Natural Stacks
BCAA with Beta Alanine
Natural Stacks’ BCAAs with Beta Alanine is a brilliant combination of two of the most effective and popular fitness supplements, branched chain amino acids and beta-alanine. These two will work synergistically to enhance your endurance, improve your post-workout recovery, and maximise muscle gain.
BCAAs, which include leucine, valine and isoleucine provide muscle cells with a much needed energy source and lead to glycogen conservation. Leucine is also an incredibly important amino acid for muscle gain since it stimulates protein synthesis. Beta-alanine, on the other hand, improves endurance and produces a rapid recovery by increasing the muscles’ buffering power, slowing down the drop in pH caused by the accumulation of acidic metabolites. Not only does it let you workout harder, but it reduces muscle soreness. The synergistic combination of BCAAs and beta-alanine is certain to supercharge your workouts with energy and maximise your results. As always when ordering Natural Stacks products you can be sure of getting the ultimate high quality supplements. Whereas other manufacturers use purify BCAAs from very questionable animal sources, Natural Stacks Ultra Premium BCAAS are purified from botanicals using the gentlest of processes to preserve all their benefits.
BCAAs to Stimulate Protein Synthesis
BCAAS are a special group of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. They are essential nutrients, the body cannot synthesise them, and they must be obtained from the diet. They represent about 30% of the amino acids in muscle, but they also carry out very important signalling functions. Leucine, one of the three amino acids in this group is particularly important. It works to increase muscle mass by stimulating protein synthesis. When leucine levels are high the mTOR complex, which works as a cellular nutrient sensor, is activated. The mTOR complex in turn activates proteins that carry out protein synthesis, known as eukaryotic elongation factors. A second function of the complex is that it turns on genes coding for components of ribosomes, the tiny organelles in cells where protein synthesis takes place. High levels of leucine therefore stimulate protein synthesis and increase the cell’s capacity to produce more proteins.
Because of leucine’s positive control of protein synthesis BCAAs are particularly helpful for people who are on a low calorie diet. As you know when you are trying to lose fat, your body often breaks down proteins instead. With Natural Stacks’ BCAAs you will preserve your muscle proteins and force your body to burn fat.
BCAAs to Increase Endurance
In addition to stimulating protein synthesis BCAAs enhance endurance and improve performance during a workout by providing alternative energy sources for muscle cells. Cells must constantly produce ATP to fuel their contractions. The problem is that during strenuous exercise glucose and glycogen stores run out very quickly. Once cells run out of fuel they can’t contract any more.
BCAAs, including valine and isoleucine can be burned directly in muscle cells for energy. This is different from the metabolism of other amino acids, which have to be transported to the liver and turned into glucose first. Research shows that BCAAs taken pre-workout lead to glycogen conservation during exercise and enhance endurance by providing an alternative energy source. They also protect muscle protein from breakdown by creating a high level of free amino acids in serum.
Natural Stacks’ Natural BCAAs are provided in a 2:1:1 ratio with twice as much leucine as valine or isoleucine. Clinical studies have shown that this is the optimal ratio of branched chain amino acids for maximum results. The advantage of taking a BCAA supplement compared to just relying on a high protein diet, is that free amino acids are absorbed very rapidly, allowing you to create a high concentration just when you need it during, and immediately after a workout. Natural Stacks’ supplement is produced by milling the ingredients seven times, for maximum bioavailability and instant results.
Beta-Alanine for Improved Endurance and Recovery
The addition of beta-alanine addresses the other reason muscles become exhausted during a workout, the drop of pH because of the build-up of acidic metabolism byproducts. The main culprit here is lactic acid, which is produced during anaerobic respiration. When the cell cytoplasm becomes too acidic enzymatic reactions and muscle fibre contraction cannot happen, and muscles become exhausted. The drop in pH also damages muscle fibres and causes muscle soreness after a workout. Taking a beta alanine supplement slows down the drop in pH and allows you to workout harder.
Beta alanine is an amino acid but it is not found in any of our proteins. Instead, together with histidine, it is used to synthesise the dipeptide carnosine, which acts as a pH buffer in muscle cells. Buffers are chemicals that can react with both acids and bases, either quenching or releasing H+ ions, so the pH remains stable. Because histidine is a very common amino acid, beta alanine is the rate-limiting ingredient of carnosine. Clinical studies have demonstrated that taking a beta-alanine supplement increases the amount of carnosine in muscle, which in turn increases endurance and improves recovery. Beta alanine allows your muscle cells to do more work before the accumulation of acidic metabolites causes the pH to drop too low for muscle contractions.
With greater buffering power there is also less damage to muscle fibres leading to a faster post-workout recovery. You will perceive the decreased acidity as less muscle soreness after exercise, which will make it easier to keep going to the gym and sticking to your training program.
Natural Stacks BCAAs with Beta Alanine produces the best enhancement in endurance and muscle gain by combining two ultra-high quality amino acid supplements that improve the way your muscles work in two different ways. Branched chain amino acids provide your muscle cells with energy, lead to glycogen conservation and stimulate protein synthesis for post-workout muscle gain. On the other hand beta-alanine increases muscle cells’ ability to buffer pH by increasing carnosine levels. With lower pH drops muscles work harder and the recovery period is shorter. BCAAs and beta alanine work synergistically to drastically improve your workout performance and maximise your muscle gains!
Further Reading:
BCAA amino acids provide alternative source of fuel during a workout:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15173434
BCAA and protein synthesis:
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/1/269S.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2075348/