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With the massive expansion of the fitness industry in the last decade or so, the demand for wellness and nutritional supplements has also increased exponentially. If you are an athlete, a gym-goer, or a bodybuilder, one question that would’ve bothered you at some point in time must be “BCAAs vs pre-workout: which one do you need?” In this blog, we will answer all your questions with respect to these two supplements. So, keep reading to learn more about this topic at hand!
What are BCAAs?
Leucine, isoleucine and valine are the three main amino acids that constitute BCAAs, or branched-chain amino acids. The term “branched chain” is majorly used to describe the chemical structure of these amino acids. When consumed as a dietary supplement, they serve several prominent functions, including muscle recovery, muscle growth and prevention of muscle soreness. It is well known that, out of the twenty different amino acids that are required in the human body, only nine are considered essential, which also includes BCAAs. Since they can’t be produced naturally by our bodies, it is important to consume them through natural food options or supplementation. BCAAs can be consumed as an intra-workout supplement to delay muscle soreness and enhance overall performance.
Common ingredients:
- Leucine: Leucine is among the nine essential amino acids. It is also the main constituent of BCAAs and performs a number of functions in the body, including regulating blood sugar levels, improving wound healing capacity, and promoting bone and skin health. Most importantly, it stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which helps in muscle development and growth. It is also vital for repairing muscles.
- Isoleucine: It is an important amino acid, which also helps in muscle protein synthesis. It also plays an important role in muscle repair and supports muscle growth and development to preserve lean body mass. It helps boost energy, regulates blood sugar levels, and improves endurance.
- Valine: Valine is also an essential amino acid, needed for protein synthesis, tissue repair, and as a fuel to boost energy. Valine boosts energy production by modulating ATP production. It also protects the body from oxidative stress by inhibiting mitochondrial dysfunction.
Key benefits of BCCAs:
1. Reduce muscle soreness:
Muscle soreness, which mostly occurs post intense resistance training sessions, can be reduced by taking branch-chain amino acids. BCAAs may also delay the onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), which happens because of microscopic tears in the muscle and stress on connective tissues during high-intensity workouts. However, individual responses to these supplements may differ, showing varying results.
2. Muscle building:
Leucine in BCAAs is the main component that stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which may lead to muscle growth. BCAAs also activate certain enzymes that promote muscle protein synthesis, which can result in muscle growth post-workout.
3. Enhance immunity:
Consumption of these supplements may help improve overall immunity; for example, isoleucine strengthens the body’s defence mechanism, while leucine helps improve the immune system’s response towards infections.
4. Improve athletic performance:
The best BCAA supplement boosts overall athletic performance by preventing muscle protein catabolism, overcoming muscle soreness and boosting stamina for a medal-winning performance.
5. Ease muscle fatigue:
When taken during exercise, BCAAs can ease physical fatigue by limiting tryptophan production and consequently lowering levels of serotonin hormone, which is linked with fatigue. They help enhance muscle function and energy metabolism to support recovery and endurance.
6. Preserve muscle mass:
Intense workouts and poor dietary intake of proteins may lead to muscle wasting. BCAAs can help reduce or slow down muscle protein breakdown, preserving lean muscle mass. Low BCAA levels or breakdown of BCAAs can also lead to muscle atrophy (breakdown of muscles) — BCAA supplements can be beneficial in such cases. In addition to this, it is advised to pair BCAAs with resistance training for optimal outcomes.
What is pre-workout?
These supplements are dietary formulas containing multiple ingredients, mostly available in powdered or liquid formulations, to enhance athletic performance by maintaining energy levels during intense exercise and training sessions. Most pre-workout supplements contain stimulants like caffeine that keep body more alert during training, increasing the ability to work out for a longer duration.
Common Ingredients:
Although the specific ingredients may vary according to the quality of the product, formulation and brand, some of the most common ingredients are discussed below.
- Beta-Alanine: It increases endurance and stamina by reducing the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles produced during exercise, which can deteriorate athletic performance. It also promotes the production of carnosine — a peptide which supports muscle function by managing intracellular pH levels during exercise and reducing muscle fatigue.
- L-Carnitine: It helps the body convert fat to fuel by transporting fatty acids to mitochondria for oxidation, which increases energy levels and burns fat at the same time. It may prevent the accumulation of body fat and promote fat-burning, which improves metabolism.
