workouts is important for muscle gain, recovery, and performance. Here is a guide to optimal post-workout nutrition. While they're not typically able to prescribe, nutritionists can still benefits your overall health.
Let's look at benefits, limitations, and more. A new study found that healthy lifestyle choices — including being physically active, eating well, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption —…. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.
Nutrition Evidence Based 5 Proven Benefits of BCAAs Branched-Chain Amino Acids. Medically reviewed by Amy Richter, RD , Nutrition — By Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD — Updated on December 6, Increase muscle growth. Decrease muscle soreness. Reduce exercise fatigue. Prevent muscle wasting.
Benefit people with liver disease. Foods high in BCAAs. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: History. Dec 6, Written By Gavin Van De Walle. Jul 11, Written By Gavin Van De Walle. Share this article. Read this next.
BCAA Benefits: A Review of Branched-Chain Amino Acids. By Alina Petre, MS, RD NL. By Daniel Preiato, RD, CSCS. Glutamine: Benefits, Uses and Side Effects. By Grant Tinsley, Ph.
By Ellen Landes, MS, RDN, CPT and Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD. How to Fight Sarcopenia Muscle Loss Due to Aging. Pre-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat Before a Workout. Post-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat After a Workout.
By Arlene Semeco, MS, RD and Celia Shatzman. How Nutritionists Can Help You Manage Your Health. Several supplements can support the injury recovery process, including fish oil, and antioxidants such as green tea and curcumin.
Studies show that all three of these supplements can decrease the acute inflammatory response to muscle and connective tissue damage, leading to faster healing.
For example, curcumin cream significantly accelerates healing and pain from an injury. In addition, to prevent muscle atrophy due to immobilization, you need to eat extra protein.
Get a regular dose of the branched-chain amino acids BCAAs to stimulate protein synthesis and offset muscle loss.
Taking extra BCAAs has been shown to enhance the rate at which tissue is repaired. BCAAs also reduce the muscle lost during recovery.
Taking more essential amino acids decreases the time for an injured muscle to recover its original strength prior to the injury. Close menu. All Supplements.
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Muscle strains are common injuries—especially for Blood sugar control and chronic inflammation recobery individuals with jobs BCAAx require Protein and athletic nutrient absorption lifting. Muscle strains in the back cause significant pain and stiffness and may Blood sugar control and chronic inflammation your quality of life. How long does it take for a pulled muscle or a muscle strain to heal? It depends on the severity of the injury and how you choose to treat the injury. Severe muscle injuries, including muscle sprains and strains, limit your range of motion, depending on where the injury occurs.
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