BCAA's

[rpaul11]

I've been reading about a bunch of folks here that take them. I was under the impression (dillusion possibly) that you got plenty of these if you were taking in a good variety of protein sources plus supplementing with whey.

Am I incorrect in that thought? If so...what would be a good brand to take and when would be the best time to take it?

[psychowolverine]

taking in more BCAAs than you need can be beneficial for a BBer... I use to take them and responded very well to them.

[FitIron]

I've been reading about a bunch of folks here that take them. I was under the impression (dillusion possibly) that you got plenty of these if you were taking in a good variety of protein sources plus supplementing with whey.

Am I incorrect in that thought? If so...what would be a good brand to take and when would be the best time to take it?

True....they are in a solid grade whey isolate protein. they are in the one i use....

but i also take in a BCAA supplement as well.....

very beneficial in recovery...

[gbg]

It is true that a good protein powder will have them I take additional BCAA's and benefit, a lot has to do with the the volume of your training.

[rpaul11]

thanks for all the replies. Could anybody list some good brands to try?

[FitIron]

thanks for all the replies. Could anybody list some good brands to try?

XTEND....from Scivation....

Also, here is some info written by Layne Norton in regards to the importance of BCAA's..

BCAAs? the perfect dieting fuel?

Layne Norton BS Biochemistry

In recent years BCAA supplementation has come back into ?vogue? in the
bodybuilding and fitness community and with good reason; Branched Chain Amino Acids
may have more research to support their use as a supplement than any other supplement
available! While BCAA supplementation may be useful for gaining mass, I believe they
are most useful for maintaining muscle mass while on a diet, especially for bodybuilding
competitors who take their physiques to the extreme of leanness. Although getting
shredded makes you look awesome onstage and on the beach? and with your opposite
sex friend (or friends if you are that kind of guy/gal) it can also cause mucho loss of
muscle mass.

Dieting is catabolic for several reasons. The leaner one?s body gets, the more
likely they are to lose muscle mass as the body will try harder and harder to hold onto
body fat stores. In doing so, the body will turn to muscle to satisfy its energy needs. On
the molecular level this occurs by the body increasing protein breakdown in order to
liberate muscle amino acids for fuel. If this isn?t bad enough it is compounded by the fact
that levels of protein synthesis will also decrease due to reduced energy intake. Since the
basic equation for muscle mass = (rate protein synthesis ? rate of protein breakdown)
you better believe this is bad news. When the rate of synthesis equals the rate of
breakdown, there is no net loss or gain of muscle. If the rate of synthesis exceeds the rate
of breakdown, there is a net gain of muscle. Conversely, when the rate of breakdown
exceeds the rate of synthesis, there is a net loss of muscle mass. Therefore, during
dieting you may be ?burning the candle at both ends? as breakdown is elevated and
synthesis is reduced.

To compound the metabolic affects of dieting, there is also the workout factor to
consider. As one becomes leaner and leaner, they also become more lethargic due to
decreased energy intake and decreased glycogen storage. This causes workout intensity
and strength to suffer. This may increase muscle loss by preventing the individual from
lifting heavy loads with the sufficient intensity required to cause their body to adapt to
the workout by increasing or maintaining lean mass. Essentially what your body ?thinks?
if you start using lighter weights due to strength/intensity losses is, ?Hey this load isn?t as
heavy as I?m used to, I can use some of this muscle for energy since I don?t need it for
lifting a heavy load.?

Thus far I have presented you with the 3-headed monster of muscle loss. So how
does BCAA supplementation help prevent muscle loss? By attacking all 3 heads of this
monster. It is well established that branched chain amino acids (particularly leucine)
stimulate protein synthesis and can do so to a greater extend than a normal protein meal
by itself. What is even more interesting is that BCAAs also increase synthesis of the
cellular machinery responsible for carrying out the process of protein synthesis. So not
only do BCAAs increase the RATE of protein synthesis but they also increase the cell?s
CAPACITY for protein synthesis! BCAAs also work in your favor at the other end of the
muscle gain equation by reducing the rate of protein breakdown. This is most
accomplished by decreasing the activity of the components of the protein breakdown
pathway and also by decreasing the expression (the amount of mRNA produced from the
gene that codes for these components) of several complexes involved in protein
breakdown. If we revisit our original balance equation for muscle mass, one can plainly
see that increasing synthesis and decreasing breakdown will swing the pendulum far in
favor of muscle gain/maintenance.

