BCAA - Effective Dose for Muscle Growth and Fat Loss

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a special subgroup of the essential amino acids (EAAs) that gained popularity based on scientific research demonstrating they were responsible for the activation of mTOR -- the physiological process that stimulates protein synthesis (and thus muscle recovery and growth).[1]

The three BCAAs are leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

Early research into BCAA research found some pretty fascinating results, including significant increases in muscle and strength.[2,3] Naturally, if you came across these studies (or ads that showcased the findings), then you’d want to add BCAA supplements to your daily supplement regimen.

And, when you consider that leucine is the “king” of amino acids as it’s the most potent stimulator of mTOR, supplementing with BCAAs makes total sense..

But, as is usual, ads only tell part of the story.

Here’s the truth about BCAA supplements for muscle growth and fat loss.

BCAA Supplements: Diffusing the Hype

It’s true that the three BCAAs activate mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) and stimulate protein synthesis; however, not all three BCAAs are required (or necessary) to activate mTOR nor are they adequate to sustain or fuel protein synthesis.

In fact, leucine has been shown to be the single most potent activator of mTOR.[4,5]

Here’s the kicker…BCAA supplements are high in leucine (usually a 2:1:1 or 3:1:1 ratio of leucine to isoleucine to valine, respectively), but so are all complete protein sources, especially whey protein.

In other words, if you’re having a post-workout protein shake or eating chicken/steak and rice, you’re consuming a sizable amount of BCAAs (including leucine).

Something else you won’t find discussed very much in the BCAA supplement marketing is the fact that these early BCAA supplement studies didn’t account for total daily protein intake, nor the amount of BCAAs they were consuming, or the fact that the study participants’ were consuming a woefully inadequate amount of dietary protein for individuals focused on building muscle.

In fact, one early study from 2009 gave study participants 28 grams of BCAAs (14 grams pre/intra workout and 14 grams post workout).[2] Most BCAA supplements contain ~5 grams of BCAAs per serving, which means that you’d need to consume 4-6 servings of your conventional BCAA supplement to even approach the results found in research!

Here’s something else to consider.

Other research finds that BCAA infusion (an IV of BCAAs) fails to increase the rate of muscle protein synthesis in humans, and it also reduces the rate of muscle protein turnover.

Given these findings, is there any use for BCAA supplements, or are they simply a money-making option for supplement companies?

The Case for Amino Acid Supplements

Amino acid supplements, including BCAA supplements and EAA supplements, do have their place. But, as is the case with many supplements, it depends on the circumstances of the individual considering them.

If you are someone who doesn’t consume enough daily protein, recovering from severe injury/trauma, or aggressively dieting for fat loss, then you may benefit from BCAA supplements.

Still, we would encourage you to seek out an amino acid supplement that contains all nine essential amino acids (EAAs), such as 1UP Her BCAA/EAA or His BCAA/EAA. EAA supplements contain a full dose of BCAAs and they also include the other vital building blocks skeletal muscles need to sustain muscle recovery and growth!

Something else to keep in mind (especially for those interested in fat loss) is that many BCAA supplements appear to be “calorie free.” However, this isn’t actually true as the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) labelling regulations stipulate that any ingredient (such as a singular amino acid) containing less than 5 calories per serving doesn’t need to be accounted for.

For instance, one gram of leucine, isoleucine or valine is 4 calories. So 5 grams of a conventional BCAA supplement actually contains 20 calories (while the supplement facts panel may list ZERO).

Compare that to a scoop of protein powder (with a similar amount of BCAAs) that contains between 120-140 calories, and you might be led to believe the calorie savings are “HUGE”, but in reality, BCAA supplements docontain calories, which means they can impact weight loss/gain aspirations.

At the end of the day, if you’re already consuming enough dietary protein from “whole foods” such as lean red meat, poultry, fish/shellfish, wild game, dairy, eggs, etc., then a BCAA/EAA supplement likely isn’t necessary. Research even shows that when individuals are consuming enough dietary protein, adding more BCAA/EAA supplements don’t have a significant impact on muscle recovery or growth.

At the same time, you’re also not hurting/limiting your results by supplementing with an EAA supplement if you’re consuming enough protein. In fact, it may even help to keep your calorie intake under control if you’re sipping an amino acid product in place of a sugary soda/juice/energy drink.

To keep things simple, here are the important takeaways:

• Focus on consuming enough daily protein from whole foods
• Protein powder is a convenient whole foods option to support your goals
• If you’re in a severe calorie deficit, then EAA supplements may help preserve lean muscle during fat loss/transformation challenge

Any other questions?

Feel free to reach out to us or sign up for the 1UP Transformation Challenge where you can gain access to our exclusive Facebook group where you can ask questions, receive encouragement and interact with goal-oriented individuals and experienced coaches!

References

1. Jackman SR, Witard OC, Philp A, Wallis GA, Baar K, Tipton KD. Branched-Chain Amino Acid Ingestion Stimulates Muscle Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following Resistance Exercise in Humans. Front Physiol. 2017 Jun 7;8:390. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00390. PMID: 28638350; PMCID: PMC5461297.
2. Stoppani, J., Scheett, T., Pena, J., Rudolph, C., & Charlebois, D. (2009). Consuming a supplement containing branched-chain amino acids during a resistance-training program increases lean mass, muscle strength and fat loss. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 6(Suppl 1), P1. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-6-s1-p1
3. Santos CS, Nascimento FEL. Isolated branched-chain amino acid intake and muscle protein synthesis in humans: a biochemical review. Einstein (Sao Paulo). 2019 Sep 5;17(3):eRB4898. doi: 10.31744/einstein_journal/2019RB4898. PMID: 31508659; PMCID: PMC6718193.
4. Blomstrand, E., Eliasson, J., Karlsson, H.K., and Kohnke, R. (2006). Branched-chain amino acids activate key enzymes in protein synthesis after physical exercise. J Nutr 136, 269S-273S.
5. Shimomura, Y., Yamamoto, Y., Bajotto, G., Sato, J., Murakami, T., Shimomura, N., Kobayashi, H., and Mawatari, K. (2006). Nutraceutical effects of branched-chain amino acids on skeletal muscle. J Nutr 136, 529S-532S.