Answer
Feb 03, 2020 - 10:00 AM
BCAA is an acronym that stands for Branched Chain Amino Acids. Amino acids are the natural building blocks of protein and they have many vital roles within the body. There are 20 different amino acids that we need to be healthy. Of these 20, 9 are considered ‘essential’ meaning they can’t be made within our body and must be consumed as part of a healthy diet. Of these essential amino acids, 3 are branched chain amino acids. The three branched chain amino acids are called leucine, isoleucine, and valine (in 2:1:1 ratio). They are called branched chain amino acids because they have a branch-like structure. Their structure means that they are not processed in the liver before entering the blood stream. Instead they directly enter the blood stream and can be immediately used for protein synthesis and energy production.
