Should Runners Take BCAA or Protein Powder Supplements?
Written by Holley Samuel MEd, RD, CSSD, CPT & Gillian Hotaling
If you aren’t already aware, I have a series on the Holley Fueled Nutrition Podcast where I bust myths about all different sorts of sports nutrition supplements out there. The most recent episode covers branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) and protein powders. Plenty of individuals believe that protein is the most important macronutrient for our body, especially in the social media space. Although meeting our protein recommendations is crucial, carbohydrates and fats are just as important and should not be feared or consumed less often than protein. All macronutrients are important to prioritize adequately consuming since they all do different things to help support our bodies. You can learn more about how to meet your protein needs specifically here.
What’s the deal with protein and BCAA supplements?
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are used in many different ways throughout the body such as: making stomach acid, enzymes, building and repairing muscle tissue, and contributing to rebuilding intestinal lining. As athletes, we need more protein to help us recover from daily training. While consuming excess fat and carbohydrates may be stored as fat and glycogen, consuming excess protein does not directly lead to fat or glycogen storage since it is used for so many different purposes throughout the body. However, if there is too much protein, it will get converted to glucose by the liver and stored as fat if the glucose is not getting used. Protein digests slowly, making protein sources more filling. This helps with satiety and blood sugar stability specifically.
BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) are a component of protein that help stimulate muscle protein synthesis, however they are not a complete source of protein by themselves. Complete sources of protein include all nine essential amino acids of which leucine, isoleucine, and valine are three. Complete sources of protein are important to provide enough of the nine essential amino acids to perform various tasks throughout the body. BCAA supplements are typically powders that can contain some other additives such as sweeteners, dyes, and other ergogenic aids. Post workout protein sources need to contain 2-4g of leucine to stimulate muscle protein synthesis - most BCAAs don’t have adequate amounts of leucine. The body of research shows that there is no benefit to performance, muscle recovery and soreness, or improvement of total muscle mass when taking BCAA supplements orally.
The Recommendations
Given research does not support claims made by BCAA supplement companies, I do not recommend them.
In order to meet protein needs it is important to consume a variety of protein sources through whole foods. Sometimes it can be helpful to use a protein supplement to achieve this, especially in instances where appetite may be decreased such as post run. Protein powders can contain complete protein sources such as whey or soy protein that have a better chance at stimulating muscle protein synthesis. We want to look for a complete amino acid profile such as whey, soy, or vegan blended proteins like pea and brown rice protein (legume plus grain) as this stimulates protein muscle synthesis and kickstarts the recovery process.
Because supplements are not regulated in the U.S. It is important to choose protein powders that are third party tested. Good third party testing certifications to check for on product labels are NSF Sport, Informed Choice, and Informed Sport. It is important to be aware of added ingredients in protein powders as well.
Basic Key Takeaways
BCAA supplements are ineffective and unnecessary
Protein powders can be helpful supplements when they are third party tested and of high quality
Check out the episode linked here for some of my favorite protein powder brands that are third party tested and meet all the checkboxes mentioned in the episode.
References
Martinho, D. V., Nobari, H., Faria, A., Field, A., Duarte, D., & Sarmento, H. (2022). Oral Branched-Chain Amino Acids Supplementation in Athletes: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 14(19), 4002. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14194002
Wolfe R. R. (2017). Branched-chain amino acids and muscle protein synthesis in humans: myth or reality?. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9