Positive anabolic effects of BCAA - Everything You Need to Know

Kacper Nowak
September 08, 2025
4min.
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Positive anabolic effects of BCAA

By definition, dietary supplements are meant to supplement the nutrient deficiencies in our diet, but some of them are specifically designed for people who are exercising, because intense physical activity can contribute to the forced breakdown of muscle building proteins and, as a result, muscle loss. To prevent this and achieve net positive muscle gain, we need to provide the body with conditions for recovery. This means not only sleep, but also adequate supply of certain elements of the diet that will rebuild damaged muscle. One of the most important components that a person can provide is the amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle growth, but it's also possible to recognize the benefits of this half-chain amino acid, which is a powerful way to help people gain weight.

Table of Contents

1. Initiation of muscle protein synthesis

2. BCAA

3. A service to the builder

4. Stimulation of insulin secretion

5. Downregulation of ubiquitin

1. Initiation of muscle protein synthesis

The muscle contractions that come with strength training lead to the anabolic effect being forced on our muscles. This process is called muscle protein and is regulated by several smaller synapses such as the absorption of the amino acid growth factor (TOR) or the 70S6K kinase, which is then used to superstructure the entire muscle structure using machinery that's almost exclusively specific to muscle cells. But the fact that muscle training is doing these things at the same time is that it's possible to show how much energy these two muscle proteins are activated, and what we should know is that the two muscle cells that are activating this protein are not only active on the radar.

2. BCAA

No other macronutrient has the same properties as protein in this respect, not even all amino acids are capable of stimulating muscle protein synthesis. Only certain other essential amino acid compounds, such as treonine, can stimulate the syntheses of new proteins.

3. A service to the builder

The initiation of muscle protein synthesis is the first step in the process of building muscle, and it could be presented as a metaphor for bringing the building team to the construction site. They're on site and they're ready to build, now they just need the materials they can use. And here's the second feature of branched-chain amino acids, because these excited workers use them as building blocks.

4. Stimulation of insulin secretion

Insulin is a hormone that is mostly released when you eat carbohydrates, but a lot of research shows that some amino acids can also have insulinogenic properties. It's not because they're converted to glucose in the liver, it's just that the beta cells of the pancreas that stimulate insulin secretion are stimulated and respond to the presence of branched-chain amino acid. What's that mean for muscle mass? Insulin has many functions in our bodies, one of which is to stop the process of gluconeogenesis in our liver.

5. Downregulation of ubiquitin

BCAAs have an indirect anticatabolic effect through insulin activity, but their contact with muscle cells also has a direct effect on stopping proteolysis. In all of our muscle cells, there are small molecule proteins called ubiquitin. They are largely responsible for marking proteins that will then degrade. The two main members of this family are MuRF-1 (muscle RING-finger-1) and MAFbx (Muscle atrophy F-box).

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