Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation can improve exercise performance and recovery, particularly in aerobic exercise and slower runners.
If you do long-distance running, BCAAs might help you feel less fatigued. You can take them before or during your run, or just eat whey protein or whole foods which naturally contain BCAAs.
ModerateConditionalMEDIUM confidence
Under certain circumstances, specific amino acid supplements, such as branched-chain amino acids (BCAA's), may improve exercise performance and recovery from exercise.
Why this rating
Evidence is mixed, with some studies showing benefits and others showing no effect, particularly in anaerobic exercise.
Source
International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise
Bill Campbell et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2007
DOI 10.1186/1550-2783-4-8
narrative_reviewCited 700×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Physically active individuals require 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day of protein to optimize training adaptations, which is safe and does not impair kidney or bone health.Good
- Consuming high-quality protein (whey and casein) immediately before, during, or after exercise optimizes recovery, immune function, and lean body mass.Good
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