Everyone has heard of protein... the kind in our body, not just the shakes! But, do you know how protein molecules are even made within the body? Amino acids link and bond together to create a chain, which results in the formation of our much loved protein!
In total, there’s 22 amino acids with the body- 9 of them being classified as ‘Essential’ and cannot be made by the body. This means that in order to receive these Essential Aminos, we have to consume foods high in protein such as meat, poultry and dairy products… and don’t worry, if you’re plant-based or vegan then consuming a variety of things such as nuts, seeds, grains and legumes can account for your daily requirements!
So, you may find yourself driving straight to the supplement store for some BCAA’s (Branch Chain Amino Acids) because you keep hearing that they’re great for hydration and recovery. But, did you also know that BCAA’s only consist of the 3 main Essential Aminos- Leucine, Iso-Leucine and Valine. Topping these aminos up throughout the day by sippin’ on a BCAA supplement will reduce the risk of muscle breakdown and help your body repair and recover quickly (in addition to an overall beneficial diet!).
When searching for the perfect BCAA for you, here’s some things to take into account:
- Find one with a minimum clinical dose of 5g
- One with a higher Leucine dose is always great, as this is the main stimulator for muscle protein synthesis
- Pick a delicious flavour!! (Luckily FitFam has plenty of mouth watering BCAA’s to choose from)
Click here to see two of our absolute favourites:
https://www.fitfam.co.nz/products/usp-labs-modern-bcaa?_pos=6&_sid=bcc8404e6&_ss=r
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2…
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/artic...
