Download Branched-chain amino acids with added L

BCAA Powder
Branched-chain amino acids with added L-glutamine
By David M. Brady, ND, DC, CCN, DACBN & Amy Berger, MS
THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR THE USE OF PHYSICIANS AND OTHER LICENSED HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS ONLY. THIS INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR PHYSICIANS AND
OTHER LICENSED HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO USE AS A BASIS FOR DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO RECOMMEND THESE PRODUCTS TO THEIR PATIENTS. THIS MEDICAL AND
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION IS NOT FOR USE BY CONSUMERS. THE DIETARY SUPPLEMENT PRODUCTS OFFERED BY DESIGNS FOR HEALTH ARE NOT INTENDED FOR USE BY CONSUMERS
AS A MEANS TO CURE, TREAT, PREVENT, DIAGNOSE, OR MITIGATE ANY DISEASE OR OTHER MEDICAL CONDITION.
BCAA Powder combines the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—along with the amino
acid, L-glutamine, in a great-tasting, orange flavored powder. BCAAs make up 35% of the essential amino acids in muscle
protein, and approximately 40% of the total amino acids required by mammals.1 BCAAs are unique in that they are a direct
source of energy for skeletal muscles while also serving as intermediates in the ATP-producing citric acid cycle. They
stimulate the building of protein in muscle, reduce muscle breakdown during exercise, and regulate protein metabolism
throughout the body. BCAAs stimulate lean muscle synthesis even in the absence of resistance training, making them an
effective raw material for lean tissue maintenance in athletes as well as in populations who are unable to exercise, but are
at risk for muscle loss.
This product is free of sucrose, fructose and artificial sweeteners, and is sweetened with the natural herb stevia.
BCAA Powder may be beneficial for:
• Sports nutrition – enhancing muscle building and recovery in athletes
• Sarcopenia – facilitating muscle tissue maintenance in aging populations
• Post-operative and traumatic injury recovery – reducing muscle mass catabolism
• Cachexia – attenuating muscle wasting in cancer patients, AIDS patients and others
Athletic Performance and Recovery
BCAAs can be oxidized as a fuel source in skeletal muscle cells. Supplementation with BCAAs before and after exercise
has been shown to attenuate exercise-induced muscle damage and promote muscle protein synthesis, making them a
useful addition to exercise and bodybuilding regimens. Supplemental BCAAs help reduce post-effort muscle soreness
and suppress the rise in creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase after exercise, suggesting an inhibitory effect on the
breakdown of muscle protein.1-3 Moreover, due to the increased oxidation of BCAAs during endurance exercise, athletes may
have higher requirements for these nutrients than sedentary populations.4 Although not considered an athletic performance
enhancer, per se, supplemental BCAAs reduced the perceived rate of exertion among untrained athletes during physical
exertion, which may allow exercisers to increase the intensity of their efforts, potentially leading to improved results.5 Immune
system support is another benefit of BCAAs for athletes. Intense exercise, particularly of high frequency and long duration,
is known to be immunosuppressive. Supplemental BCAAs may reduce the negative impact of strenuous exercise on the
immune system.6-8
Maintenance of Muscle Mass
In addition to the post-surgical setting, the muscle-sparing effect of BCAAs may be beneficial in attenuating the dramatic
weight loss and muscle wasting that are the most commonly reported causes of morbidity and mortality among cancer
patients. Patients who received oral BCAA supplementation while undergoing surgical and non-surgical treatment for
hepatocellular carcinoma showed reduced morbidity, reduced peripheral edema and lower rates of ascites compared to
non-supplemented controls.9
BCA 3/15
Another area where BCAAs are of particular benefit is in attenuating the breakdown of muscle tissue in post-operative
patients and those recovering from physical trauma. Under normal conditions in healthy populations, BCAA oxidation
accounts for 6-7% of energy in skeletal muscle, but in highly catabolic states this may be as high as 20%.9 Compared to
a dextrose-only solution, post-operative patients receiving dextrose plus 22%, 35% or 100% BCAAs showed significant
reductions in weight loss and muscle catabolism. While the dextrose-only group was in a mean negative nitrogen balance,
all three BCAA groups were in nitrogen equilibrium or a slight positive nitrogen balance. Compared to the dextrose-only
group, the 22% and 35% BCAA groups lost less body weight, and the 100% BCAA infusion group actually gained a small
amount of weight.10 BCAAs could be a powerful adjunct to post-operative care, particularly for patients who may have been
underweight or weakened.
