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Branch Chained Amino Acids and “Sport Drink’ Trends in

Athletes

Thomas Hamilton

BSc, HBPE, RD

BCAA supplementation has become a common dietary practice among athletes hoping to augment exercise performance

and/or cognition.

One of the most widely used supplements by athletes today

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Protein Primer• Protein balance = protein synthesis + protein breakdown

• Athletes seeking muscle hypertrophy focus on optimizing synthesis and minimizing breakdown.

• In the fasted state, protein balance is negative but shifts to positive after feedings.

• The additional stimulus of resistance exercise (RE) results in even greater increases in the protein synthesis.

• Muscle protein synthetic rates are stimulated with RE for up to 48 hours. Muscle protein breakdown is also increased after resistance exercise.

• Amino acids must be available for muscle protein synthesis and a positive protein balance to result.

BCAA review

• BCAAs ( Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine) occur in

nature in a 2:1:1 ratio

• BCAAs make up 14-18% of AAs in skeletal muscle protein

• 10 grams of EAAs = 25 grams of high quality dietary protein such as milk, eggs or meat.

• Most high quality proteins contain:

– approximately 40% essential amino acids

– approximately 25% BCAAs.

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BCAA proposed benefits• As a stimulant for muscle protein synthesis

(leucine ---- M-tor pathway: protein translation)

• Prevent muscle protein breakdown and reduce markers of exercise induced muscle damage

• Potential to act as a fuel source for muscles during exercise

• BCAA’s may interfere with the transport of tryptophan into the brain, reducing the synthesis of serotonin thereby reducing feelings of fatigue (Central Fatigue Hypothesis)

• Immune Function• Weight loss

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Study limitations/confounding factors

• Large variability in experimental approaches adopted by researchers, and the factors investigated make direct comparisons of studies difficult:

• supplement quantity (5-250g BCAA) ( presence of CHO)

• treatment duration

• measures of metabolic damage (DOMS, perception)

• timing of ingestion

• training status of subjects

• dietary control ( protein, Kcal )

Food vs supplements

• Considerable debate regarding the benefit of BCAA supplementation over whole protein supplementation –food or protein powders – or carbohydrate intake (from a fuelling and fatigue perspective).

• Athletes on a hypocaloric diet may be a good candidate for supplementation with BCAA’s as they can help to promote muscle protein synthesis and minimize muscle

protein breakdown without a substantial calorie load.

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Essential AA and Whey Protein

• Ingestion of 3‐6g of EAA or (approx 18g of whey protein) following exercise stimulates protein synthesis

• Ingesting EAA and CHO following exercise should promote greater recovery and training adaptations

• 3 grams of EAA’s is enough to significantly increase protein synthesis (Miller et al. 2003)

• 6 grams of EAA’s appears to be an optimal dose (Borsheim et al. 2002)

• ≥ 45 mg/kg/day of leucine in a 24 hour time frame in order to optimize training adaptations. (JISSN Position Paper 2012)

BCAA Evidence Summary (P.E.N.)

• There is strong evidence that among recreationally active adults, ingestion of protein (egg, milk, casein or whey) or EAAs during recovery from resistance exercise enhances muscle protein synthesis in the first few hours after exercise Evidence Grade [A]

• Evidence suggests that a dose somewhere between 10-20 grams of high quality protein in the early recovery period is enough to maximally stimulate protein synthesis among trained and untrained healthy young adults Evidence Grade [B].

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BCAA Evidence Summary

• Addition of CHO to the protein/AAs may augment the insulin response and therefore decrease protein degradation which helps shift protein balance to positive Evidence Grade [B].

• However, if protein intake is adequate the additional carbohydrate may not be necessary to augment the anabolic response Evidence Grade [C]

• ACSM/DC paper recommend 0.25 to 0.3 g/kg of protein within the first 2 hours after exercise and every 3-5 hours over multiple meals to optimize and stimulate muscle protein synthesis rates.

Evidence Summary

• Pre-exercise BCAA supp on exercise performance have documented increased plasma BCAA concentrations, however, the majority of human studies, changes in plasma BCAA and/or tryptophan concentrations were not associated with improvements in exercise performance.

