Protein 2
The effect of BCAA supplementation
upon the immune response of triathletes. Bassit RA, Sawada LA, Bacurau
RF, Navarro F, Costa Rosa LF Department of Physiology and Biophysics,
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
INTRODUCTION: Intense long-duration exercise could lead to immune
suppression through a decrease in the circulating level of plasma
glutamine. The decrease in plasma glutamine concentration as a
consequence of intense long-duration exercise was reversed, in some
cases, by supplementing the diet of the athletes with branched-chain
amino acids (BCAA). To better address this question, we have evaluated
some blood parameters (lymphocyte proliferation, the level of plasma
cytokines, plasma glutamine concentration, and in vitro production of
cytokines by peripheral blood lymphocytes) before and after the Sao
Paulo International Triathlon, as well as the incidence of symptoms of
infections between the groups. METHODS: Twelve elite male triathletes
of mean age 25.5 +/- 3.2 yr (ranging from 21.4 to 30.1 yr), weighing
74.16 +/- 3.9 kg, swam 1.5 km, cycled 40 km, and ran 10 km (Olympic
triathlon) in the Sao Paulo International Triathlon held in April 1997
and April 1998. In both events, six athletes received BCAA and the
others, placebo.
RESULTS: Athletes from the BCAA group (BG) presented
the same levels of plasma glutamine, before and after the trial,
whereas those from the placebo group showed a reduction of 22.8% in
plasma glutamine concentration after the competition. Changes in the
proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes were
accompanied by a reduction in IL-1 production after exercise (22.2%),
which was reversed by BCAA supplementation (20.3%), without changes in
IL-2 production. DISCUSSION: The data obtained show that BCAA
supplementation can reverse the reduction in serum glutamine
concentration observed after prolonged intense exercise such as an
Olympic triathlon. The decrease in plasma glutamine concentration is
paralleled by an increased incidence of symptoms of infections that
results in augmented proliferative response of lymphocytes cultivated
in the absence of mitogens. The prevention of the lowering of plasma
glutamine concentration allows an increased response of lymphocytes to
ConA and LPS, as well as an increased production of IL-1 and 2, TNF-alpha,
and IFN-gamma, possibly linked to the lower incidence of symptoms of
infection (33.84%) reported by the supplemented athletes.
To summarize, the major significant finding of that paper is that
supplementation with Branched Chain Amino Acids (a simple form of
protein) greatly improved the immune response in the triathletes after
a triathlon. After exercising, and especially after racing, your body
and your immune system is weakened, and hence you can be susceptible
to getting sick (as many of us have experienced). By taking BCAA's,
the researchers found that this did not happen. Protein may not be an
important fuel substrate, but it can thus be very important in keeping
us healthy and in our top form. There are other studies that have
demonstrated how BCAA's can decrease the amount of central fatigue.
(Central fatigue is fatigue of your nervous system which occurs most
often long endurance events, as opposed to Peripheral fatigue which is
fatigue of the muscles from lack of fuel or build-up of metabolites).
Forwarded by Graydon Raymer
March 24, 2001
