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There’s an old saying in fitness: Scientists eventually prove that the thing bodybuilders have been doing for 20 years actually works. This aphorism was proven true one more time when it comes to drinking peri-workout BCAAs. We already know that BCAAs (namely leucine) is a signaler for protein synthesis and that leucine and isoleucine can help stimulate fat-burning within muscle cells. However, a study published in the American Jour- nal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism found that when consumed before, during, and after a workout, BCAAs mitigated increases in two separate catabolic agents. In total, the subjects in the study consumed 85 milligrams of BCAAs per kilogram of bodyweight (a reasonable 6.8 grams for a 176-pound athlete). With almost no downside other than a very small amount of calories, a good BCAA formula can help you hold onto the gains you’ve sweated so hard for, especially during a cutting phase. Thanks, science!