• Central fatigue hypothesis has been largely discounted within the literature as a mechanism in which BCAA supplementation improves exercise performance.

• Evidence regarding BCAA supplementation efficacy in enhancing exercise performance remains equivocal.

• The vague consensus within the literature can be attributed to differences in BCAA dosage, exercise modalities, training status of participants and measures of exercise performance between studies.

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• Considerable debate regarding the benefit of BCAA supplementation over whole protein supplementation –food or protein powders – or carbohydrate intake (from a fuelling and fatigue perspective).

• Athletes on a hypocaloric diet may be a good candidate for supplementation with BCAA’s as they can help to promote muscle protein synthesis and minimize muscle

protein breakdown without a substantial calorie load.

Dr. Kevin Tipton, School of Sport, University of Stirling , ScotlandAustralian Institute of Sport, Sports Nutrition, IOC Sports Nutrition Consensus Conference committeePeak Performance online

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Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)

Sports Supplement Program ranks sports supplements

in four groups (A to D) based on a risk to benefit ratio.

Amino acid supplements fall into category C, which contains “supplements that have no clear proof or beneficial effects”

Biosteel High Performance Drink• One of the most popular sports supplements consumed by amateur

and professional athletes.

•

• Based on research in the early 80s demonstrating that BCAA influence cerebral serotonergic neurotransmission and skeletal muscle metabolism

• BioSteel Inc® claims that consumption of BioSteel before and during high intensity exercise will result in “enhanced energy while delaying the onset of muscular and mental fatigue”.

• The efficacy of BioSteel in attenuating muscular and mental fatigue during high intensity exercise has yet to be assessed objectively.

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• BCAAs are the principle ingredient in BioSteel

• ~7 g500 mL

• Also contains small amounts of – Glycine

– glutamine,

– Taurine

– B-vitamins

– Sodium

• Other than sodium, there is limited scientific evidence supporting an ergogenic benefit of the other ingredients on exercise performance.

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Biosteel other ingredients

• Glycine and B vitamins: Limited research conducted as ergogenic aids suggests that pre-exercise supplementation does not augment exercise performance.

• Taurine and glutamine studies that have demonstrated an ergogenic benefit of supplementation have used dosages that far exceed what is provided in BioSteel.

• Limited amount of sodium in BioSteel will potentially be ineffective in augmenting rehydration.

‘Sports Beverage’ E lyte guidelinesThe Institute of Medicine:Fluid containing:

• Sodium: 20–30 meqILj1 sodium

• Potassium: 2–5 meqILj1 potassium

Coach.ca:

* Sodium 500-700 mg/l

* Potassium 80-200 mg/l

ACSM:

• Na: 23-69mg/100ml (10-30mmol/l)

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Questions? Discussion?

•

A multi-level, meta-regression study of randomized controlled trials to determine whether protein timing is a viable strategy

for enhancing post-exercise muscular adaptations.

Both Strength and hypertrophy studies were examined

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“…results refute the commonly held belief that the timing of protein intake in and around a training session is critical to muscular adaptations

… and indicate that consuming adequate protein in combination with resistance exercise is the key factor for maximizing muscle protein accretion”

Current evidence does not appear to support the claim that immediate (≤ 1 hour) consumption of protein pre- and/or post-workout significantly enhances strength or hypertrophic-related adaptations to resistance exercise.

• Earlier research suggests that the combination of protein intake and resistance exercise has an additive or even a synergistic effect especially when consumed in close proximity to the resistance exercise…..resulting hypertrophy

• Acute studies show ingesting protein/EAA with carbohydrate near or during a training bout can increase muscle protein synthesis and suppress protein breakdown

• A 2013 Meta analysis would suggest otherwise

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Resources• Tipton KD, Ferrando AA, Phillips SM, Doyle D Jr, Wolfe RR. Postexercise net protein synthesis in human muscle from

orally administered amino acids. Am J Physiol. 1999;276(39):e628-34. Available from: http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/276/4/E628

