Whey vs. BCAA post workout

I did some looking around and it is apparent that whey>BCAAs post workout. My problem is, after 8 months of elmination dieting I've determined that dairy, to include even unflavored whey isolate, gives me acne and digestion issues. Since giving up whey my recovery has been terrible. I've tried goats milk with raw egg and dextrose PWO, coconut juice (80% glucose), and eating a large meal within 30 min., but I'm still lacking in recovery.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried using BCAAs alone PWO and had any success, or if there are any other PWO ideas out there that might be as effective as whey.

Side note: I'm doing Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 North of Vag program, +1 day of longer conditioning or olympic lifting. I currently eat a pretty optimal diet for recovery, I'm just looking for an extra edge that I was used to when using whey.

[QUOTE=sinn10304;571687711]I did some looking around and it is apparent that whey>BCAAs post workout. My problem is, after 8 months of elmination dieting I've determined that dairy, to include even unflavored whey isolate, gives me acne and digestion issues. Since giving up whey my recovery has been terrible. I've tried goats milk with raw egg and dextrose PWO, coconut juice (80% glucose), and eating a large meal within 30 min., but I'm still lacking in recovery.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried using BCAAs alone PWO and had any success, or if there are any other PWO ideas out there that might be as effective as whey.

Side note: I'm doing Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 North of Vag program, +1 day of longer conditioning or olympic lifting. I currently eat a pretty optimal diet for recovery, I'm just looking for an extra edge that I was used to when using whey.[/QUOTE]

- Have you tried a straight isolate? some people are more sensitive (allergic) to lactose sugar than others.

- If you just take BCAAs you will still need the rest of the 17-20 amino acids to biosynthesize muscle protein so you're better off with a whole protein. If you do not have all your ducks lined up your body will breakdown muscle tissue to get the rest of the amino acids it needs thus you will gain less NET muscle weight. Stick to whole proteins from food and shakes as a base before you start looking into free form amino acids.

[QUOTE=sinn10304;571687711]I did some looking around and it is apparent that whey>BCAAs post workout. My problem is, after 8 months of elmination dieting I've determined that dairy, to include even unflavored whey isolate, gives me acne and digestion issues. Since giving up whey my recovery has been terrible. I've tried goats milk with raw egg and dextrose PWO, coconut juice (80% glucose), and eating a large meal within 30 min., but I'm still lacking in recovery.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried using BCAAs alone PWO and had any success, or if there are any other PWO ideas out there that might be as effective as whey.

Side note: I'm doing Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 North of Vag program, +1 day of longer conditioning or olympic lifting. I currently eat a pretty optimal diet for recovery, I'm just looking for an extra edge that I was used to when using whey.[/QUOTE]

CONGRATULATIONS! You're the 10 billionth poster this week to ask about bcaa vs whey.

You need amino acids to get to in to your bloodstream and to your muscles post workout. So, you can either take bcaa's or FFAAs that go straight to your bloodstream, or you can take whey which has to be digested first and broken down. 2 different things, basically same result. Your whey protein shake is afterall AAs. Whey is efficient in getting AAs to your muscle tissue, but it's not as good as FFAAs. Hope that helps.

Edit to clarify: The more hydrolized protein (whey) is studied they find that they actually contain few amino acid combinations (di- and tripeptide) and even when they do, there's a greater chance of them getting washed out. Compare that to straight Free Form which goes through the small intestine and straight in to your blood stream to the muscle tissue... i think you have your answer. That is unless your whey states they add FFAA.

A good whey isolate protein such as Nature's Best Isopure shouldn't give you any digestion problems. As far as the acne goes........whey isn't causing it, I would suggest reading up on it and seeing a good dermatologist if it's bad:

[url]http://dermatology.about.com/cs/acnebasics/a/acnecause.htm[/url]

You could also explore egg protein. Optimum Nutrition makes a good egg protein product that is 100% lactose free. I usually eat a half scoop mixed in with my morning oatmeal and have no digestion issues. Good luck.

I myself never heard of acne related to whey, but I guess anything is possible when supplementing.

I think that better to take amino acids in liquid form. They are better than whey for post.

[QUOTE=lazaross;571708421]I think that better to take amino acids in liquid form. They are better than whey for post.[/QUOTE]

What makes you say that?

[QUOTE=Altitude;571696801]A good whey isolate protein such as Nature's Best Isopure shouldn't give you any digestion problems. [/QUOTE]



While it prob won't give him digestive issues they use Ion Exchange Isolate, which is a low quality isolate. Not to mention it's expensive and tastes pretty bad.

4ever fit isolates or isoflex would be a better suggestion in terms of isolates.

If you fail to find a whey that agrees with you, BCAAs are an option. Some bodybuilders prefer BCAAs post workout for quick absorption and to fit a meal in within an hour of working out. I'd recommend somewhere between 20-25g of BCAA post workout and a meal no longer than an hour and half post workout to get some solid protein in.

Hope this helps.

take dymatize ISO 100 - zero fat, zero lactose, zero carbs....it's 100% hydrolyzed and it's from whey isolate only....no other proteins in the mix....Digests in no time...easy on the stomach...little fillers...sucralose for a sweetner...it's about 90% protein by weight. Oh an btw it tastes great

[QUOTE=shadar;571712761]While it prob won't give him digestive issues they use Ion Exchange Isolate, which is a low quality isolate. Not to mention it's expensive and tastes pretty bad.

4ever fit isolates or isoflex would be a better suggestion in terms of isolates.[/QUOTE]

I always hesitate to use any isolate that claims only to be "low in lactose" as 4ever fit does. I don't know what their definition of "low" really is and wouldn't trust that on my stomach. Isoflex also only claims to be 98% lactose free.

[QUOTE=cuse88;571716471]If you fail to find a whey that agrees with you, BCAAs are an option. Some bodybuilders prefer BCAAs post workout for quick absorption and to fit a meal in within an hour of working out. I'd recommend somewhere between 20-25g of BCAA post workout and a meal no longer than an hour and half post workout to get some solid protein in.

Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]

100% agree, its going to come down to 2 things.
1) The Situation
2) Personal preference

If you train fasted upon waking with BCAA's during your workout and taking BCAA's post would be the fastest way to keep the body in an anabolic state and prevent muscle breakdown. Follow that like stated with a whole food meal.

Another situation would be a pre-workout meal, train, and then BCAA Post followed by a whole food meal 30-60 minutes later

The most ideal time to take BCAA's are during your training to help prevent muscle breakdown and to keep the body anabolic when it needs it most. If you want to take whey post-workout that is 100% up to you just like if you want to take BCAA's. A whole food meal would be perfectly fine as your post-workout meal instead of a quick shake.

In the end do what works best for you, if it aint broken dont fix it!

[QUOTE=MalinEvans;571698681]I myself never heard of acne related to whey, but I guess anything is possible when supplementing.[/QUOTE]

Its the protein from cow milk who has a negative effect on bad skin, so people with bad skin should avoid cow milk products.

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