Spring has sprung, and summer is not far behind. With the changing weather comes an important part of healthy living—getting outdoors and being active. Whether it’s taking a long walk, hiking with your family, going for a bike ride, or climbing a mountain, nutrition plays a key role in helping our bodies perform at their best, so with this increase in physical activity, how can you harness nutrition to best support your soon-to-be moving body?

One of the major caveats with sports nutrition is that there are different recommendations to be made for different sports, and making it even more confusing, there are different recommendations for the same sport that is done at different intensities (think sprinting versus running a marathon). What this all means is that finding broad nutrition recommendations for supporting all types of physical activity can be a little challenging. However, there is one group of nutrients that belong on every active person’s plate: branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), obtained through either amino acid supplements or certain foods.

The term BCAAs refers to three amino acids—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—that share a structural similarity and are metabolized differently than most amino acids. Typically amino acids are taken up by the liver; however, BCAAs bypass the liver and go straight into circulation so they can be used by muscle tissue. They also comprise a large portion of the total protein found in muscle tissue and play a unique and critical role in the metabolic processes of exercising muscles.

Recent studies have demonstrated that BCAA supplementation, especially with leucine, plays a very important role in regulating muscle mass. In fact, research shows that leucine both promotes protein synthesis and inhibits protein degradation, important for anyone looking to build healthy muscles and be physically active. Furthermore, skeletal muscle is unique in that it is actually capable of breaking down BCAAs and using them for energy, suggesting that these unique nutritional components can actually be used to support energy production in muscle, sparing blood sugar for brain function.[1]

Because of their unique role in stimulating muscle protein synthesis and preventing breakdown, BCAAs have also been studied quite extensively on a broader scale for their role in supporting healthy recovery from exercise. Most people think that you should consume BCAAs after exercise to support recovery; however, studies show that consuming BCAAs before exercise will increase the amount of these amino acids in the blood stream, resulting in the suppression of muscle protein breakdown during physical activity. One particularly relevant study recruited study participants who did not work out regularly (many sports nutrition studies use elite athletes, making it hard to apply these concepts to the average person) and had them perform squat exercises to induce delayed-onset muscle soreness and muscle fatigue. The researchers had study participants consume a test solution of 5 grams of BCAAs before exercising or a placebo. The results indicate that ingesting 5 grams of BCAAs before exercise can delay muscle fatigue and support healthy recovery from activity in the days following exercise.[2]

Lastly, during exercise, there are changes in the amount of tryptophan that enters the brain. This is important because tryptophan is used to create serotonin[3] and the alterations in neurotransmitter signaling that occur as a result of a serotonin increase are thought to cause “central fatigue,” the fatigue felt during prolonged exercise, resulting in brain fog, sleepiness, and a reduced desire to continue with physical activity. Because BCAAs and tryptophan both utilize the same pathway to enter the brain, by consuming BCAAs before and during exercise, you can potentially reduce the amount of tryptophan in the brain, delaying the development of central fatigue.[4]

How can you get more BCAAs? They are sold as amino acid supplements, generally in capsules or powders, and can also be found in certain foods. Most high-protein foods such as eggs, cheese, whey protein, and other easily digestible protein sources can be consumed before physical activity to help boost blood levels of BCAAs. Other great plant-based sources of BCAAs include peanuts, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, Brazil nuts, almonds, and pea protein. So before your next outdoor adventure, on your quest for healthy living, consider a snack of a hardboiled egg or a handful of GORP trail mix your secret weapon to fuel your summer fun.