Branched-chain amino acids prevent muscle soreness after squats

Branched-chain amino acids

BCAAs reduce muscle soreness after a squat training session. Japanese researchers found that consuming 5.5 grams of BCAAs before a squat training session (7 sets of 20 repetitions with 3 minutes rest between sets) reduced muscle damage and chemical markers of muscle cell damage by about 20 percent. Muscle strength measured three days after the training session was 20 percent greater in those who had taken BCAAs.
BCAAs include leucine, isoleucine and valine. They make up about 18 percent of the total amino acid content and 35 percent of the essential amino acid content (amino acids that must be supplied through food) in skeletal muscle.
The scientists used untrained people in this study, which is why the results are not necessarily transferable to bodybuilders.
(International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 20: 236-244, 2010)