BCAA's: Branched Chain Amino Awesomeness

In my last post, I provided an outline for implementing good eating habits into your fitness plan that will help get you looking lean and shredded. While this type of dieting might help you lose unwanted weight around the midsection, it might also take away mass from the areas you don't want, such as the biceps and triceps. So how do you find the balance between making muscle gains while still getting lean and ripped? Branched chain amino acids, or BCAA's, hold your answer. 

BCAA's are making a reemergence in the world of body building, and for good reason. They are particularly useful for serious body builders during their "cutting" phase--the time a few months before competition when builders decrease their caloric intake to add definition to their muscles. Even if you are just a casual builder though, BCAA's can help you in the same manner, and have you looking lean and ripped

BCAA supplements work well with a proper diet because they stop the body from using muscle as a source of energy. When the body runs out of stored energy (fat) to feed on, it begins to break down muscle to liberate the amino acids it needs to supply the body with energy. This is a huge problem for those trying to eliminate body fat while gaining muscle mass. Luckily, using BCAA's to supply the body with an extra source of amino acids for energy will eliminate this problem.

BCAA's not only stimulate this type of protein synthesis, but actually increases the rate your body synthesizes protein, which means that mass gains will come even quicker than before. BCAA supplements come in a powdered form and can be mixed right in with your recover protein drink, so they are easy to take and ingested straight into the blood stream from the stomach. If you are ready to mix BCAA supplements into your nutrition plan than be sure to check out bodybuilding.com for a variety of great products!