But what do BCAAs actually do? Do you really need them? And if so, when should you take them?
The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a group of three essential amino acids: Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. They are essential, meaning BCAAs can't be produced by your body and must be obtained from food or supplements. BCAA supplements have been shown to build muscle, decrease muscle fatigue and alleviate muscle soreness. —Healthline.com
BCAAs also help enhance muscle protein recovery after your workout. "Emerging research suggests that Leucine is the star player of BCAAs when it comes to regulating genetic signaling pathways involved in muscle protein synthesis," according to GNC.com.
Their molecular structure look like this:
Image Source: Bodybuilding.com
BCAAs fuel your skeletal muscles during training, which can help give you the edge you need to push your limits. Supplementing with BCAAs helps preserve your stores of glycogen—the primary fuel your muscles use for energy production. This means your body has a reliable energy source to tap into while you work out, which can keep you going. Plus, abundant glycogen stores keep your body from breaking down muscle protein for energy instead. That’s why BCAA supplements are a win-win for your muscles—they help sustain and safeguard them. That’s potentially more energy, more reps and more gains. —GNC.com
One of the easiest ways to help you get more out of your daily gym sessions is consuming BCAAs, whether in your everyday food consumption or with supplementation. They are most effective when consumed just BEFORE, DURING or AFTER your next gym session, workout or any physical activity.
BCAAs are an ingredient in all four of the LIFEAID Recovery Blends shown above:
(75mg Leucine, 37.5mg Isoleucine, 37.5mg Valine)
FITAID
FITAID RX
FITAID ZERO
FITAID RX ZERO
> > > Live well.
Last month, the Buttery Bros. (Heber Canon & Marston Sawyers) traveled to sunny southern California to crush some waves & WODs with Brooks Laich and a ready-as-ever, Games-bound Sara Sigmundsdóttir. Check out their photo journal from the weekend below, then watch the Buttery Bros.' full episode below — brought to you by FITAID ZERO, your new zero sugar Recovery Blend, still made with only the good stuff!
> > > Live well.
CrossFit's sweetheart Rory (Ro) McKernan joined The Buttery Brothers & well-known media team duo—Heber (Heebs) Cannon & Marston (Mars) Sawyers—Thursday evening for the Open Workout 19.2 LIVE Announcement. The trio anxiously huddled around the TV in the FITAID box, located at the office of LIFEAID Beverage Co. in the old Wrigley building on the west side of Santa Cruz, California.
Everyone was eager to hear what the workout would entail as they tried to mentally prepare for the good old-fashioned head-to-head throwdown that lay ahead of them. Despite a slightly disjointed announcement broadcast from Australia, the group finally pieced together the details of the workout:
OPEN Workout 19.2 (Men's RX)
25 toes-to-bar
50 double-unders
15 squat cleans (135 lb.)
25 toes-to-bar
50 double-unders
13 squat cleans (185 lb.)If you complete all of the above movements under 8 minutes, add 4 minutes to clock and proceed to next round.
25 toes-to-bar
50 double-unders
11 squat cleans (225 lb.)If you complete the above round under 4 minutes, add an additional 4 minutes to clock and proceed to next round.
25 toes-to-bar
50 double-unders
9 squat cleans (275 lb.)If you complete the above round under 4 minutes, add an additional 4 minutes to clock and proceed to final round.
25 toes-to-bar
50 double-unders
7 squat cleans (315 lb.)Time cap: 20 minutes
Now armed with all the workout details, the athletes scattered like ants and started talking strategy as they warmed up in the FITAID box. They each methodically got their equipment all set up, carefully preparing for battle as they passed around a few light-hearted taunts. Trust us, this crew is accustomed to hyping each other up to compete.
The last time this trio competed was during the LIVE Announcement of Open Workout 18.5 in Iceland (in 2018), where Heber walked away with the win. Since then, plans for redemption have been spoken of in hushed tones by both Rory and Mars ...
"Daddy, let's go kick some butt," Rory's daughter said with an aggressive high-five for her dad just before the workout began.
True to form, Mars came out "hot" and was in the lead after Round 1. But a determined Rory and Heber weren't too far behind as they all started Round 2 ...
Amidst repeated shouts of "Go, Daddy, go!" from Heber's two little boys—Finley (2) and Maverick (4)—who cheered madly from the corner, Cannon managed to stand up his 11th squat clean at 185 lb., finishing just 2 reps shy of completing Round 2 within the 8-minute time cap.
As Heber sat and attempted to make a buttery recovery, Rory and Mars were forced to forge ahead into Round 3 without the company of their lusciously long-locked companion.
Mars hopped back onto the pull-up bar first, while Rory strolled slowly over in an attempt to catch his breath. Quickly it became apparent just how winded both of the remaining athletes were after having sprinted to complete those final squat cleans in the previous round.
With every rep, the athletes took extended hunched-over breaks, often turning their toes-to-bar into painful singles.
Ro & Mars continued chipping away at their remaining 25 toes-to-bar in Round 3. Mars finished his first and advanced to the 50 double-unders. Meanwhile, Rory remained on the pull-up bar.
As the third round's 4-minute time cap approached, Mars managed to get to the barbell and power through 5 squat cleans at 275 lb., taking the overall win and bragging rights for 19.2! Rory advanced to the jump rope and completed a total of 12 double-unders in that third round, securing his second-place finish. With only 11 of the required 13 squat cleans under his weight belt prior to the 8-minute time cap of Round 2, a humbled Heber found himself in an unfamiliar last place compared to his previous first-place finish in their Icelandic battle for 18.5.
Even though none of these three buttery beasts completed the work requirement within the third round's 12-minute time cap (necessary to advance them into the final two rounds), all three of them are winners in our book. Just don't think for a second that they're gonna let Heber forget this one any time soon ...
In case you missed the LIVE action, do not fear—you can still watch it over on the @FITAID Instagram page! (Just click on the Story, then select "Watch Live Video")
"When was the last time you had pancakes for dinner?"
—The Buttery Bros.
It's the sound of our friends, family members and fellow athletes cheering us on, paired with our ongoing inner desire to dig deep and do our best—that's what makes CrossFit great. —LIFEAID staff
> > > Live well.