Why You Need Valine and How to Get Enough of This BCAA

Valine is a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) that is vital to various aspects of your health. It is one of three BCAAs, all of which are essential amino acids that you can only get through foods or supplements.

Some research has focused on the use of valine for athletic performance and the treatment of certain health conditions. Overall, evidence of valine's use as a dietary supplement is weak. However, using this BCAA may still offer health benefits.

This article will discuss valine, including what it is and its potential uses. The article will also cover safety, dosage, interactions, and sources of valine.

What Is Valine?

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Valine, leucine, and isoleucine are three amino acids known as branched-chain amino acids. These BCAAs differ in both structure and function compared to other amino acids.

Along with the other BCAAs, valine is an essential amino acid. Unlike non-essential amino acids, your body cannot make essential amino acids on its own. Therefore, you must get valine and other essential amino acids through your diet.

In the body, valine is needed for protein synthesis and energy production. Valine and other BCAAs are broken down in the muscles and other tissues. Their presence in muscles may be why BCAAs are sometimes recommended for muscle growth.

BCAAs have been found to play a role in not only protein synthesis but also glucose metabolism, fat metabolism, and cell signaling.

Valine is considered glucogenic, which means it can be used to make glucose in the body. On the other hand, leucine is ketogenic, meaning your body can use it to make ketones. Isoleucine is both glucogenic and ketogenic.

While valine is different from leucine and isoleucine, the three have various similarities and tend to get lumped together. Many of the studies on valine also include the other BCAAs, making it difficult at times to differentiate between the jobs of each.

Valine is mostly found in animal foods but is also present in some plant-based proteins. You can get valine from meat, seafood, dairy, poultry, eggs, soy, whole grains, and certain nuts and vegetables.

Potential Uses of Valine

Some people use valine supplements with the hope of improving their health in one way or another. Although some research may support the use of valine for certain purposes or health conditions, the results can be classified as mixed at best.

There may be drawbacks to consuming too much valine through foods or using valine supplements, especially in excess. For example, increased levels of valine in the blood have been observed in people with type 2 diabetes.

In one study, high blood valine levels were associated with increased oxidative stress, a risk factor for insulin resistance (when muscle, fat, and liver cells don't respond well to insulin and can't easily take up sugar from your blood, creating the need for more insulin) and diabetes.

However, other research shows various potential benefits of using valine. Some of this research is outlined below.

Muscle Growth

When used in conjunction with the other two BCAAs (leucine and isoleucine), studies have suggested that valine may aid in muscle growth.

Research shows that using just one BCAA for muscle growth may decrease levels of the other BCAAs. This is because BCAAs compete for the same transport system to be carried into muscles. However, leucine may be the best BCAA to take for the purpose of increasing the size and strength of your muscles.

According to one review, various studies have shown that BCAAs stimulate muscle growth when used after resistance exercise. However, evidence suggests that BCAAs work best when other essential amino acids are present. This may mean that BCAAs should be used alongside other proteins and/or essential amino acids to increase muscle protein synthesis.

Overall, there isn't strong evidence that valine works on its own to enhance muscle growth. Valine and the other BCAAs appear to be most effective when combined with other proteins or amino acids. More research is warranted in this area.

Exercise Endurance & Recovery

Several studies have covered the effects of valine and the other BCAAs in both exercise endurance and recovery. While BCAAs appear to play a role in exercise recovery, research results for their use in endurance are inconsistent.

The results of one study suggest that BCAAs may decrease serotonin concentrations during endurance exercise. Serotonin is known to cause fatigue and may also lead to muscle damage. However, this study was small and only included bicyclists, which means these results may not be seen in all types of athletes.

A 2022 systematic review examined numerous studies on BCAA supplements in athletic performance. Per the review, BCAAs appear to have a minimal impact on athletic performance but may help with muscle soreness and recovery. However, BCAAs may have the most positive effects on muscle soreness for those participating in resistance exercises rather than endurance exercises.

Once again, it's difficult, if not impossible, to differentiate the effects of valine, leucine, and isoleucine. Additional research is needed to determine if valine alone can improve exercise endurance or recovery.

Liver Disease

Blood levels of valine are often low in people with liver cirrhosis (scarring) and other types of liver disease. This may be due to an inability to properly metabolize proteins in a diseased liver.

In people with liver disease, BCAA supplementation may not only improve blood levels of valine, leucine, and isoleucine but also treat symptoms like fatigue and weakness. BCAA supplementation has also been shown to reduce the risk of complications like liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy, and even death.

