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Branched-chain amino acid

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) is an amino acid having aliphatic side-chains with a branch (a  central carbon atom bound to three or more carbon atoms). Among the proteinogenic amino acids, there  are three BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine and valine.[1] Non-proteinogenic BCAAs include 2-aminoisobutyric  acid.

The three proteinogenic BCAAs are among the nine essential amino acids for  humans, accounting for 35% of the essential amino acids in muscle proteins and 40% of the preformed amino acids required by mammals.[2]

Research

Dietary BCAA supplementation has been used clinically to aid in the  recovery of burn victims. A 2006 paper suggests that the concept of nutrition  supplemented with all BCAAs for burns, trauma, and sepsis should be  abandoned for a more promising leucine-only-supplemented nutrition that  requires further evaluation. [3]

Dietary BCAAs have been used in an attempt to treat some cases of hepatic  encephalopathy.[4] They can have the effect of alleviating symptoms, but  there is no evidence they benefit mortality rates, nutrition or overall quality of  life.[5]

Certain studies suggested a possible link between a high incidence of  amyotrophic lateral sclerosis among professional American football players and Italian soccer players, and certain sports supplements including BCAAs.[6] In mouse studies, BCAAs  were shown to cause cell hyper-excitability resembling that usually observed in ALS patients. The  proposed underlying mechanism is that cell hyper-excitability results in increased calcium absorption by the cell and thus brings about cell death, specifically of neuronal cells which have particularly low calcium buffering capabilities.[6] Yet any link between BCAAs and ALS remains to be fully established.  While BCAAs can induce a hyperexcitability similar to the one observed in mice with ALS, current work does not show if a BCAA-enriched diet, given over a prolonged period, actually induces ALS-like symptoms.[6]

Blood levels of the BCAAs are elevated in obese, insulin resistant humans and in mouse and rat models of  diet-induced diabetes, suggesting the possibility that BCAAs contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity and  diabetes.[7][8] BCAA-restricted diets improve glucose tolerance and promote leanness in mice, and  promotes insulin sensitivity in obese rats.[9][10]

Degradation

Degradation of branched-chain amino acids involves the branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase  complex (BCKDH). A deficiency of this complex leads to a buildup of the branched-chain amino acids  (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and their toxic by-products in the blood and urine, giving the condition  the name maple syrup urine disease.

The BCKDH complex converts branched-chain amino acids into Acyl-CoA derivatives, which after  subsequent reactions are converted either into acetyl-CoA or succinyl-CoA that enter the citric acid  cycle.[11]

Enzymes involved are branched chain aminotransferase and 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoate dehydrogenase.

Claims in Bodybuilding

Some bodybuilders believe amino acid supplements may benefit muscle development, but consumption of  such supplements is unnecessary and may be harmful.[12]

Muscular Effects

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation has been popular amongst athletes, especially those in bodybuilding and strength sports. Compiled studies were done in examining the effects of BCAAs after strenuous exercise where control subjects were fed enteral feed every half hour resulting in doubled muscle protein synthesis. This was measured using a needle biopsy of muscle tissue for traces of carbon-13 leucine. Then, doses of mixed amino acids were transfused into the BCAA test subjects at a similar rate in which the enteral feed would have been digested where they found nearly the same effect in muscle protein synthesis. Other studies have been done with BCAA supplementation where exercise is conjugated with an increased amount of available amino acids, showing an increase occurring in skeletal muscle protein synthesis. The increase in skeletal muscle protein synthesis occurred almost to the degree that whole foods would. The exercise-induced muscle damage increases uptake of BCAAs as an energy source, it may as well initiate transnational signalling to remodel muscle which may be a key feature in muscle soreness. Perceived exertion during exercise was reportedly lower concluding that BCAAs have a positive effect on muscle fatigue. Furthermore, it was found that BCAA intake reduced exercise-induced muscle breakdown following resistance training.

The combination of BCAAs and Taurine specifically, have been shown to offset delayed muscle soreness. BCAAs decrease protein metabolism while increasing anabolism by elevating protein synthesis and slowing down protein degradation in skeletal muscle. A suggest mechanism for this occurrence is that BCAAs may slow down muscle catabolism. However, particular mechanisms for the way BCAA supplementation acts on delayed muscle soreness and muscle fatigue are still unknown.

Out of all the BCAAs, leucine is the most studied due to its anti-catabolic muscular effects and other diverse health effects. Recently, BCAA/leucine metabolite, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMβ) intake has given an explanation as to how exercise-induced muscle breakdown is attenuated. HMβ synthesis from the intake of 2.5-3 gram threshold of leucine increases the synthesis of, β-hydroxy-β-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA), a metabolite of HMβ, related to the repair of muscle tissue. Though leucine is known for protein synthesis and decreasing proteolysis its effects are not always consistent. However, a feasible relationship between leucine, HMβ and HMG-CoA is assumed with respects to attenuated muscle breakdown. Two proposed explanations of leucine-induced attenuation of muscle breakdown were proposed: 1) HMβ-independent intake of leucine to its plasmatic threshold caused a significant increase in leucine in blood through an unknown pathway causing particular muscular effects; or 2) HMβ-dependent intake of leucine causes increased synthesis of HMβ which in turn causes an increased HMG-CoA that facilitates cell membrane regeneration of the muscle tissue that was exercise-damaged. If the HMβ-dependent explanation proves to be true, further studies must be done on how different combinations of BCAAs, different dosages of BCAAs with leucine and different plasmatic thresholds will effect HMβ synthesis along with muscle breakdown attenuation.

There have been discrepancies between studies that prove and disprove the effects of BCAAs on muscle breakdown attenuation and delayed muscle soreness onset. This is primarily due to inefficient methods to quantify muscle breakdown attenuation and delayed muscle soreness solely due to BCAA supplementation.