BCAA, creatine... simple information to help you find your way!

Updated on 2025-10-28

Summary: BCAA, creatine... simple information to help you find your way!

BCAAs and creatine both popular supplements, are often associated with sports performance, but their benefits go far beyond that. BCAAs - essential amino acids - help prevent muscle loss, support recovery and delay fatigue, especially in athletes or people on a low-calorie diet.

Creatine, on the other hand, promotes strength, power and muscle hydration, while having positive effects on cognitive and mental health, particularly in the elderly or recovering. These supplements can also be useful for vegetarians and vegans, who are often more limited in complete proteins. However, they are not recommended for children, adolescents or people suffering from kidney, liver or respiratory disorders. And it's best to introduce them separately, with good hydration, to take full advantage of their effects.

Role of BCAAs

BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) are essential for muscle growth and repair. They help delay fatigue, promote recovery after exercise and prevent loss of muscle mass, particularly useful for athletes and those on low-calorie diets.

Creatine benefits

Creatine improves strength, power and physical performance. It also promotes recovery, reduces the risk of cramps and dehydration, and has positive effects on cognitive and mental health, particularly for the elderly, post-menopausal and convalescent patients.

Supplements and diet

BCAAs and creatine can be of interest to vegetarians and vegans, whose intake of complete proteins is sometimes limited, as well as to those whose digestion or diet does not always allow for optimal amino acid intake.

Precautions and use

These supplements should be avoided in cases of renal or hepatic insufficiency or respiratory disorders, and are not suitable for children or adolescents. It is advisable to keep well hydrated and to introduce them separately, a few weeks apart, to observe the body's reaction before combining them.

About the author

Lynn Goneau, Certified Naturopath

Specialized in :

• Digestive health
• Hormonal health
• Stress and fatigue
• Memory and concentration
• Weight management

Frédéric Bisson, radio host at 104.7 FM

Host of the 104.7 FM radio station on the Cogeco network. Frédéric Bisson has hosted L'Outaouais Maintenant from 3 to 5 p.m. every weekday since February 27, 2023.

Transcription

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Over the past few weeks, especially with Pierre Jean discovering all the new protein-based products, we've realized that it's important to talk about them, and to consume them too. But there are other supplements that are gaining in popularity: BCAAs and creatine. We often talk about BCAAs and creatine in relation to sports performance. Is this reductive, and what are their roles in the body? I talk to Lynn Goneau naturopath at La Boite à Grains. Hello, Lynn.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Hello Fred.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Tell me about it, BCAA. Never heard of it.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

BCAAs are called branch chain amino acids. Okay, we often recognize it by that name. And then there's creatine, which is an amino acid. Each of them groups together different amino acids that allow your body to use them for different purposes.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

But are these amino acids or proteins?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

The way it works is when you eat an animal protein. Example chicken, red meat, fish, whatever. The digestive system breaks down the protein into smaller fragments. And that's what we call amino acids. These are then absorbed into the bloodstream. Then it's redistributed throughout your body to be used for different functions.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

OK, now we've got a couple of amino acids.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, your body actually has around twenty of them, but there are actually 11 in those 20 that are naturally produced by the body, so nine amino acids that the body can't go out and produce itself. So you have to get them from your diet.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

I understand. That's why proteins are so important, because generally those amino acids you don't produce yourself. You're going to get them from proteins when you eat well, that's the ideal.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

The ideal. Yes. So if you have a good diet, you should still get everything you need. But there are conditions too. What's becoming interesting is that if you don't have a diet that's always well-balanced according to your needs or, above all, good management, because your body always has to be able to break down the protein and then return it as an amino acid.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Okay? And that's where the supplements get interesting.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Instead of having to digest the protein itself, the amino acid is delivered directly.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Here. Yes. Okay. So who can take BCAA or creatine?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

BCAAs can be used by bodybuilders to really help with growth, athletes, especially those involved in endurance sports to delay fatigue, and people on low-calorie diets to prevent their decline in muscle mass.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

I understand that. Now for the creatine.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

We're obviously talking about maintaining muscle mass. It helps improve physical performance. It increases strength and power. When I train at a sports center, I can really feel the difference, and it also helps with recovery. It reduces the risk of cramps and dehydration because, by default, creatine will put water in your muscle.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Okay, you'll have less chance of getting dehydrated, but it's good for the brain too.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

It's crazy. The new research really shows the positive effect on mental and cognitive health. It can be just as good for menopausal women, the elderly, people with concussions. Yes, yes, it's crazy. Yes, in fact, it can reinforce the effects of antidepressants and reduce depressive symptoms. When you're taking antidepressants, you need to discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist, but it can help.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Well, less about the products themselves, because for vegetarians and vegans, how does it work?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

In fact, these two products can benefit vegetarians or vegans who have a potentially lower protein intake because not all plant proteins are complete. They can also help people recovering from illness to protect their muscle mass.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

It's important. There's advice. Some people shouldn't take it.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

In the advice, lots of water. It's very important to drink water.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Who should avoid taking them?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Consumption of creatine or BCAAs can be risky for people suffering from kidney or liver failure. It is not recommended for children or teenagers.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Then the two together, we take them together like that or we can take them separately.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

My preference, Frédéric, is to take them separately, because then you really want to get the effect that each of them will have with a few weeks between them. Then, after that, you can mix them if you see that everything's going well.