Valine and the other BCAAs may show the most promise in cirrhosis and may reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in this population. Although, these results have mostly been seen in animal studies rather than human trials.

There is still much to learn about valine's role in liver disease. More research, especially human trials, is warranted.

Side Effects & Safety

When used properly, valine supplements do not cause serious side effects. However, some people may experience side effects when using valine supplements.

Common side effects of amino acid supplements include nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

It's recommended to avoid taking single amino acid supplements for long periods. Taking valine alone may cause an imbalance in other amino acids in your body. Such an imbalance may make it impossible for some amino acids to work as they should.

Taking high doses of valine or using it for too long may also lead to liver or kidney problems. This is because the liver and kidneys are responsible for breaking down valine and other amino acids.

You should not take valine-containing supplements if you:

• Are pregnant: Amino acid and protein supplements are not recommended during pregnancy as protein needs can be met through diet alone.
• Are breastfeeding: There is not enough reliable information on the safety of valine supplements in this population.
• Have maple syrup urine disease: In maple syrup urine disease, valine and the other BCAAs cannot be properly broken down. If you have this disease, using a valine supplement may result in valine buildup, which can cause serious neurological issues.

It's always best to talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement. Based on your medical history and other factors, a healthcare provider can help you determine if BCAA supplements are right for you.

Dosage: How to Take Valine

Valine supplements come in varying forms and doses.

Valine capsules, powders, liquid extracts, and tablets are available. Some supplements contain just valine, while others contain the other two BCAAs (leucine and isoleucine).

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults consume 26 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) for valine each day. However, these recommendations are difficult to translate to supplement use. If you take a supplement that contains all BCAAs, a dose of up to 20 grams (g) per day for six weeks or less appears safe.

Typically, most people can get plenty of valine through a well-balanced diet.

Due to a lack of evidence that valine supplements are necessary for any health conditions, there are no general recommendations for dosage. Therefore, it's best to follow dosage directions as written on your valine supplement label or as given by a healthcare provider.

Interactions

Many supplements interact with medications, herbs, nutrients, or other supplements when taken together. Such interactions may change the absorption, metabolism, or excretion of a supplement, medication, herb, or nutrient.

Valine is known to interact with other amino acids that use the same transport system in the body. These amino acids include tryptophan and tyrosine. Taking these amino acids together may disrupt their absorption.

An interaction may also exist between valine and levodopa, a drug often used to treat Parkinson's disease. Valine and other amino acids may reduce the absorption of levodopa, which could result in less of the drug crossing the blood-brain barrier. However, this interaction may affect other amino acids more than valine.

There is no solid evidence of additional interaction for valine. However, more interactions may exist.

It is essential to carefully read the ingredients list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included. Please review this supplement label with a healthcare provider to discuss any potential interactions with foods, other supplements, and medications. 

Sources of Valine & What to Look For

Valine is available in various foods and supplements. Most people can get all the valine they need from a well-balanced diet. Sometimes, however, valine supplements may be recommended by a healthcare provider.

Food Sources of Valine

Valine is mostly found in animal-based foods, but some plant-based foods also contain the BCAA.

Common food sources of valine include:

• Meat
• Eggs
• Dairy
• Grains
• Vegetables

Valine can also be found in fish, poultry, beans, and potatoes.

Recall that valine is an essential amino acid and must be consumed via foods or supplements. In healthy people, a varied diet should supply all the valine the body needs.

Supplement Sources of Valine

Valine supplements can be found online or in various stores, like grocery stores, retail chains, or nutrition shops.

There are several options when it comes to supplement forms of valine. You can purchase valine supplements in the form of capsules, powders, tablets, or even liquid extracts.

Take special notice of the ingredient list when choosing a valine supplement. While some supplements contain valine only, others contain the other two BCAAs or other ingredients.

The supplement label should tell you if your valine supplement meets special dietary needs, such as gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and organic. Many valine supplements are made from animal sources or the capsules may be made from gelatin, a non-vegan substance.

Summary

Valine is an essential branched-chain amino acid that is needed for many processes in your body.

A normal diet can provide all the valine you need, but some people choose to take supplements for various reasons. More research is needed to determine if valine supplements should be used for muscle growth, exercise endurance, exercise recovery, or liver disease.

If you're thinking of trying a valine supplement, talk with a healthcare provider first to make sure it's the right choice.