Synergy with Glutamine
Designs for Health’s BCAA Powder combines leucine, isoleucine, and valine with the amino acid, glutamine, for a synergistic
effect in building muscle tissue and supporting the immune system. During prolonged physiological stress, increased
glutamine utilization may exceed the body's synthetic capacity, resulting in severe muscle glutamine depletion.9 BCAA
oxidation is a precursor for glutamine synthesis, and many of the beneficial effects of BCAAs for those in catabolic states
are related to the synthesis and maintenance of an adequate supply of glutamine.11 Animal studies and clinical trials in
humans demonstrate that sufficient supplies of glutamine improve nitrogen balance and recovery from various traumas,
such as burns, radiation injury, surgical stress and cancer.9 Glutamine also plays a key role in the immune system; studies
that employed glutamine primarily to protect against muscle wasting demonstrated the added benefit of maintaining immune
function in patients at risk for immunosuppression.12
Post-operative cancer patients receiving infusions of BCAA-enriched amino acid mixtures showed accelerated muscle
protein synthesis compared to patients supplemented with mixtures of equal total protein, but not enriched with BCAAs. The
BCAA group experienced significant increases in de novo glutamine synthesis, while the isonitrogenous group showed no
change in muscle glutamine synthesis.13
The presence of glutamine in a BCAA supplement may also be an additional boon to athletes. Lowered plasma glutamine
may be used as a marker for overtraining, and when recovery is inadequate between periods of exercise, this dramatic
reduction in glutamine may negatively affect the immune system and the cells of the intestines, potentially leading to gut
dysfunction and digestive distress.14,15
How to Take
▶ As a dietary supplement, mix 9 grams (approx. two heaping
teaspoons) into 10-12 ounces of water per day, or as directed
by a health care practitioner.
BCAA Powder
▶ Can be taken pre, peri or post workout.
E WIT
AD
H
M
▶ Consider combining with either PaleoMeal® or Whey Cool™,
or taking it along with food to increase the total BCAA levels
as well as protein synthesis.
R E DIEN
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IN
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S
NON-GMO
References
1. Shimomura Y, Murakami T, Nakai N, Nagasaki M, Harris RA. Exercise promotes BCAA catabolism: effects of BCAA supplementation on skeletal muscle during exercise. J Nutr. 2004 Jun;134(6 Suppl):1583S1587S.
2. Matsumoto K, Koba T, Hamada K, Sakurai M, Higuchi T, Miyata H. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation attenuates muscle soreness, muscle damage and inflammation during an intensive training pro
gram. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2009 Dec;49(4):424-31.
3. Shimomura Y et al. Nutraceutical effects of branched-chain amino acids on skeletal muscle. J Nutr. 2006 Feb;136(2):529S-532S.
4. Gleeson M. Interrelationship between physical activity and branched-chain amino acids. J Nutr. 2005 Jun;135(6 Suppl):1591S-5S.
5. Greer BK, White JP, Arguello EM, Haymes EM.Freund H, Hoover HC Jr, Atamian S, Fischer JE. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation lowers perceived exertion but does not affect performance in
untrained males. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Feb;25(2):539-44.
6. Bassit RA et al. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation and the immune response of long-distance athletes. Nutrition. 2002 May;18(5):376-9.
7. Bassit RA, Sawada LA, Bacurau RF, Navarro F, Costa Rosa LF. The effect of BCAA supplementation upon the immune response of triathletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Jul;32(7):1214-9.
8. Negro M, Giardina S, Marzani B, Marzatico F. 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.
9. Choudry HA, Pan M, Karinch AM, Souba WW. Branched-chain amino acid-enriched nutritional support in surgical and cancer patients. J Nutr. 2006 Jan;136(1 Suppl):314S-8S.
10. Infusion of the branched chain amino acids in postoperative patients. Anticatabolic properties. Ann Surg. 1979 Jul;190(1):18-23.
11. Holecek M. Relation between glutamine, branched-chain amino acids, and protein metabolism. Nutrition. 2002 Feb;18(2):130-3.
12. Calder PC, Yaqoob P. Glutamine and the immune system. Amino Acids. 1999;17(3):227-41.
13. Biolo G et al. Response of muscle protein and glutamine kinetics to branched-chain-enriched amino acids in intensive care patients after radical cancer surgery. Nutrition. 2006 May;22(5):475-82.
14. Keast D, Arstein D, Harper W, Fry RW, Morton AR. Depression of plasma glutamine concentration after exercise stress and its possible influence on the immune system. Med J Aust. 1995 Jan 2;162(1):15-8.
15. Rowbottom DG, Keast D, Morton AR. The emerging role of glutamine as an indicator of exercise stress and overtraining. Sports Med. 1996 Feb;21(2):80-97.
To contact Designs for Health, please call us at (800) 847-8302, or visit us on the web at www.designsforhealth.com