Maximise protein synthesis to add lean muscle faster
Phil Learney is a performance coach specialising in strength, conditioning and nutrition. He is based in London. In theory, adding lean muscle mass…
Is excessive BCAA use harming your health?
Calum Gore is an expert in medical biochemistry and health and the founder of biochemical diagnostic testing services company Gore BioScience. He is based in Leicester, Leicestershire. The essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine together make up the branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). In total they comprise 30% of the body’s total muscle protein. The fitness industry, athletes and bodybuilders have long used BCAAs for many of the following perceived benefits: increased protein synthesis; increased muscular hypertrophy; improved exercise recovery; increased muscle endurance; improved glucose disposal; increased energy; and increased gluconeogenesis, which is the metabolic process in which glucose…
The BCAA breakdown
Aaron Deere is a sports nutritionist, functional medicine consultant and advanced personal trainer. He is based in London. Leucine, isoleucine and valine are three essential amino acids collectively known as branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs. BCAAs cannot be synthesised by your body, so they must therefore be consumed from the diet. It is estimated that the three branched chain amino acids make up approximately 33% of all the amino acids in the body. A great proportion of these three amino acids found in skeletal muscle, where they act as both structural elements and play regulatory roles in muscle protein synthesis,…
Improve insulin sensitivity
Dr. Spencer Nadolsky is a practicing medical physician. He is based in Suffolk, Virginia. Your body is on a never-ending quest for balance. Its ultimate goal is homeostasis, or an active balance, inside every cell. A key way your body regulates itself is through hormone sensitivity and resistance. Being sensitive to a hormone means it only takes a little bit of it to trigger a reaction in your body. Being resistant means it’ll take a far higher exposure to that hormone before your body pays attention. If you want to build lean muscle mass and burn body fat, then your…
