Having a hard time with BCAAs. What should I do?

[r3rosario]

Hi there!
I recently have started the newest leg of my fitness journey - hiring a personal trainer to lose the last few pounds of stubborn fat on my body.
I'm pretty small - a whopping 5 foot 1 and 107 lbs... but need to lose 10% bf and gain 10 lbs of muscle.

Im a pretty natural girl. Im not super into artificial flavors both fundamentally/morally.
My trainer says I need 9g of BCAAs before and after every gruelling workout, and I train 6 days a week.

!!!
I see that if I get capsules instead of powder (unflavored, less artificial BS) I need to take like, 16 caps in order to consume all that.
I hear that unflavored powder tastes like hell.

Im wondering if anyone has a second opinion for me.
I want to create a leaner body, but also create habits that are NATURAL and SUSTAINABLE for the future. I want to keep my muscle mass, at least most of it on a general basis, without having to eat 47389472 pills a day.
?
Cheers and thanks for reading.

[MakeYouFam0us]

BCAA's are beneficial if you are training fasted. If you are getting a pre-workout meal in before training then I don't believe they would be necessary as amino acids are still being released into the bloodstream.

If you're still inclined on picking up some branch chains, I love the flavoring of Cellucor Alpha Amino, iForce Compete, and BCAA Hyperblend which has 150mg caffeine as well.

[StevenFoglesong]

In my honest opinion, I love using BCAAs. Just like MakeYouFamous said, if you're eating a high quality carb/protein meal before your workout, then you ideally should have enough amino acids to last you through the duration of your workout to keep your muscles fed. My own recommendation is that if you are lifting for more than about 50 minutes straight, especially 6 times per week, taking some BCAAs during your workout will help give you the essential amino acids you need. BCAAs are in the most simple form, so they are quickly absorbed into your blood stream while you are working out. This is good considering your blood is directed more so to your muscles compared to your digestive system during exercise. You want to use these building blocks as the main energy source for building muscle in case your body runs out and breaks down something else as an energy source instead (like muscle). Basically, taking BCAAs before, during, or after your workout acts like an insurance plan for your body in case it runs out of the stuff it needs to build muscle optimally. However, your body might not be running out during your workouts, but they might still be a good idea since you seem to be training frequently and hard. Other benefits from taking these include optimizing fat loss, increased protein synthesis, muscle recovery, etc. I think taking these would work for you! But if you feel like you eat enough, are recovering normally, and not feeling fatigued frequently or notice that you are losing muscle, I think youll be fine. My BCAA of choice is Modern BCAA. It tastes pretty good and has a great ratio of the right amino acids.

[eldawg]

Get some whey (which is rich in bcaas) instead.

[Cruise91]

If your eating a healthy diet you don't need these supplements. Seeing that your trying to lose 10% BF and gain 10 lbs of lean muscle I'm going to assume that you are. Your protein has all you need along with the foods you consume. Save yourself some money.

[EddieV2]

If your eating a healthy diet you don't need these supplements. Seeing that your trying to lose 10% BF and gain 10 lbs of lean muscle I'm going to assume that you are. Your protein has all you need along with the foods you consume. Save yourself some money.

I agree. For her goals, the BCAA's are not in any way necessary. Have they helped me with my fasted training as well as postworkout recovery? Most definitely...if you get a legitimate one such as Scivation's Xtend, ProBCAA by ON, or USP Labs's Modern BCAA+, but that's only if you're really pushing your muscles to the max, lifting heavy for mass, and don't eat a protein-rich meal a couple of hours beforehand.

In other words, in your case, I find your nutrition to be the only vital point for your goals. Get plenty of protein per day, around 1.5g/pound of bodyweight (you can have more), and you'll feel and see the difference.