What are BCAA’s?

You’ve probably heard of amino acids but you might not know about the benefits of BCAA’s. If you’re looking to learn about why they’re so important, you’ve come to the right place! Amino acids are proteins in the body that make up muscle and other tissue. But what does BCAA stand for? It stands for branched-chain amino acids and they make up three of the all important nine amino acids you need in your diet. These three BCAA’s are: leucine, isoleucine and valine. We use these proteins to not only build muscle but they also help us with our metabolism. Let’s take a deeper look into the benefits of BCAA’s and how they work.

Benefits of BCAA’s

There are many benefits to getting more branched chain amino acids in your diet including:

1. An increase in muscle growth – studies show that the BCAA leucine is great at activating the pathway that helps your muscles grow and get stronger.
2. Lessening muscle soreness – there are studies that show BCAA’s can lessen muscle fatigue while we’re working out therefore lessening the pain we feel afterwards.
3. Reduce post-workout fatigue – we all feel tired after a workout but including more BCAA’s in your diet has been shown to contribute to feeling less tired after a workout.
4. Prevents muscle wasting – as BCAA’s account for 40% of the amino acids needed in your body, they are necessary for keeping your muscles from wasting.
5. Help combat liver disease – studies have shown that people suffering from liver disease can benefit from taking BCCA supplements as it can ease the symptoms.

BCAA foods

Although you can take BCAA supplements, it’s always best to get these amino acids from their natural source – food. However, BCAA supplements will give your body the same amount that you need so they work perfectly for the fussy eaters out there!

• Nuts and seeds
• Soy products including tofu and tempeh
• Legumes such as beans, peas and lentils
• Whey protein powder
• Soy protein powder

Because our TREK bars are packed full of nutty goodness, they make the perfect BCAA snack! Buy a TREK bar now to start adding BCAA friendly foods into your diet.

There are many benefits of BCAA’s as they’re the key protein we need in our diet to keep our muscles functioning properly and to also get the most out of your workout. These can be found in many different foods, such as our delicious fruit and nut bars, but BCAA supplements will work just as well. For more information about how your diet can help you, why not check out our Making Nutrition Simple or Top 5 Benefits of a Flexitarian blogs.