The BCAA's, which comprise of the essential amino acids Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine, make up approximately one third of skeletal muscle in the human body, and play an important role in protein synthesis. When adequate amounts of BCAA's are ingested post-workout, the body is placed in a greater state of hypertrophy with a positive amount of protein synthesis. This is extremely important for athletes because it will decrease recovery time as it increases the rate at which lean body mass is gained. The anti-oxidant Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) improves the action of insulin by increasing the muscle cells' sensitivity to this hormone, which then promotes protein synthesis to an even greater extent.