Branched-chain amino acids

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Branched-chain amino acids

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a group of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. They are essential, meaning they can't be produced by your body and must be obtained from food. BCAAs are primarily found in proteins such as meat, dairy products, and legumes. They are critical for muscle protein synthesis, energy production, and recovery, and are often used as supplements by athletes and individuals engaged in high-intensity workouts.

Category
Amino Acids
Molecular Formula
C5H11NO2 (Leucine), C6H13NO2 (Isoleucine), C5H11NO2 (Valine)
Mechanism of Action
BCAAs bypass the liver and gut and go directly into your blood, providing energy to working muscles. They also stimulate the synthesis of protein in muscles while inhibiting its breakdown.
Evidence Grade
B

Other Names

  • BCAAs
  • L-leucine
  • L-valine
  • L-isoleucine

Primary Benefits

  • Muscle protein synthesis
  • Reduced muscle soreness
  • Reduced exercise fatigue
  • Preventing muscle wasting

Recommended Dosage

General 5 to 20 grams per day
With Exercise 10 to 20 grams per day 30 minutes before workout

Side Effects

  • Nausea
  • Pain
  • Headache
  • Increased insulin resistance in individuals with diabetes

Precautions

  • Not recommended for individuals with ALS
  • Not recommended for individuals with Maple Syrup Urine Disease
  • Individuals with kidney disease should consult a healthcare provider before use

Interactions

  • Corticosteroids
  • Chlorpropamide

Key References

  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22569039/
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28638350/
Peter Attia, M.D. on Macronutrient Thresholds for Longevity and Performance, Cancer and More
Exploring Diet, Genes, and Aging for Longevity and Health 7:02 0
“Why do bodybuilders or people who love lifting weights, want to take Branched-Chain Amino Acids while they're exercising? The reason is largely through this empirical observation that it enhances muscles growth and/or prevents muscle degradation during exercise.”

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222 ‒ How nutrition impacts longevity | Matt Kaeberlein, Ph.D.
Nutrition, Exercise, Genetics, and Longevity: Key Points for Health 1:58:50 0
“you can extend lifespan through protein restriction and there are actually again a couple of flavors of protein restriction you can restrict all protein down to some percentage some low percentage um or you can restrict specific amino acids particularly branched chains tryptophan methionine or branched chain amino acids are the ones that have been studied.”

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222 ‒ How nutrition impacts longevity | Matt Kaeberlein, Ph.D.
Nutrition, Exercise, Genetics, and Longevity: Key Points for Health 2:02:34 0
“the branched chain amino acid and methionine restriction studies are pretty clear that those animals are consuming more calories more calories than certainly if you matched a weight then they add little mice and they're living longer.”

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222 ‒ How nutrition impacts longevity | Matt Kaeberlein, Ph.D.
Nutrition, Exercise, Genetics, and Longevity: Key Points for Health 2:04:42 0
“if you're going to pound branching amino acids during a workout because you want as much anabolic signal as possible, it's going to be very difficult so much so that the idea of using bcaa analogs to treat sarcopenia was going to require drugs that could stay on much longer.”

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272 ‒ Rapamycin: potential longevity benefits, surge in popularity, unanswered questions, and more
Unlocking Rapamycin's Potential: Longevity, Health Span, and Future Applications 1:10:00 0
“I'm talking more about the studies of protein restriction and Branch chain amino acid restriction which in mice seem to have some positive effects on longevity but because mice are not they don't develop sarcopenia to the same extent or in the same way that people do I would worry a bit about extrapolating from that to say that it's going to have those same beneficial effects in people where sarcopenia seems to be much more important for quality of life probably life expectancy but certainly quality of life in in older adults.”

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Exercise, Heat, Cold & Other Stressors for Longevity | Lifespan with Dr. David Sinclair #3
The Impact of Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Monitoring on Longevity 13:47 0
“Lower levels of certain amino acids, branch chain amino acids, are good for the cell because they downregulate mTOR activity.”

