If you read our post about the 7 Best Pre Workout Foods For A Natural Energy Boost and are interested in trying BCAAs, you may be wondering, “How much BCAA can I have a day?” I promise we’ll get to that in a minute!
But for those who missed our previous article, you may want to know a little more about BCAAs.
What BCAA Stands For
BCAAs are Branched-Chain Amino Acids. They include three essential amino acids:
- Leucine - which is responsible for fat loss, building lean muscle, and regulating hunger
- Isoleucine - which is responsible for fat burning
- Valine - which is responsible for energy, mental sharpness, and muscle endurance
These amino acids are the building blocks of muscle that your body does not make on its own. So you need to get them from the foods you eat or supplements you take.
“Branched-chain” refers to the chemical structure of BCAAs.
What BCAAs Do
BCAAs perform a bunch of important tasks. The benefits of BCAAs include:
- Increase muscle protein synthesis, which makes muscle after a strength workout. In addition to helping you build muscle, they reduce muscle protein breakdown.
- Decrease post-workout soreness. By reducing muscle damage during a workout, there is a reduction in length and severity of muscle soreness after a workout.
- Power workouts. Studies show that mental focus and exercise performance (including intensity and duration) are improved.
- Strengthen the immune system. Immune cells within the gut use them as a fuel source, allowing both the regeneration of immune cells and protection from sickness.
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Promote fat loss. People are obsessed with weight loss and don’t understand that weight loss can result from losing muscle mass. Instead, we want to focus on building lean muscle and losing fat!
By increasing muscle mass, the metabolic rate is increased and more calories are burned (even while at rest). BCAAs help maintain energy during exercise, helping the body efficiently use fat as fuel for endurance.
- Reduce cravings and regulate hunger. By keeping glucose and blood sugar steady, cravings for a quick sugar fix are prevented. BCAAs balance the stimulating (glutamate) and relaxing (GABA) responses in the brain, stopping cravings before they start. BCAAs also activate hunger-controlling molecules in the brain.
- Energize. Blocking tryptophan from going to the brain reduces the amount of sleep-inducing serotonin released.
- Lower cortisol levels. When the body releases too much cortisol from stress along with low levels of HGH (like when you don’t get enough sleep), the body stores fat. BCAAs lower cortisol levels, which in turn suppresses cravings and hunger instigated by stress.
How Much BCAA A Day Is Recommended?
The amount of BCAAs your body needs depends on your weight. It’s recommended to take 5 grams of BCAAs per 50 pounds of body weight per day. If extremely active, then adding another 5 grams can be beneficial.
Each scoop of Momsanity BCAA powder is 5 grams. So if you weigh 150 pounds, that means you can safely enjoy 3 scoops of Momsanity BCAAs each day.
When Is The Best Time To Take BCAA?
BCAAs can be used anytime!
Looking for a healthier energy boost than grabbing a cup of coffee or other sugary caffeine drink? BCAAs are a tasty, stimulant-free coffee and caffeine replacement.
They can also be used before and during a workout to help with workout performance and endurance, or after a workout to assist recovery (and have less post-workout soreness).
When the afternoon slump hits, BCAAs help with energy and focus. And when cravings strike, BCAAs help minimize our need for junk foods.
Adding BCAA powder to water also helps you stay well hydrated.
How Much BCAA Is Too Much?
There is not much risk in using too much for the body to handle. You would have to take more than 35 grams in one day, which is unlikely to happen without really trying.
In the rare chance you take too much, you could experience changes with energy level, nausea, headaches, coordination, sleep, and mood. These are unlikely unless intentionally exceeding the recommended dosage of 5 grams per 50 pounds of body weight.
What BCAA is Best?
While there are many different forms of BCAAs (flavored powders, pills, unflavored powders etc.) you want a NATURALLY flavored and sweetened formula.
The pills get pricey and require a LOT of pill-swallowing for proper dosing. The unflavored powders are unpalatable and VERY bitter.
Be cautious of any products marketed for “pre-workout” or even workout recovery as they often contain stimulants like caffeine and beta-alanine.
Momsanity Natural BCAA powder is unlike other BCAA powders on the market which are full of artificial ingredients and stimulants. Momsanity BCAA powder contains no artificial flavors, artificial colors, stimulants, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives.
Our all natural BCAA powder contains the ideal ratio of amino acids - 3:1:1 (3 grams of leucine, 1 gram of isoleucine, 1 gram of valine) for optimum results and it’s the tastiest BCAA drink mix on the market.
Where to Get BCAA Powder
Momsanity BCAA powder drink mix comes in four delicious flavors and can be purchased from our online store through one of the links below:
Visit our online store to learn more about Momsanity’s other health and fitness products.
Click here for More Ways to Enjoy BCAAs.
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