Amino acids are the building blocks of muscles. After a grueling workout, muscle tissues are depleted and amino acids play a fundamental role in replenishing your muscle cells with valuable nutrients for repair and rebuild. Weightlifters, bodybuilders, athletes and fitness enthusiasts need amino acids on a regular basis for an optimum workout and for muscle maintenance as well. Without proper amino acids intake, you'll hardly make any muscle gains and your performance will greatly suffer.

There are two types of amino acids ie essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids consist of Leucine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine and Tryptophan while non-essential amino acids include Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Cysteine, Cystine, Glutamic Acid, Glutamine, Glycine, Hydroxyproline, Proline, Serine and Tyrosine. Essential amino acids are derived from foods and supplements whereas non-essential amino acids are naturally produced by your own body although you can get them in foods and supplements too. The term "non-essential" can be misleading as all amino acids are essential. For instance, Glutamine is needed to strengthen your immune system function.

Leucine, Valine and Isoleucine are essential branched chain amino acids(BCAA's) and make up about 1/3 of the body skeletal muscle tissue. They play a vital part in stimulating protein synthesis which is the process of converting amino acids into muscles. So proper intake of BCAA's will result in building muscle mass. Furthermore, they enhance recovery, promote endurance, decrease fatigue, induce fat loss, stimulate metabolism, reduce muscle soreness, boost immune function and have anti-catabolic effects. Other great benefits include an increase in testosterone levels, growth hormones and insulin and all these are highly anabolic hormones.

Branched chain amino acids can naturally be obtained from food sources like chicken, turkey, eggs, beef, fish, milk, cottage cheese, yoghurt, lentils, kidney beans and soya beans so if you follow a proper nutrition plan, you can get your intake of BCAA's easily.

Another way of taking BCAA's is via a branched chain amino acid supplementation. Sometimes you might not get your nutrition right, this is where supplements come in handy. Another major benefit is amino acids are best utilized as Branched Chain and Free Form and supplements are convenient for that. Free Form amino acids have the prefix "L" before for example L-Valine, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Glutamine. In this state, they don't need to be digested and get shuttled to the bloodstream for immediate use by muscle cells. As compared to whole protein(peptide bonds), free-form amino acids don't have to be broken down in the stomach.

A branched chain amino acid supplementation is highly effective for pre-workout, intra-workout and post-workout. BCAA's can simply be taken with water or gatorade. It's mostly available in powder form and capsule/pill form. Ideally, the easiest way to proceed is to simply mix the powder with some water in a shaker and carry it along with you in the gym. To improve performance and prevent muscle catabolism, most people like taking BCAA's and sip through it during their workout.

One branched chain amino acid supplement that I personally recommend is Scivation Xtend as you get a blend of free-form BCAA's and Glutamine. It's available in powder form. For people who weigh less than 160 pounds, they should take 2 scoops split before and during workout. Between 160-180 pounds, 4 scoops should do. Over 180 pounds, 6 scoops are enough. For post-workout, consume 2 scoops immediately regardless of bodyweight. After 15-30 minutes, have a whey/carbs/creatine protein shake.

BCAA's can get pretty expensive when consumed regularly, so if you want to save money, bypass the BCAA's post-workout and just have a whey/carbs/creatine protein shake instead within 15-30 minutes after your workout. Whey has a decent amount of free-form BCAA's and Glutamine. Below is a combo that you can use for an effective post-workout shake.

Whey Protein Isolate

Whey isolates are fast-digesting and fast-absorbing proteins available. Have a pure and undenatured whey isolate. Integrated Supplements make some of the best cross flow microfiltered and undenatured whey protein isolate. Free of artificial sweeteners and totally natural. Use 1-2 scoops for muscle repair and rebuild.

Dextrose

You'll need energy right after a workout. Have some fast-acting simple carbs like dextrose. Dextrose is glucose and has a high Glycemic Index(GI). This will help replenish lost glycogen stores as well as shuttling whey protein and amino acids faster to your muscle cells. You can get dextrose at NOW Foods. Have about 35-50 grams of dextrose.

Creatine

Creatine is optional but can give some added benefits like increasing strength, replenishing lost energy and aiding in muscle recovery. Just 5 grams post-workout is enough. I recommend Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder as it's easily mixed. Drink lots of water when taking creatine at least half a gallon.

Just mix all three in a shaker with 12-16 ounces of water and have a powerful recovery shake.

Using supplements at the right time and taking advantage of proper branched chain amino acid supplementation like Scivation Xtend can make a significant difference in your muscle gaining goals.