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Caffeine: It is well known for boosting energy and inducing the secretion of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which increases alertness and elevates mood. Caffeine promotes CNS activity, which further leads to an increase in focus and alertness. A few studies show caffeine may increase lipolysis (breakdown of fat), providing energy and reducing fatigue.
- Sodium Bicarbonate: A common ingredient in pre-workout supplements, sodium bicarbonate helps by increasing bicarbonate levels in the blood, which maintains the acid-base balance of the body, critical for regulating blood pH concentrations and preventing metabolic acidosis. It also increases lactate levels and delays fatigue for maximum results.
- Creatine Monohydrate: Creatine supplementation enhances the production of ATP — the energy-carrying molecule in cells, which gives instant and sustained energy and fuels muscles. Creatine in pre-workouts boosts performance by allowing muscles to take up more of the ATP produced, delaying muscle fatigue, and fastening recovery.
- Citrulline : This amino acid is usually present in pre-workout supplements in the form of L-Citrulline, which later gets converted into arginine, which improves blood flow to the muscles especially when performing strength training. Its other form, citrulline malate is a precursor to nitric oxide, which is beneficial for muscle endurance. However, studies are still ongoing about its exact benefits.
- L-Tyrosine: It is an amino acid that helps the body synthesise protein, muscle tissues, and enzymes. It’s also a precursor to the neurotransmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine, which improve focus and enhance mood during workouts.
- L-Arginine: L-Arginine enhances muscle pump by increasing oxygen and nutrient supply to the muscles, which can improve performance. It is a precursor to nitric oxide (NO), which causes vasodilation, improving the blood flow to the muscles.
- L-Ornithine Mono-hydrochloride: This amino acid is crucial as it helps remove toxic ammonia by converting it to urea for excretion. When taken with arginine, it increases growth hormone levels, causing muscle anabolism. It combines with glutamine in our body to form alpha-ketoglutarate, which improves stamina and triggers muscle growth.
Key benefits of pre-workout
1. Boosts Energy:
A pre-workout boosts energy, improving performance by keeping you energised throughout a workout. It ususally contains caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant that increases mental alertness. Most pre-workouts contain creatine, which helps produce ATP to fuel muscles during high-intensity exercise.
2. Decreases DOMS:
Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) refers to the feeling of muscle pain or stiffness in muscles after rigourous workout. Pre-workouts containing beta-alanine reduce lactic acid build-up, minimising physical fatigue during a workout, helping delay DOMS and improving performance.
3. Improves Alertness:
Most of these supplements contain caffeine, which acts as a stimulant. By inducing the secretion of dopamine in our body, caffeine assists in staying alert and focused, improving performance. Intake of a pre-workout with caffeine content increases the utilisation of fatty acids as fuel, reducing exhaustion.
4. Eliminates Toxins:
High-intensity exercises are associated with increased production of ammonia, a toxic compound that should be eliminated from the body. Pre-workouts that contain ornithine and arginine can convert ammonia to urea for excretion. Ornithine also increases the secretion of the growth hormone and helps in muscle growth and fat burning.
5. Supports Fat Burning:
L-Carnitine present helps converts fat to fuel, promoting fat burning. It also improves metabolism, and boosts exercise performance by preventing the accumulation of unwanted fat in the body.
6. Improves Stamina:
L-arginine, citrulline malate, ornithine monohydrochloride, and creatine monohydrate, present in most good-quality pre-workouts, increase strength and stamina.
BCAA vs Pre-Workout: Key differences
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Differentiation based on |
BCAAs |
Pre-workout |
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Composition |
These comprise three essential amino acids - leucine, isoleucine, and valine - key components for muscle protein synthesis. |
Most pre-workout supplements contain caffeine, creatine, and L-carnitine. Some of the best pre-workout supplements also contain BCAAs to enhance overall performance. |
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Production |
BCAAs can’t be produced by the body and must be obtained through whole foods, such as meat, eggs, fish and dairy sources, or supplementation. BCAA supplements are produced by enzymatic hydrolysis, micro-organism fermentation and chemical synthesis. |
Pre-workouts are supplements. While some components found in these supplements, such as creatine and beta-alanine, can be produced by the body, pre-workouts can be taken to fulfil additional requirements. Moreover, all the ingredients in pre-workouts can’t be produced by the body naturally. |
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Purpose |
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Sources |
BCAAs are naturally present in dairy products, such as milk, greek yoghurt and cheese, and animal-based products like meat, eggs, salmon, tuna, etc. |
Foods like beetroot, banana, juice, black coffee, green coffee beans, or green tea can be taken as an alternative to pre-workout supplements. |
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Who can use |
Fitness enthusiasts, strength and endurance training athletes. |
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- Adults undertaking high- intensity workouts like athletes, gym-goers and bodybuilders.