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REVERSE AGING: What To Eat & When To Eat For LONGEVITY | David Sinclair
Enhance Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention with Lifestyle Choices 15:37 0
“when you eat a lot of meat and a lot of particularly branched chain amino acids they're called that are in meat you will stimulate this mtor”

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REVERSE AGING: What To Eat & When To Eat For LONGEVITY | David Sinclair
Enhance Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention with Lifestyle Choices 1:02:18 0
“just mostly from plant-based sources where there's not a lot of the branched chain amino acids those leucine isoleucine valine amino acids are the ones that activate mtor”

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Autophagy & Longevity Scientist Reveals Worst Longevity Products & BS Claims – Dr. Matt Kaeberlein
The Science of Transforming Inputs for Enhanced Value and Efficiency 24:28 0
“mTor is activated by branch chain amino acids, leucine in particular; more circulating higher mtor. I think in general that's correct but I think we've also learned that there are indirect mechanisms by which other types of caloric intake can also activate mTor.”

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Protein Amount, Quality and Timing – with Dr. Donald Layman | The Proof Podcast EP 236
Optimal Protein Intake for Health and Muscle Function Explained 1:01:33 0
“all of this is the branch chain amino acid leucine for years since the 1930s we've known that the branch chain amino acids are not metabolized in liver all of the other amino acids are metabolized in liver but these three branch chain leucine, valine and isoleucine get sent out primarily to skeletal muscle so the body has learned to sense it it is senses it as a indicator of protein coming in and basically when that leucine concentration goes up from basically fasting levels to about three times fasting levels uh it triggers a complex inside muscle known as mtor and that's the main sort of Central regulatory function that triggers all these sort of initiation factors and we trigger maximum protein synthesis.”

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Dr. Robert Lustig: How Sugar & Processed Foods Impact Your Health
Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Nutrition and Metabolic Health 1:38:10 0
“what makes insulin go up well two things refine carbohydrate and sugar those are the two things that make insulin go up in addition Branch chain amino acids make insulin go up as well Lucine isoline veine which is in cornfed beef chicken and fish processed food”

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Dr. Robert Lustig: How Sugar & Processed Foods Impact Your Health
Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Nutrition and Metabolic Health 1:43:24 0
“I'm not low carb I'm low insulin and there are a lot of ways to get to low insulin get rid of the refined carbohydrate get rid of the sugar increase the fiber get rid of the branch chain amino acids.”

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Dr. Robert Lustig: How Sugar & Processed Foods Impact Your Health
Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Nutrition and Metabolic Health 1:44:43 0
“marbling is intramyocellular lipid that animal has metabolic syndrome the American cornfed animal because that corn is filled with Branch chain amino acids.”

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How to Exercise & Eat for Optimal Health & Longevity | Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
Optimizing Health and Longevity Through Nutrition, Exercise, and Supplements 46:02 0
“is there a place for supplementing Lucine and other Branch chain amino acids specifically you know I always assumed that supplementing with Branch chain amino acids was kind of the unique domain of people you know post exercise trying to build more muscle but as you're telling me all this it seems that adding Lucine in powder form to a meal seems like it would be great for muscle health”

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What to Eat & When to Eat for Longevity | Lifespan with Dr. David Sinclair #2
Optimal dietary choices and habits for longevity and health benefits 46:00 0
“So, now you've got these amino acids circling in your body, circulating, and there are three ones that are particularly important to know about, it's leucine, ISO leucine and valine also known as the branched-chain amino acids.”

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The Most Important Daily Habits For Health & Longevity – Dr Rhonda Patrick (4K)
Essential Omega-3 for Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention Strategies 1:24:51 0
“one high-intensity exercise does it it's been shown serotonin goes up it goes up because again your lactate is increasing the serotonin but it also goes up because Branch chain amino acids which you're getting when you're eating protein they compete with tryptophan tryptophan is a precursor it has to get into the brain and they compete for transport into the brain with those branch chain amino acids and tryptophan is a precursor for serotonin”

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The Most Important Daily Habits For Health & Longevity – Dr Rhonda Patrick (4K)
Essential Omega-3 for Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention Strategies 1:24:51 0
“Branch chain amino acids which you're getting when you're eating protein they compete with tryptophan tryptophan is a precursor it has to get into the brain and they compete for transport into the brain with those branch chain amino acids and tryptophan is a precursor for serotonin”

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