August 10, 2020 Wiggy Saunders

Sip This and Watch the Weight Fall Off

Did you know that the top contributor to weight gain isn’t exercise, and it isn’t genetics?

Sure, plenty of people think those are the leading causes of carrying around extra fat.

And yes, those things influence your body shape.

However, when it comes to weight gain and weight loss, the leading factor in how much you weigh is related to what you eat.

As the saying goes “Abs are made in the kitchen.”

Now having a rippling 6-pack might not be your thing. But, if you want to lose weight as you know it would do you good and improve your health.

BCAAs are Nature’s Body-Building Weight Shedding Superfood

So, if you’re wondering what BCAA means, it’s shorthand for Branched-Chain Amino Acids.

These amino acids are the most critical out of all the amino acids our bodies require for helping to create and keep muscle.

In the realm of bodybuilding, many of those extremely lean athletes use BCAAs to help them keep that kind of figure.

They’ve come to learn that they can still build muscle and remain trim by supplementing with BCAAs.

As we’ve written about before, the three BCAAs needed to help in the quest for losing weight are Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine.

Together, those amino acids represent around 35–40% of all essential amino acids present in your body and 14–18% of those found in your muscles.

When you consume BCAAs it means your body focuses on building muscle.

Stated Nutrition writes:

“A study conducted sought to see the effects BCAAs had on testosterone and cortisol following high intensity resistance training. What they found in the subjects that were administered the BCAA supplement were higher testosterone levels and lower cortisol levels creating a perfect anabolic environment for muscle gain and recovery.

The notable impact on these two hormones suggests BCAAs help to maintain a proper hormone profile and mitigate imbalances after training sessions. If your goal is recovery, lean muscle building, and fat loss this could be the answer.

Another study using a BCAA, carbohydrate, and arginine beverage was conducted on individuals following a single workout session. Compared to their placebo counterpart, the subjects who had the BCAA beverage showed the same testosterone to cortisol anabolic response as the study listed above. Additionally, The group that had the BCAA beverage also reported feeling less fatigue 2 hours post training.

Both these studies suggest two important effects BCAAs can potentially have on you post exercise. First, your hormones, testosterone and cortisol, will keep in proper balance to allow for recovery, muscle growth, and fat loss. Second, consuming BCAAs seem to lessen the time of fatigue post exercise. For most of us, we want to see the results of our labor and not linger around feeling sore and tired. It would seem that BCAAs are the key to exactly what we’re looking for. “

BCAAs May Lower Blood Sugar Levels For Weight Loss

BCAAs may also help maintain normal blood sugar levels, which is closely tied with healthy weight loss.

Here’s what Healthline writes on the subject:

“Leucine and isoleucine are thought to increase insulin secretion and cause your muscles to take in more sugar from your blood, thereby decreasing your blood sugar levels However, in practice, not all studies back up these effects.

In fact, some even report potential rises in blood sugar levels, depending on the type of diet participants followed. For instance, when BCAAs are combined with a high-fat diet, consuming them in supplement form may lead to insulin resistance.”

By adding BCAAs into your diet you can keep you insulin levels healthy which aids in weight loss.

BCAAs May Directly Enhance Weight Loss

There are a number of studies that show when people take BCAAs it can help with weight loss.

Studies published in the Journal of Nutrition show that when people take 15 grams of BCAAs each day it can prevent future weight gain.

In those studies, BCAA consumption was linked to a 30% lower risk of becoming overweight or obese than those consuming an average of 12 grams per day.

And BCAAs might be better than regular old protein shakes to help with weight loss.

A study published by the International Journal of Sports Medicine showed that when Athletes who took BCAAs lost more weight than athletes who took soy protein.

In that study the athletes who were on a calorie-restricted diet supplemented and took BCAAs lost 3.5 more pounds (1.6 kg) than those given a soy protein supplement over the 19-day study period.”