Hello,
what actually is the difference between those BCAA capsules
and the liquid amino things... What is considered more worth
buying. I tried the Weider MegaAmino some time ago, but
you have to drink it with lots of juice because they taste very
ugly and I get upset stomach.
Which do people prefer of both and is considered better for
muscles ?
Thanks
Tim
As already commented, BCAAs are always part of the liquid (or non-liquid) amino products. The main advantage of the liquid form is faster absorption of the aminos. BCAAs, whether in free form, or as part of full-spectrum liquid, powdered, capsule, or tablet form amino products, usually completely appear in the blood cells within 30 or so minutes of ingestion. The other non-BCAA aminos in fast proteins (like Whey) can take up to one hour or so to appear in the blood stream. But there is more. BCAAs (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, and L-Valine) are special aminos. They (BCAAs) are also essential amino acids (EAAs). The other EAAs include L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Threonine, L-Phenylalanine, and L-Tryptophan.
BCAAs are special because they are the only amino acids that fully (100% absorption) appear directly in cells within 30 minutes of consumption. All the others have to go through the liver and end up being synthesized into different compounds. So, all BCAAs consumed end up completely in the cells and are available for muscle repair and muscle building. For the other aminos, only a fraction of the consumed quantity finally appears at the cellular level.
Within BCAAs, L-Leucine is the king. As a consequence, some athletes supplement only with L-Leucine. This is not optimal, though. For L-Leucine to work optimally, the other BCAAs must be present. For the BCAAs to work perfectly, the other EAAs must be present. All the other aminos (non-EAAs) are not as crucial. They are usually available in sufficient quantities from food alone.
BCAAs, especially L-Leucine, are by far the most anabolic aminos. Besides, BCAAs, especially L-Leucine, prevent fatigue-creating substances from crossing the brain-blood barrier. As a result, mental and physical fatigue are delayed so you can train harder and longer. Furthermore, BCAAs, especially L-Leucine, dramatically promote the release of the most anabolic hormone known to science, namely, insulin. Finally, BCAAs help stabilize muscle mass, an important function during cutting.
To summarize, I would prefer a combination of bulk EAAS/BCAAs with additional L-Leucine.