BCAA's

Today is going to be a little bit different in that, instead of reviewing a specific brand of branch chain amino acids I'm going to do more of an overview of BCAA's in general such as what you need to look for and when you should take them. 

First off, the purpose of BCAA's are anabolic as well as anti-catabolic (means that they help you build muscle and prevent them from breaking down). There are four main BCAA's that you should make sure are in whichever product you buy and they are: Valine, Leucine, Iso-leucine, and Glutamine. The reason you want all of these is because Valine, Leucine, and Iso-leucine are all closely related so they work well together and Glutamine by itself has been proven to help with muscle recovery.

Now onto when to take them. Valine, Leucine and Iso-leucine have been shown that, when taken pre-workout and intra-workout, delay fatigue and increase performance. Glutamine should be taken with your protein shake post-workout because its purpose is to resynthesize carbohydrates, help your muscles recover quickly after strenuous workouts, and raise growth hormone levels. Another reason you should take your Valine, Leucine, and Iso-leucine pre/intra-workout instead of post-workout is because if you take a good quality protein powder, it should already be packed with these three amino acids and if you add more to whatever is already in the protein, it's just going to be a waste since your body won't be able to process that much at one time.

In conclusion,

What do BCAA's do?

BCAA's taken pre-workout and intra-workout can help stave off fatigue and  help your muscles heal faster after strenuous workout as well as raise growth hormone levels (particularly with glutamine)

Are BCAA's worth the extra money? 

Yes

When should you take them? 

Take Valine, Leucine, and Iso-leucine either pre-workout or intra-workout and take glutamine post workout and before bed since it will raise your growth hormone levels (which are highest when you sleep).