If you’ve been training for any significant period of time, you’re well aware that you’re going to be sore at times. That’s because eccentric muscle contractions (lengthening contractions) can cause muscle damage that leads to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The muscle damage and leakage of calcium trigger inflammation that increases the severity of soreness one to three days after exercise. Which, of course, can pose a problem if you’re training five to six days a week.
Fortunately, we may have a solution thanks to researchers from Japan. In a study involving 36 subjects, they discovered that supplementing with 3.2 grams of branched-chain amino acids and two grams of taurine, three times a day, for two weeks prior to intense eccentric exercise reduced DOMS and the associated muscle damage.
Amino acids serve as the building blocks of proteins and as key activators of muscle protein synthesis.
Source: Journal International Society Sports, Nutrition 10:51, 2013