The effect of BCAA supplementation in aiding muscle soreness to prevent lateral ligament ankle injuries in athletes

Abstract

Ankle injuries are very common in athletes and comprise of 40% of all sports injuries.¹ These injuries are due to overworking muscles which causes them to reach maximum tension and soreness. When this happens, the surrounding ligaments and tendons are more susceptible to injury, since the muscles that they hold together are weaker and don't function at full strength. A common supplement used by athletes to combat this is Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA), which increases muscle strength and recovery. BCAA’s as a whole facilitate glucose uptake to provide energy to muscles during exercise, and leucine in BCAA induces the process of muscle protein synthesis and mitochondrial biogenesis, which increases metabolic enzymes for glycolysis.² While it is proven that BCAAs promote muscle growth, it has not yet been proven that BCAA can prevent injuries by healing muscle soreness. This paper reviews existing literature regarding the effect of BCAA in aiding muscle soreness, and how it may prevent ankle injuries in athletes. Results show that BCAAs can decrease chance of injury due to increased muscle recovery by facilitating glycolysis which increases energy production to the sore or weaker muscle.