BCAA vs Pre-Workout: When to consume
When should you take BCAAs?
These supplements can be consumed before, during, or after a workout. They play a crucial role in recovery, reducing muscle from soreness, and enhancing endurance; thus, if taken during or after a workout, they provide a sustained amino acid supply to push the body through intense exercises, repairing and building muscles, reducing muscle soreness and thereby improving overall performance.
When should you take pre-workout?
They will work best when taken 30-60 minutes before a workout or training session since it takes that much time for the ingredients to reach your bloodstream and fuel you with energy during the workout session.
Can You Take BCAA and Pre-Workout Together?
BCAA vs Pre-workout supplements: Safety
While there are no specific restrictions about taking both the supplements together, for proper dosage you must still consult a professional healthcare provider who can assist you regarding what is best for your health according to your physiological condition and fitness regimen.
BCAA vs pre-work: Overlapping benefits
Both aim at improving performance – pre-workout supplements by improving focus, energy, endurance and stamina and BCAAs by initiating muscle growth and speeding up muscle recovery. However, it’s essential to understand the purpose and targeted benefits of each supplement to ensure you are using these formulations safely and effectively. Additionally, it is extremely crucial to understand the individual's need prior to incorporating supplements.
BCAA vs Pre-workout: How to stack them correctly?
How should you take BCAAs?
There are various ways in which you can consume them — with water during workouts or as a post-workout shake. It is important to consume them during exercise to reap maximum benefits for muscle growth.
Steadfast Nutrition’s Active BCAA, which comes in 3 flavours – cola, lemon and watermelon – is the best BCAA supplement for muscle growth and recovery. It is packed with 5000 mg of the BCAAs L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-valine in the ideal 2:1:1 ratio, along with L-arginine and L-glutamine to expedite performance. L-arginine present improves nutrient supply to the muscles and maxmimises muscle pump, while L-glutamine supports muscle recovery.
How should you take pre-workout?
Most people mix it with water or juices prior to their training sessions while maintaining a 30- to 60-minute gap. It is important to note that they should be consumed as per usage instructions on the label of that particular product.
BCAA vs Pre-Workout: Which One is Right for You?
Every nutritional supplement has its own benefit and should be chosen based on individual preference and requirement. Pre-workout is often chosen by strength athletes, including weightlifters and bodybuilders, during hardcore lifting exercises to boost energy during training time, whereas BCAAs are chosen by endurance athletes for muscle function and recovery during high-intensity training. To sum up, both supplements have distinct but important functions and should be chosen based on your individual goals, medical condition, and workout routine.
Conclusion
BCAA supplements and pre-workouts each have different as well as overlapping benefits for muscle growth, recovery and athletic performance. Each person's requirements vary according to their fitness level and intensity of the workout, so it's essential to choose the supplement keeping in mind your individual goals. Furthermore, a well-balanced diet consisting of sufficient macro- and micro-nutrients, consistent training and proper recovery remain crucial for achieving fitness goals for optimal results.
FAQ
1. Which is better for beginners, BCAA or pre-workout?
It all depends on your goals and individual needs, you can take Pre-workout, if you need energy and focus along with mental alertness, whereas BCAAs are better for muscle recovery and muscle maintenance.
2. When should I take them?
BCAAs can be consumed before or during workouts and pre-workout supplement should be consumed 30-60 minutes before training to get maximum benefits.
3. Are they both safe for daily use?
Both supplements are generally safe for daily use but it is essential to be well aware of underlying conditions or requirements. For example, people with insomnia-related issues should monitor caffeine content in pre-workouts that may worsen the condition. Also as both have overlapping benefits the dosage consumption should be monitored closely.
4. Which is better for muscle growth, BCAA or pre-workout?
BCAAs support muscle growth and are more effective in aiding recovery directly in comparison to pre-workouts that boost workout performance indirectly aiding muscle growth.