Should You Be Taking BCAAs Before Bed?

What are BCAAs?
Taking a step back, remember that our muscle tissues are made of proteins — and proteins are made up of amino acids. There are twenty amino acids, some of which our body can make on its own (non-essential) and some that we have to get from our diet (essential).
BCAAs in particular are typically found in higher concentrations in animal-based foods, like chicken, dairy, and beef.

Benefits of BCAAs
1. Build Muscle
Muscle tissue is constantly breaking down and being rebuilt - especially after exercise. When we stress our muscles during our workout, we cause micro-tears in the tissue that require protein (in the form of amino acids) to rebuild and get stronger. It is crucial that all of the necessary amino acids are available, and taking BCAAs ensures that your muscles will have all of the building blocks they need to heal and grow.
2. Lose Weight
3. Speedy Recovery
4. Reduce Fatigue
Dosage and Timing
Because BCAAs are essential and our body requires us to get them from our diet, taking them any time of day gives some benefit. If you struggle for energy before your workout, it makes sense to have them pre-workout.
Because BCAAs naturally occur in a lot of animal-based foods, those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet could see benefits from taking them any time of day — making sure their bodies have the levels of each that they need to function at their best.
Take Home Message
We know that our muscles do a great deal of recovery overnight while we sleep. Priming our bodies with a dose of BCAAs is an easy way to support this process and make sure we’re ready to tackle our next gym session.
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Claire is a Registered Dietitian through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a board-certified Health and Wellness Coach through the International Consortium for Health and Wellness Coaching. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition from the University of Pittsburgh.
Talking and writing about food and fitness is at the heart of Claire’s ethos as she loves to use her experience to help others meet their health and wellness goals.
Claire is also a certified indoor cycling instructor and loves the mental and physical boost she gets from regular runs and yoga classes. When she’s not keeping fit herself, she’s cheering on her hometown’s sports teams in Pittsburgh, or cooking for her family in the kitchen.
Find out more about Claire’s experience here.
- 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(1), 30.
- Shimomura, Y., Inaguma, A., Watanabe, S., Yamamoto, Y., Muramatsu, Y., Bajotto, G., Mawatari, K. (2010). Branched-chain amino acid supplementation before squat exercise and delayed-onset muscle soreness. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 20(3), 236-244.
- Wiśnik, P., Chmura, J., Ziemba, A. W., Mikulski, T., & Nazar, K. (2011). The effect of branched chain amino acids on psychomotor performance during treadmill exercise of changing intensity simulating a soccer game. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism, 36(6), 856-862.