Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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09.04.2014 |
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Why bodybuilders who still smoke should use BCAAs
Smoking is bad for pretty much everything, and that includes your muscles. Researchers at Nara Medical University in Japan made an interesting discovery for bodybuilders and other strength athletes who still smoke: supplementation with BCAAs can help counteract the negative effects that smoking has on muscles.
Smoking & muscles
The Japanese were curious as to whether the muscle-shrinking effects of smoking were in any way related to BCAAs [structural formulas shown below]. Did smokers' muscles absorb fewer BCAAs perhaps? And if so, could smokers maintain muscle strength by taking a supplement containing BCAAs?
Study
Of both groups, half was given standard food and the other half was given food to which BCAAs had been added. The BCAA-enriched food contained approximately the same amount of amino acids as the standard food.
Results
The BCAA supplementation did not normalise the growth rate of the smoking rats, but it did counteract the negative effects of smoking on muscle mass. The figure below shows the weight of the gastrocnemius [calf muscle] in the four groups.
The Japanese discovered that smoking reduces the concentration of BCAAs in the blood. BCAA supplementation can negate the effect of smoking and restore the quantity of BCAAs in the bloodstream.
The muscles of the animals that inhaled smoke also contained lower amounts of BCAAs. That's why their muscles were smaller than those of the other lab rats. BCAA supplementation also normalised the amount of BCAAs in the rats' muscles.
Mechanism
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