As you start reading up on various diets and workout literature aimed to help you see better results from your efforts,
two terms that you may come into contact with are regular and branched chain amino acids.

If you have been doing your reading, you’re likely know that amino acids are what protein is made up of, and getting enough of these will be critical to generating lean muscle mass and recovering from your workout sessions.

But, what is the difference between branched chain versus regular amino acids?  And is one better than the other?  Let’s take a closer look at what distinguishes the two.

Essential versus Non-Essential

The very first thing that you need to note is that there are two different categories of amino acids that are found in protein rich foods and supplements. They are essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids.  Non-essential amino acids are those that the body can make on its own when necessary by constructing other raw nutrients together. Therefore, you don’t actually have to consume these amino acids in your diet.  While it’s helpful to have the full spectrum of amino acids, if you fall short of the non-essential amino acids, you will be fine as the body can generate them itself.

With non-essential amino acids however, that isn’t the case.  The body will not be able to generate these amino acids and absolutely must take them in through an outside source.  The branched chain amino acids fall into this category.

Metabolising Amino Acids

The second difference that you need to note between the two of them is where the amino acids are metabolised.  The branched chain amino acids are special in that they are sent directly to the muscle tissues rather than to the liver.

This means that they will be used immediately for muscle repair and regeneration and can also be used as a fuel source.  For those who are performing intense workout sessions, this will be incredibly important for success. The faster you can repair your muscle tissues after a workout program, the faster you are going to move forward and be able to hit the gym again for your next session.

The Benefits of Branched Chain Amino Acid Supplementation

So what exactly are the key benefits of using branched chain amino acids then?

The primary ways they will help your fitness level is that they will boost your level of strength and power, improve your recovery after each hard workout session, enhance your energy levels, and reduce the chances that you suffer from lean muscle mass loss.  All of these will be imperative to ensuring you get the most from each session you put in.  So don’t just concern yourself with amino acids.  Think about using a specific branched chain amino acid product as well.   They are the elite class of amino acids that are an absolute must for anyone performing intense physical activity.