Find out if amino acids really play such an important role in the athlete's diet? And why many athletes actively use isoleucine in their diet. Amino acid compounds are actively used by the body in various processes. In the course of numerous studies, it was found that the BCAA group of amines is of great importance for builders. As you should already know, it contains three substances, and today we will take a closer look at the use of isoleucine in sports.
Like all branched chain amino acid compounds, isoleucine is an essential amine and therefore cannot be synthesized in the human body. This fact increases its importance, which is already very high. This substance is found in many foods such as eggs, dairy products, fish, chicken, seaweed, etc.
The importance of isoleucine in sports
Let's take a closer look at what functions this amino acid compound performs in the body and what is its value for athletes:
- Hemoglobin production. Most of the protein compounds in the blood are associated with oxygen. Isoleucine allows you to increase the amount of oxygen that can be attached to hemoglobin. This not only speeds up the production of hemoglobin, but also enhances the delivery of oxygen to all tissues.
- Regulates the concentration of sugar. High or low sugar levels are equally harmful to the body. The body is able to maintain a normal concentration of a substance and uses hormones for this. It is for the production of these substances that amines are needed, and isoleucine is involved in the process of insulin synthesis. If a deficiency of this substance is formed in the body, then the production of insulin will become impossible, which as a result will lead to serious consequences, up to the development of diabetes. Also, in such a situation, a violation of the metabolism of carbohydrates is possible.
- Improves the processes of providing the body with energy. If we talk about the use of isoleucine in sports, then it is imperative to say about the ability of amine to improve energy supply processes. Since the metabolism of the substance takes place in the tissues of the muscles, it is on these tissues that isoleucine has the greatest effect. It speeds up the production of alanine, which leads to a decrease in recovery time after training. As you know, recovery for athletes is a very important factor in progress.
- Improves the quality of the skin. The intercellular fluid of the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) consists of a mixture of lymph and blood plasma. Its circulation is ensured by the contractions of the heart muscle. Since essential amines affect the metabolic rate, the restoration of the cellular structures of the skin proceeds much faster.
How is isoleucine used in sports?
BCAAs are vital for all people who experience intense physical activity in sports or at work. Although they are found in a large amount of food, this is almost always not enough to maintain their required concentration.
After numerous experiments, we can say with complete confidence that isoleucine in sports is intended to restore energy balance and increase endurance. In addition, in combination with two other amines of the BCAA group, isoleucine is a powerful anti-catabolic and helps to protect muscle tissue from destruction. This is also a very important feature of this substance for builders. Without reliable protection against catabolism, it is impossible to build large muscles.
Of course, it makes no sense to use valine separately. With a properly selected combination of all three amines of the BCAA group, they mutually enhance the effect on the body. This ratio has been established in numerous experiments and is 2 to 1 in favor of leucine. In other words, leucine needs to be taken twice as much compared to other BCAAs. It is in these ratios that all supplements containing BCAAs are now produced.
Leucine dosages
Scientists have found that the daily requirement of an ordinary person for isoleucine is 35 milligrams. Of course, athletes need to consume much more of this substance, since its consumption is much higher than that of an ordinary person. It is very difficult to satisfy the needs of the body only with the help of food, and therefore it is necessary to use sports nutrition.
There are a large number of products of this type on the market today, and they differ little from each other. The only thing you should pay attention to is the ratio of amines, which we talked about above. These supplements should be used before the start and after the completion of the training in the amount of one serving.
For taking isoleucine in the BCAA complex, see this video:
