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Branched Chain Amino Acid Supplementation Reduces Muscle Damage during Running Recent research has shown that branched chain amino acid supplementation prior to weightlifting reduces muscle damage during the subsequent workout, thus promoting faster post-workout recovery. Other recent research has shown that consumption of a carbohydrate-protein sports drink during various types of exercise also reduces muscle damage. A new Japanese study sought to determine whether carbohydrate-BCAA supplementation during exercise would have a similar effect in runners. Eight highly trained male distance runners participated in the study, which had a double blind crossover design. All subjects twice completed a 25K pretest running, before and after which blood BCAA levels and blood lactate dehydrogenase (a biomarker of muscle damage) levels were measured. Five times during the run, the subjects were given a drink containing either 4% carbohydrate and 0.4% BCAA or an isocaloric placebo drink to consume ad libitum. In the second run, undertaken after a washout period, runners who received the BCAA drink initially received the placebo instead, and vice versa. When given the BCAA drink, runners exhibited steady blood BCAA levels, whereas blood BCAA levels tended to decrease when runners drank the placebo. In addition, blood lactate dehydrogenase levels increased 58% during the placebo trial as compared to only 48% during the BCAA trial. These results suggest that BCAA supplementation (or, more accurately, combined carbohydrate-BCAA supplementation) during running attenuates muscle damage by maintaining blood BCAA levels. The concentration of BCAA in this study was very low. The results of previous research suggest that muscle damage could have been further reduced if a more concentrated BCAA supplement had ben used.

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