Supplements are bodybuilder’s friendliest, but knowing which, among the crowd helps best is important. Both BCAA & Glutamine are amino acids that perform in different ways. The big question is which one should they choose and this guide helps take a decision.
Let us compare them both.
What are BCAAs?
Packaged as a group, the three essential amino acids – Leucine, IsoLeucine and Valine – have similar structures and found together but play different roles – all beneficial to bodybuilders. This similarity helps them to be absorbed by our body rapidly. BCAAs have many more benefits, explained in detail in this interesting post.
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What does the BCAA do?
Thanks to the three amino acids, BCAA works much smarter. While Isoleucine helps the cell to replenish glucose for energy, Leucine and Valine encourage protein synthesis which is vital for muscle development. Leucine also ensures a leaner and better body composition for a bodybuilder. All three also help in fast recovery from muscle damage which happens while resistance training.
BCAAs also helpful in Critical Conditions
Many a time bodybuilders try resistance training on an empty stomach and even if the body lacks from nutrients, presence of BCAAs ensure that the recovery is on fast track. Also, it is a proven fact that those bodybuilders who took BCAAs with meals ended up with left fat around the middle.
Lastly, BCAAs ensure that while exercising, you are less sore, gain from increased endurance and less fatigue and this goes a long way towards a satisfying schedule.
In a nutshell, BCAAs help with your muscle recovery, maintaining lean mass, and building new muscle when necessary.
When to Take BCAA?
Bodybuilders can take BCAA an hour prior to exercising and also post-workouts keep the same gap. It is beneficial when you start working out the next day. Many gurus recommend that BCAAs are most effective when taken after a workout as a recovery or during a fast to retain and build muscle mass.
Glutamine, what is it?
A highly beneficial conditional amino acid, which our body can produce, benefits in muscle building and helps improve performance in resistance training. It is also a fact, that, we tend to lose it in illness and also during prolonged exercises like aerobics, known as muscle wasting conditions.
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How Glutamine Works for our body?
Glutamine does a champion’s work by staying around (it is present in our skeletons) and prevents our body from entering into a catabolic state. When working out, naturally, this amino acid level goes down and the supplementation helps cell hydration and speed up recovery. Further, it helps in secretion of the essential Growth Hormone, which is a key muscle builder and also helps balance nitrogen levels that help in keeping our body in an anabolic state.
Glutamine is useful in Critical Conditions
Bodybuilders often participate in shows and the busy schedule sometimes disturbs intake of vital nutrients essential for retaining muscle and losing fat. But Glutamine ensures these minor mistakes don’t result in big losses.
Glutamine turns into energy
This is one fact that not many know about. Glutamine can quickly be turned into glucose, which readily fuels muscles. The positive result being there is less strain on BCAAs and your muscles to be turned into energy form. In a way, Glutamine helps their adversary (the one we are talking here).
When to Take Glutamine?
Just 5 grams of Glutamine before or after exercise works equally well. This supplement reduces the Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS.
Who’s best for bodybuilders: BCAA or Glutamine?
Glutamine helps in keeping our body’s health going in good humour and is helpful in adversity, when our body lacks in nutrients and also helps in recovery. This one quality itself scores heavily in its favour because if the body is not well, no supplement can pump you to rise up and perform. Other supplements can boast of their superiority only when Glutamine has done its homework well.
BCAAs on the other hand helps when you are roaring to go. Their three-pronged formula, works wonders while you train hard lifting weights and maintains muscles thoroughly. It also peps you to reach new heights and give you the immense satisfaction of extending your gym schedule.
Conclusion
Each one of these two, Glutamine and BCAAs have their respective strong zones and benefits. Many gurus opine that supplementing both has much better results, especially in adverse conditions. Glutamine provides energy (glucose) when needed and BCAAs help you perform better and manage your muscles much better by helping them recover faster. They also synthesize protein better for the benefit of bodybuilders.
Picking anyone out is difficult. Who knows which condition may hit you when? We agree with the gurus that both supplements are beneficial when taken together. We will wait for your feedback on this and keep everyone updated.