The positive effects of BCAA supplementation on protein breakdown & protein
synthesis are not the only benefits to BCAA supplementation while on a cutting diet.
BCAAs can also help improve workout focus. BCAAs compete with the amino acid
Tryptophan for entry into the brain where Tryptophan can be converted to the
neurotransmitter serotonin through a series of reactions. During exercise, serotonin
levels rise and can (amongst other things) increase the perception of fatigue and cut
workout intensity short. Supplementation with BCAAs reduces the amount of Tryptophan
that enters the brain and therefore reduces the amount of serotonin that is produced,
which may allow you to workout harder and longer.

Despite the numerous positive benefits to BCAA supplementation, there are many
skeptics who suggest that BCAAs are overpriced and that one can just increase their
consumption of whey protein which is rich in BCAAs. Unfortunately this is not the case.
The BCAAs in whey are peptide bound to other amino acids and must be liberated
through digestion & absorbed into the bloodstream to exert their effects. Even though
whey protein is relatively fast digesting, it still takes several hours for all the amino acids
to be liberated & absorbed into the bloodstream. BCAAs in supplement form, however,
are free form BCAAs and require no digestion and are therefore rapidly absorbed into
the bloodstream, spiking blood amino acids to a much greater extent than peptide bound
amino acids. Even a few grams of BCAAs will spike plasma levels of BCAAs to a much
greater extent than a 30g dose of whey protein, impacting protein synthesis and protein
degradation to a much greater degree. The reason a supplement has such a powerful
effect on blood levels of BCAAs is that unlike other amino acids, BCAAs are not
metabolized to a significant extent by the small intestine or the liver, therefore an oral
supplement is more like a BCAA injection since it reaches the bloodstream so rapidly.
All of this information is all well and good, but what?s the bottom line? The
bottom line is that new studies have shown that supplementing with BCAAs (like leucine)
increase muscle retention and maximize fat loss on a diet when compared to nonsupplemented
groups. That?s the bottom line my friends, more muscle mass retained and
a greater percentage of body fat lost.

[doofusdave]

X2 on Xtend.

I have some before and during every workout. Has made a world of difference for me.

FitIron - great post, thanks!

[gbg]

Xtend Rocks!!!

[GreenWave1]

I use ON BCAA powder: http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/bcaa.html

I add 5g to my post workout shake.

[ectoBgone]

I'm going to be trying out BCAA supplementation soon. Any opinions on when is the best time to take them? I figure that pre-workout would be good, but would you add a post-workout dose and/or one before bedtime?

[FitIron]

I'm going to be trying out BCAA supplementation soon. Any opinions on when is the best time to take them? I figure that pre-workout would be good, but would you add a post-workout dose and/or one before bedtime?

Any of those would be fine for a dose....

I use it before, during and after a workout...

Yes, it may be over kill at the moment, LOL!! But I am competing in a week and trying to maintain muscle...

I was reading another post from Layne Norton and he mentioned that when waking in the middle of the night he'll have some Xtend, a protein bar and head back to bed...

[rpaul11]

what would be a sufficient daily dose for somebody to take on a regular basis?

[psychowolverine]

what would be a sufficient daily dose for somebody to take on a regular basis?

40-50g

[chrisbute]

As mentioned by others Extend by Scivation is very good. I also like Purple Wraath by Controlled Labs. I normally alternate between the two. Always read the labels to see what you are/aren't getting in each product.

[dbx]

I 2nd....3rd...or whatever, Xtend :). Been using it for over 2yrs and love it. It's pricey, but it's got one of the best flavoring systems out there. It also contains glutamine and citruline (sp) malate.