Look, I know taking BCAAs wont make you huge, that's not their job. But, I have been taking xtend for the longest time, and I can't say I have seen a change in anything solely because of the Xtend. The weight/muscle gain is from the food/protein/carbs. As far as taking it preworkout to feel more energized, on days where i was out of my xtend and took no BCAAs preworkout I felt no difference. $60 for 90 servings is a lot, I could be spending on something else maybe not gym related. Are BCAAs really worth it?
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Thread: Do BCAAs really work?
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02-24-2010, 05:45 PM #1
Do BCAAs really work?
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02-24-2010, 06:13 PM #2
You're not supposed to feel a difference. Not feeling a difference on a day to day basis is not evidence that BCAAs aren't helping to increase muscle mass. That said...
Are BCAAs really worth it?
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02-24-2010, 06:31 PM #3
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02-24-2010, 06:54 PM #4
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02-24-2010, 06:58 PM #5
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02-24-2010, 07:55 PM #6
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02-25-2010, 07:07 AM #7
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02-25-2010, 07:37 AM #8
I agree on this. Many will tell you, on a bulk you may not benefit from BCAA, but when cutting it's important to keep your BCAAs high as you don't get the amount in your normal diet. I have been cutting for about a month now and take Xtend during my work out and found it has given me more endurance. I take a shake after and leave the rest up to my diet. Give it a shot and see for your self, if you don't like it, then you will know not to use it.
If you're absent during my struggle, don't expect to be present during my success.
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02-25-2010, 02:34 PM #9
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02-25-2010, 03:17 PM #10
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02-25-2010, 06:03 PM #11
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IMO BCAA's are a huge waste of money, even whilst cutting.
I've been cutting for a while and have noticed no muscle loss, whilst gaining a lot of strength during my cut. I eat 1g protein/lb LBM and that's it.
Supplement companies overstate the amount of protein and BCAA's you need to avoid catabolism just so they make more money off you.It's being a part of the Red, White and Green that makes me a Rooting Machine. And when you feel my mighty Stallion, you will know you have been with a true Italian. :D
Edit Dec 2009: ^^^^^^^^^^^^ I was gay when I was 15.
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02-25-2010, 06:53 PM #12
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I disagree with being a huge waste of money, especially whilst cutting.
"BCAA supplementation (76% leucine) in combination with moderate energy restriction has been shown to induce significant and preferential losses of visceral adipose tissue and to allow maintenance of a high level of performance"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...t=ExternalLink
Calorie restriction and BCAA use in pro wrestlers.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9...t=ExternalLink
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02-25-2010, 09:06 PM #13
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02-25-2010, 10:38 PM #14
To be fair, the first study is a lit review that references the second study. Unfortunately I do not have access to the second study that was posted directly but there are a couple of things you should be aware of.
1) In the second study that you posted there was actually no differences in exercise performance following BCAA supplementation during an energy restricted diet. This is even mentioned directly in the abstract for that article.
There was no change in aerobic (VO2max) (p > 0.75) and anaerobic capacities (Wingate test) (p > 0.81), and in muscular strength (p > 0.82).
2) I would really like to take a look at the original study because something is off in the way they presented the data. Here is what is stated in regards to weight and fat loss:
A significant highest body weight loss (-4 kg, p < 0.05) and decrease in the percent of body fat (-17.3%, p < 0.05) were observed for subjects of the hBCAA group. Subjects of the hBCAA group exhibited a significant reduction (-34.4%, p < 0.05) in abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT).
In the second part of what was stated above they mentioned that there was a 17.3% reduction in body fat? I highly doubt that any subject lost 17.3% body fat during 19 days, so this leads me to believe that they are trying to say that the difference in weight loss between the 2 groups was 17.3%. For example what they might be alluding to is that the the BCAA group lost 5 lbs (I don't have access tot he raw numbers so yes I am making these up to demonstrate a point). If the difference in weight loss that occurred between the 2 groups was 17.3%, that would mean that group B would have lost 4.1 lbs. Now the question that someone should ask themselves is whether or not losing that additional 0.9 lbs (which in part could still be withing measurement error) is worth spending the money for the supplement. The cost to benefit ratio needs to be looked at here. I do feel the authors are being misleading here, however, I would still like to look at the original study to make sure my assessment is accurate. I will hold off my judgment call until I see the actual study.
They also mentioned that there was an decrease in visceral fat (fat surrounding the internal organs) in the BCAA group. This may be great from an overall health standpoint, however, caution needs to be taken here. The control diet was 33% fat and the BCAA diet contained 20% fat. This may not have anything to do with BCAA supplementation, but rather the lower percentage of fat contained in the diet. Also, note that some of the loss in overall body fat is due to a reduction in visceral body fat. Therefore some of that reduction in body fat would not even be noticeable from a bodybuilders perspective because the loss of fat is coming from around the internal organs and not subcutaneous fat beneath the skin. So once again, the cost to benefit ratio needs to come into play.
Other issues that need to be considered is the overall amount of protein that was used in the diets in the studies mentioned in the lit review that was posted (the first link). One of the studies compared the differences in BCAA supplementation to a diet that contained 0.57 grams/lb of protein. This amount is actually on the low end of what is currently recommended (0.55-0.8 grams/lb). No comparisons were made using diets that contained higher amounts of protein, so it is possible that increasing the protein content of the diet could offset any potential benefits of BCAA supplementation. Keep in mind I am not suggesting you need huge quantities of protein to offset this difference.Last edited by SumDumGoi; 02-26-2010 at 08:31 AM.
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02-25-2010, 10:53 PM #15
I notice a big difference when I take BCAAs and when I dont. Taking BCAAs pre and during my workout seems to give me better endurance and mental clarity for the workout, and I recover faster between sets, and also notice less soreness between workouts.
I take 10-15 grams of BCAAS pre/intra, and it has become a staple for me.
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07-17-2012, 08:56 PM #16
Just my experience so far, I take about 5g of BCAA's pre workout with some whey in a shake. Ive been doing this for awhile and I work out more then most (timewise) and I've noticed no difference at all in preformance or recovery. That given if I have to take more to make this a viable supplement I will probably have to pass because of the price. However for the sake of curiosity I will start going for 10g preworkout. After this tub is done I will try a new brand but if I get the same results then I am going to have to believe its all hype or a placebo effect.
-Chase
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07-17-2012, 09:52 PM #17
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This summer, I have often not been hungry when I wake up. So, I just recently invested in some xtend because apparently ingesting some BCAA's pre/intra workout is important when training fasted. To be honest, I'm not sure if it's really making a huge difference, but I'm definitely making gains and that blue raz **** taste good!
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