Hormonal
Oral branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation provides negligible benefits for athletic performance and body composition in trained athletes, regardless of supplementation duration or dosage.
If you are an athlete, stop spending money on BCAA supplements for performance or muscle gain. The evidence shows they provide negligible benefits over a normal diet. Ensure you are eating enough total protein daily instead. BCAAs might help slightly with muscle soreness after heavy resistance training, but this is not a guaranteed or significant benefit for most people.
Although BCAAs tended to activate anabolic signals, the benefits on performance and body composition were negligible.
Why this rating
Based on a systematic review of 24 randomized controlled trials with generally low risk of bias, though heterogeneity in protocols exists.
Source
Oral Branched-Chain Amino Acids Supplementation in Athletes: A Systematic Review
Diogo V. Martinho et al. · Nutrients · 2022
DOI 10.3390/nu14194002
More from this paper
- BCAA supplementation activates anabolic signaling pathways (mTORC1) and improves hormonal profiles (testosterone/cortisol ratio) in the short term, but this does not translate to long-term muscle or strength gains if total protein intake is adequate.Good
- BCAA supplementation may attenuate muscle soreness and recovery decrements in resistance-trained athletes, but effects are inconsistent in endurance sports.Moderate
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