BCAA for teenagers – from what age can it be used?

A sight that is normal for many people, but shocking for nutritionists, is that of young children reaching for sugar-sweetened and colourful fizzy drinks. These drinks do not provide the body with anything of value, but they do distort the threshold for perceiving naturally sweet taste stimuli and can lead to bad habits later in life.

1. Nutritional contradictions
2. What are BCAAs?
3. How do BCAAs work?
4. Where can you find the most BCAAs?
5. Can teenagers use BCAAs?
6. How to use BCAA?

Nutritional contradictions

Often, the same people who give their children ‘forbidden’ drinks refuse to accept the idea that dietary supplements are not intended solely for professional athletes or people with health problems, but that they can also provide many health benefits, e.g. during the body's development. To see this for yourself, just look at the nutritional value of supplements containing BCAA amino acids.

What are BCAAs?

BCAA amino acids, or branched-chain amino acids, are three of the twenty amino acids that build proteins in the body: leucine, isoleucine and valine. These are essential amino acids (EAAs), which means that the human body cannot produce them on its own and they must be supplied with food every day. Leucine receives the most attention among this ‘trio’.

How do BCAAs work?

The foundation of muscle regeneration and growth

BCAAs are fundamental for muscle regeneration and growth, largely thanks to the action of leucine, which initiates anabolic processes in muscle cells. For this reason, BCAAs are particularly popular among physically active people. However, it is worth knowing that increasing muscle protein synthesis is not the only function of this group of compounds when it comes to improving performance.

Training energy reserve

In situations of metabolic stress, e.g. during intense and/or long training sessions or restrictive diets, BCAAs can serve as a kind of energy reserve, protecting muscles from excessive breakdown after the available energy sources have been used up. This protection is crucial for the safety of training, but also in the long term, for maintaining muscle mass during periods of calorie deficit.

Impact on perceived fatigue

Athletes may also appreciate the fact that BCAAs have the ability to influence serotonin levels in the brain, a neurotransmitter associated with happiness and pleasure. They inhibit the passage of tryptophan, an amino acid from which serotonin is produced, into the brain. As a result, BCAAs can delay the onset of fatigue.

BCAA for the liver

Although research on the effect of BCAAs on various metabolic functions is still ongoing, there is increasing talk about their beneficial effects in the context of liver function. Preliminary evidence suggests that an adequately high supply of these amino acids may be necessary not only for prevention but also for the treatment of certain liver diseases, such as steatosis and its complications.

BCAAs for immunity

What is more, these amino acids are also valuable for the immune system, stabilising immune cell levels, among other things, by regulating lymphocyte function. BCAAs can therefore help protect against infections, especially after intense exercise.

Where can you find the most BCAAs?

First and foremost, animal sources

Lean chicken meat contains approximately 5.5 g of BCAAs per 100 g of meat, while beef contains an average of 4 g. When it comes to fish, salmon is particularly noteworthy, as it contains approximately 4 g of BCAAs per 100 g, in addition to valuable omega-3 fatty acids. A large egg provides about 1.3 g of BCAA, while dairy products such as cottage cheese and natural yoghurt contain 2.5 and 2.0 g per 100 g of product, respectively. It is impossible not to mention whey supplements, which contain up to 6 g of BCAA per 30 g serving.

Table: Approximate BCAA content in average-sized portions of the best protein sources

Why are plant sources also valuable?

Not only animal products can provide BCAAs, although plant sources are slightly less abundant. However, it is worth remembering them, because in addition to protein and amino acids, they contain fibre and antioxidants that are important for health. Lentils contain about 1.3 g of BCAAs per 100 g of cooked product, chickpeas about 1.2 g, and quinoa less than 1 g. Nuts and seeds are also a good source of these amino acids, with cashews providing up to 3 g per 100 g. However, such large quantities of these nuts are rarely consumed; the usual serving size is 30–35 g.

Even taking into account the principle of combining protein sources in a vegan diet, it is worth noting that the BCAA content would not exceed that specified for cottage cheese. To match 100 g of chicken meat, which provides about 100 kcal in its raw form, you would need to consume as much as 200 g of chickpeas and 70 g of cashews, or about 590 kcal. These values are approximate and may vary depending on the specific types of products and methods of preparation.

Can teenagers use BCAAs?

Most dietary supplements for active people do not have a set age threshold for when to start taking them, but many nutrients, such as vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids, can be used in much younger children. Considering the age of 18-20 as teenage years, BCAA can be considered a fully acceptable product, mainly for physically active people who want to support their regeneration.

Amino acid drinks or popular drinks and energy drinks?

It is particularly worth considering the use of water-soluble powders, which can be an alternative to popular energy drinks containing sugar and high doses of synthetic caffeine. BCAA supplements can also be a valuable support for the nutritional status of teenagers who neglect or have neglected their diet and health, for poor eaters, or anyone who has weakened muscles and bones, has suffered various injuries or trauma, or struggles with digestive and absorption disorders. In these cases, however, it is advisable to discuss both diet and supplementation with a specialist.

How to use BCAA?

BCAA is most often used as an additional dose of amino acids before, during, or after sports training. It can be recommended to young athletes, especially if they do not consume complete sources of protein every 3–4 hours. In intensive strength training, you can start with a 5 g serving after exercise to see if muscle soreness is reduced, while in long and endurance training, BCAAs can be used during exercise to test their fatigue-reducing properties.

Sources:

• Calder P. C. (2006). Branched-chain amino acids and immunity. The Journal of nutrition, 136(1 Suppl), 288S–93S. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/136.1.288S
• Tajiri, Kazuto, and Yukihiro Shimizu. “Branched-chain amino acids in liver diseases.” Translational gastroenterology and hepatology vol. 3 47. 30 Jul. 2018, doi:10.21037/tgh.2018.07.06
• Martinho, D. V., Nobari, H., Faria, A., Field, A., Duarte, D., & Sarmento, H. (2022). Oral Branched-Chain Amino Acids Supplementation in Athletes: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 14(19), 4002. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14194002