• Rasmussen BB, Tipton KD, Miller SL, Wolf SE, Wolfe RR. An oral essential amino acid-carbohydrate supplement enhances muscle protein anabolism after resistance exercise. J Appl Physiol. 2000;88(2):386-92. Available from: http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/88/2/386

• Miller SL, Tipton KD, Chinkes DL, Wolf SE, Wolfe RR. Independent and combined effects of amino acids and glucose after resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003;35(3):449-55. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12618575

• Borsheim E, Tipton KD, Wolf SE, Wolfe RR. Essential amino acids and muscle protein recovery from resistance exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2002;283(4):e648-57. Available from: http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/283/4/E648

• Borsheim E, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR. Effect of an amino acid, protein, and carbohydrate mixture on net muscle protein balance after resistance exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004;14(3):255-71. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15256687

• Tipton KD, Elliott TA, Cree MG, Wolf SE, Sanford AP, Wolfe RR. Ingestion of casein and whey proteins result in muscle anabolism after resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;36(12):2073-81. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15570142

• Elliot TA, Cree MG, Sanford AP, Wolfe RR, Tipton KD. Milk ingestion stimulates net muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006;38(4):667-74. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16679981

• Koopman R, Wagenmakers AJM, Manders RJF, Zorenc AHG, Senden JMG, Gorselink M, et al. Combined ingestion of protein and free leucine with carbohydrate increases postexercise muscle protein synthesis in vivo in male subjects. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005;288(4):e645-53. Available from: http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/288/4/E645

• Koopman R, Verdijk L, Manders RJF, Gijsen AP, Gorselink M, Pijpers E, et al. Co-ingestion of protein and leucinestimulates muscle protein synthesis rates to the same extent in young and elderly lean men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;84(3):623-32. Available from: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/84/3/623

• Koopman R, Beelen M, Stellingwerff T, Pennings B, Saris WHM, Kies AK, et al. Coingestion of carbohydrate with protein does not further augment postexercise muscle protein synthesis. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007;293(3):e833-42. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17609259

• Wilkinson SB, Tarnopolsky MA, MacDonald MJ, MacDonald JR, Armstrong D, Phillips SM. Consumption of fluid skim milk promotes greater muscle protein accretion after resistance exercise than does consumption of an isonitrogenousand isoenergetic soy-protein beverage. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(4):1031-40. Available from: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/85/4/1031

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• Tang JE, Manolakos JJ, Kujbida GW, Lysecki PJ, Moore DR, Phillips SM. Minimal whey protein with carbohydrate stimulates muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise in trained young men. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2007;32(6):1132-8. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18059587

• Dreyer HC, Drummond MJ, Pennings B, Fujita S, Glynn EL, Chinkes DL, et al. Leucine-enriched essential amino acid and carbohydrate ingestion following resistance exercise enhances mTOR signaling and protein synthesis in human muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2008;294(2):e392-400. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18056791

• Moore DR, Robinson MJ, Fry JL, Tang JE, Glover EI, Wilkinson SB, et al. Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89(1):161-8. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19056590

• Phillips SM, Moore DR, Tang JE. A critical examination of dietary protein requirements, benefits, and excesses in athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2007;17(supplement):s58-s76. Abstract available from: http://www.humankinetics.com/ijsnem/viewarticle.cfm?jid=F8j6mu77B3s2u4cbY7c4rA7aD7g8xMgGH6z8jB2LQ6k&aid=9898&site=F8j6mu77B3s2u4cbY7c4rA7aD7g8xMgGH6z8jB2LQ6k

• Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein and amino Acids. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press; 2005. Available from: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10490

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• Rennie MJ, Wackerhage H, Spangenburg EE, Booth FW. Control of the size of the human muscle mass. Ann Rev Physiol. 2004;66:799-828. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14977422

• Biolo G, Tipton KD, Klein S, Wolfe RR. An abundant supply of amino acids enhances the metabolic effect of exercise on muscle protein. Am J Physiol. 1997;273(1 Pt 1):e122-9. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9252488

• Tipton KD, Wolfe RR. Exercise, protein metabolism, and muscle growth. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2001;11(1):109-32. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11255140