BCAAs uncovered: The Essential Tool for Building Muscle | Sci-MX

When it comes to building serious muscle, most people think of protein. But, before you choose your protein powder, you should be thinking about BCAAs. Branched Chain Amino Acids are the starting point of any effective protein supplement and vital for optimising muscle building potential. Learn more about why BCAAs are so essential and how Sci-MX leads the way in harnessing the power of BCAAs in its formulas.

Often called the 'building blocks' of muscle, amino acids are fundamental when it comes to building, maintaining and increasing lean muscle tissue. There are twenty different types of amino acids in body protein, eight of which are classed as 'essential', meaning they cannot be manufactured by the body and must be provided by supplements. Of these, three branched chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine are considered the most beneficial in helping promote muscle growth and repair as they are metabolised in the muscle not the gut. They also make up one-third of all muscle protein so they are hugely important.  The other amino acids are classed as non-essential meaning they can be made by the body if sound nutrition protocols are in place.

Why are BCAAs so important?

Intense exercise can cause BCAA levels to drop rapidly. This could result in muscle-tissue breakdown (catabolism) and fatigue. Supplementing with soluble, readily available BCAAs will not only prevent catabolism and fatigue, but also encourages superior muscle growth and strength plus delivers an increase in muscle power output. 

Protein, as we all know, is made up of amino acids. Some protein powders, where cheap and inferior ingredients are used, tend to have mediocre amino acid ratios and are low in BCAAs. When creating formulas at Sci-MX, we ensure that the levels of BCAAs in all our protein products, meal replacements and mass gainers are optimal. In addition to the natural levels found in proteins, we bolster up our formulas with added BCAAs to ensure maximum muscle gain results - not many sports nutrition companies can claim this!

Without the proper balance of amino acids, cells will not grow and develop, and you'll struggle to see the benefits of your hard work in the gym. And BCAAs have more important roles in the body: they also form antibodies and are part of your endocrine (hormone) system, building DNA and shuttling oxygen around the body. Now you can see why they're called 'essential'!

How do BCAAs Work?

As we've mentioned, your body can't make all of the amino acids it needs without help, even if the best muscle-building diet is in place. If you want to build muscle and maintain it, BCAAs are paramount. BCAAs also encourage your body to produce insulin, so blood sugar can be broken down and used as energy. When you train hard, you deplete your body's glycogen stores, making it necessary for your liver to convert L-Alanine (an amino acid released by your muscles) into glucose. When you supplement with BCAAs during intense exercise, your body is encouraged to maximise protein synthesis: the all-important factor in muscle building.

Sci-MX products that contain high levels of BCAAs:

Protein supplements:

GRS-5™ PROTEIN SYSTEM
ULTRAGEN™ WHEY PROTEIN
PRO-VX™ PROTEIN

Mass Gainers:

OMNI-MX®
OMNI-MX® HARDCORE
MASS SYSTEM™

Meal replacements:

LEAN GROW MRF™
MASS SYSTEM™

Convenient sports food

PROTEIN FLAPJACKS
PROTEIN DUO BARS™    

Amino acid supplements:

BCAA NANOSTACK™
AMINO FUSION™

Now that you know how important BCAAs are and how we ensure that you get optimum levels from our advanced formulations, make sure you get stocked up soon and achieve the results you want from your training.