Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) and Taurine

BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO ACIDS (BCAA)

and TAURINE

in eccentric exercise

Eccentric repetitions are a form of weight training (resistance training) used very often in bodybuilding and fitness, but also in other activities such as rehabilitation, in which the negative (or eccentric) phase of the movement is controlled and prolonged. This is a type of muscle activity in which muscle tension is increased during the lengthening phase.

Eccentric muscle work occurs when greater resistance is applied during the return phase of lifting a load. Performing eccentric repetitions can be an effective strategy for gaining strength and muscle mass.

Eccentric contraction has some characteristics that make it different from, for example, concentric contraction. These include a 40-50% greater capacity to produce energy and lower motor unit recruitment, although it places greater stress on each individual motor unit, an increase in muscle microtrauma, and it is also the method that, of all of them, has the greatest influence on the onset of DOMS, ormuscle soreness , which sets in during the hours and days following training or after unusually intense physical activity.

BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO ACIDS (or BCAA) have been shown to reduce fatigue and increase brain function after heavy training, highlighting their importance in post-workout nutrition. ⁽¹⁾

They can also be considered a supplement useful for immune support during exercise and sporting events. ⁽²⁾

Other studies highlight the beneficial role of BCAA in reducing muscle protein breakdown. Taking BCAA in combination with resistance training (a category of anaerobic physical training in which the muscles work against an external load) has been found to produce significantly higher testosterone levels than a placebo. Participants taking BCAA also showed a lower cortisol response. This is significant because both strength gains and reduced muscle protein breakdown correlate more closely with a better testosterone/cortisol ratio than with total testosterone levels.⁽³⁾

TAURINE is present in high concentrations in skeletal muscle, and concentrations of this amino acid in the muscle have been observed to fall after exercise, regardless of its duration. Moreover, this decrease was detected specifically in fast-twitch (type 2) fibres, even though the plasma taurine concentration remained unchanged.⁽⁴⁾

It has been suggested that this amino acid may play a role as a cellular defence against damage caused by free radicals. Intense exercise is in fact thought to increase oxidative stress and muscle damage. Some research has found that taurine supplementation or taurine depletion has measurable cytoprotective actions in attenuating exercise-induced muscle injury. ⁽⁵⁾

Following weight training with eccentric repetitions, taking taurine has been shown to affect muscle contraction by reducing oxidative stress, in association with a reduction in superoxide, a free radical.⁽⁶⁾

The Combined Effect Of Supplementation With Branched-Chain Amino Acids And Taurine has been shown to delay the onset of muscle soreness and damage in high-intensity eccentric exercise; in fact, a combination of 3.2 g of BCAA (leucine–valine–isoleucine in a 2:1:1 ratio) and 2 g of taurine 3 times a day, for 2 weeks before and 3 days after exercise, may be a useful nutritional strategy for attenuating DOMS and exercise-induced muscle damage. ⁽⁷⁾

[from http://www.mc.uky.edu/athletic_training/docs/nzsms...]

 

Read also the article:

• BCAA: leucine-isoleucine-valine

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1- (Jakobsen et al. Effect of a high protein meat diet on muscle and cognitive functions: a randomised controlled dietary intervention trial in healthy men. Clin Nutr. 2011 Jun;30(3):303-11)

2- (Negro et al. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation does not enhance athletic performance but affects muscle recovery and the immune system. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2008 Sep;48(3):347-51.)

3- (Sharp CP, Pearson DR. Amino acid supplements and recovery from high-intensity resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Apr;24(4):1125-30.)

4- ( Matsuzaki et al. Decreased taurine concentration in skeletal muscles after exercise for various durations. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 May;34(5):793-7.)

5- (Dawson et al. The cytoprotective role of taurine in exercise-induced muscle injury. Amino Acids. 2002 Jun;22(4):309-24 )

6- (Silva et al. Taurine supplementation decreases oxidative stress in skeletal muscle after eccentric exercise. Cell Biochem Funct. 2011 Jan-Feb;29(1):43-9.)

7- (Ra et al. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013, 10:51 http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/51 Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan)