Why Women Over 50 Should Consider Taking Branched-Chain Amino Acids

Middle age brings a number of changes, especially for women. These changes are often due to perimenopause and menopause as time passes. You can try to fight changes like weight gain and fatigue with exercise, changes in diet and lifestyle changes. However, supplementation may be in order in many cases. Here are a few reasons why women over 50 should consider taking branched-chain amino acids.

It Delivers Critical Nutrients to Your Muscles

Branched-chain amino acids or BCAA are essential amino acids your body cannot make on their own. You can only get them through your diet or supplements.

The branched-chain amino acids are broken down by the body and mostly sent to your muscles. As we age, it becomes harder to maintain muscle mass and strength. Trying to eat more protein is one possible solution, though getting enough of these amino acids without consuming too much fat and calories is a challenge. The better choice is taking BCAA supplements. This provides the critical amino acids your body needs to repair muscle tissue. You’ll be better able to maintain your muscles as you age, and it may let you continue your activity level.

What’s great is that there are tons of different BCAA supplements available on the market to choose from, all with their own specific attributes. Companies like Douglas labs, for instance, offer a wide variety of amino acid supplements. Some of their supplements are formulated to treat things like weight gain and help promote muscle growth as well. If you want to look at their selection of products, Blue Sky Vitamin offers Douglas Labs BCAA supplements.

You’ll Be Able to Work Out More without Pain

Don’t assume that muscle aches and pains are a normal symptom of aging. And you certainly cannot afford to cut back on your activity level because of aches and pain. We already touched on the fact that BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids deliver the micronutrients your body needs to repair your muscles. These supplements are more often associated with bodybuilders, but they’re not limited to that specific group.

If you’re finding yourself in pain after working out or simply strained at the end of a normal day, consider taking BCAA supplements to help your body renew and repair itself. You may be able to return to normal activities like light jogging and the full circuit at the gym without pain.

You’ll recover from exercise faster, too. This means you will be able to resume chores or go for a walk sooner after a hard workout. You’re less likely to be sidelined by pain for a day or two after your exercise class or an injury.

Your Brain Benefits from BCAA, Too

Your brain consumes a disproportionate amount of any nutrient that your body takes in. A shortage of any key nutrient thus affects mental function, and amino acids are no exception. There’s even some research that suggests branched-chain amino acids could help repair cognitive damage, so supplementation could have an even more dramatic effect on how your brain functions as you age than we may think.

If you’re dealing with brain fog or forgetfulness, pay attention to your BCAA consumption. Or add BCAA supplements to your routine to make sure you get enough of these essential amino acids. This is especially true if the doctor says the mental deterioration is due to menopause.

Branched-chain amino acids can influence mood and stress too, so look into BCAA supplements if hormonal swings are affecting your mental state. For example, consuming enough of the right amino acids can help your brain tune out distracting background noise. Supplements like BCAA can protect against anxiety, depression, and insomnia. As a side benefit, you’ll be able to maintain your executive function or decision-making ability and your reaction time. There is also some evidence to show that amino acid supplements boost one’s immunity to a disease beyond the health benefits you see when your stress levels come down.

Tips for Taking BCAA Supplements

Women over 50 should be taking a BCAA supplement every day; taking a larger supplement every other day is an option. Also, try to look for BCAA supplements that contain both essential and non-essential BCAAs if you want to get the most benefits.

In general, it is best to take amino acid supplements on an empty stomach. You’ll probably want to keep taking BCAA supplements once you start since a meta-analysis of nine studies confirmed that it helps seniors maintain muscle mass and strength as they age. You reduce the risk of sarcopenia, the scientific term for age-related muscle loss.

Women over fifty face a double-whammy of age-related deterioration of the body and the negative effects of menopause. You can fight both of these trends and many of their associated effects with proper amino acid supplementation.