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If you’re serious about getting real results from your workouts, creatine and branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, should be at the top of your supplement list.
Taken together, this powerful combo can help boost your athletic performance, improve recovery time, and increase muscle growth.
Here’s how they can help you achieve phenomenal results..
Better Performance
A study from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition revealed that when participants took BCAAs vs. whey protein, they showed improved strength and energy between workouts.
During the study, subjects were split up into two groups. One received BCAAs and the other whey protein and they all completed the same eight-week training program.
At the end, each participant was tested on the bench press and barbell squat.
Results showed: The group who took BCAA outperformed those taking whey protein!
And let’s not forget creatine. Other studies show that taking a creatine supplement increases strength by up to 20 percent!
Increased Muscle Growth
What are the different BCAAs and how do they work?
Leucine is known as the superstar muscle-builder. Although there are several benefits to taking leucine, its ability to speed up protein synthesis makes this BCAA extremely popular among athletes and weight lifters.
While leucine promotes the essential muscle-building process of protein synthesis, creatine supports the production and release of insulin-growth factor or IGF-1. This is essential for anabolic muscle tissue to grow.
Taken together before a workout, BCAAs and creatine help you increase hypertrophy, ensuring you achieve the microtears necessary for maximum muscle growth.
But that’s not all. BCAAs and creatine both support essential hormonal processes that trigger growth in lean muscle tissue.
Faster Recovery
BCAAs and creatine also play an important role in recovery. After you’ve achieved those essential microtears for hypertrophy, both supplements deliver the right nutrients to support tissue repair and growth.
Experts say BCAAs, which are rich in amino acids, are the building blocks of muscle tissue growth. They help speed up recovery by reducing post-workout inflammation and muscle soreness.
Creatine has also been shown to be incredibly effective. In one study, subjects who supplemented with creatine reported less soreness and were found to be back to their optimal performance levels faster than the group who did not receive creatine.
Taken together after a workout, BCAAs and creatine have been proven to kickstart muscle repair and reduce soreness, so you minimize the risk of injury and continue improving your performance.
How Much And When Should You Take BCAAs and Creatine?
The correct BCAA dosage depends on the intensity of your training program.
Experts recommend taking two servings of each per day. If you’re training twice a day, take an additional serving.
Take one serving before a workout and another serving post-workout.
If you have a third serving, take it before bedtime. Make sure you drink plenty of water with no less than 64 ounces when supplementing with creatine.