Bodybuilding Forums

Just reading various articles and have seen different ideas as to when to take BCAAs. Some recommend after a workout with ur protein shake etc., while other places recommend taking it during or before the workout... Anyone have a preference and some sound reasoning for it? Thanks for any thoughts!

I take mine before and after. One scoop preworkout (Allmax Aminocore) and two scoops post workout. I also take one scoop between meals with some oatmeal.. This is to keep protein synthesis maximized thoughout the day. This is based off of research being done by Doctor Layne Norton who is a natural Pro Bodybuilder and has his Phd in Nutrional Science. http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/protein_size_&_frequency.pdf He has a Q & A section on the forums over at Muscular Develpoment that goes into more details. http://forums.musculardevelopment.com/showthread.php/77610-Q-and-A-with-Layne-Norton

I have just started doing this last week and it really seems to be making a difference. Some say BCAA's are a complete waste of time but for me it really does seem to be making a difference.

HEY RHINTZ

AHH B.C.A.A, a very under rated product by alot of bodybuilders and weightlifters, i remember an article threw up about a year ago in here on bcaa's by (Joh) ( GOD I MISS THAT GUY ABOUT HERE, WHERE IS JOH????? ) They are little gems in my opinion and it all depends on yourself, I found taking them pre-workout and before bed with cottage cheese worked best for me because i couldnt take casien at night because it made me pee alot and badly disrupted my precious sleep.

I wouldnt aim them towards post-workout so much if you keep your protein high ( you want to be aiming between 50-80g of protein isolate in your shake immediately after your workout ) to take you out of catabolic state and start the repairing and building process, oh and your meal an hour after your post shake is just as important ( WHITE FISH IS BEST AT THIS TIME ). Sip 20g of protein isolate through your workout as well to keep feeding your muscles through the breakdown, iv been doing it this way this last 18 months and i have seen a great change in my physique.

Hope this is of some help to you

Now if only the BCAAs weren't so expensive... haha I think I have taken all the supplements down to these three main ones. Protein, creatine, and BCAAs. They seem to be what works well and are somewhat affordable. I don't have a lot of options in the way of protein shakes atm. I have to stick to basic whey. I just bought a 10lb bag of gold standard since it was the cheapest. I have to buy in bulk where I live or pay double the price... Thanks for the replies. I just don't think I can afford as much of the BCAAs as you guys are taking. Atleast not right now. I didn't realize so many scoops were needed. Add the gym membership on top of the supplements and you end up with a headache and an empty wallet.. haha What if I limited my BCAA intake to only 2 scoops a day... I know its not much but then two tubs of 30 scoops would last me about a month. If I limited my scoops to 2 per day, would that be enough to add benefit? If so, what if I took one preworkout or midworkout and then one before bed. I also try to finish off my food intake around 8PM so I have a full 10-11hrs fasting before my workout which is at about 6:30 or 7 AM. I am only doing this while trying to cut fat as mentioned in the intermittent fasting regimes. So my daily schedule looks like this:

Regular schedule
Wake up 6:00Am
BCAA 6:45
workout 7:00 - 8:00 Am
Lunch 11:00
Snack 3:00
Dinner 7:00
Snack 8:00
BCAA 9:00
Bed 10:00
Repeat

Would it be better to move my second BCAA to 8:00 AM following my workout? Of course this schedule is only while trying to cut fat and would change during regular training. Thanks for any additional thoughts and taking the time to help me out!

Not sure I understand the reasoning behind taking BCAA at bedtime?

Normally you want to take a slow digesting protein that will release amino acids slowly through the night as you sleep to protect your muscle tissue. Thus why most people take casein or cottage cheese at bed time.

Free form BCAA's on the other hand are immediately absorbed into your bloodstream no digestion required. When would you want to have this effect?

Right before your workout it raises blood plasma levels and ensure if any amino acids are converted to energy it come from your bloodsteam and not your muscle tissue. This is especially true if your training in a fasted state like people do with intermittent fasting.

The other time would be post workout where you want your body to go into protein synthesis as quickly as possible. Because BCAA"s do not have to be digested its the quickest way to trigger this effect.

Read http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne39.htm

Yeah, after reading about IF via Vanguard's posts, I am a big fan of BCAAs especilly Leucine heavy BCAAs.
Big big fan because it's Leucine that tells your muscle there is protein available.
As long as I am accurately adding reps or weights (operative word here: "accurately" as in timing and counting etc) then I will stick with BCAA heavy everything.
Martin Beckham's concept of IF for early morning lifters is that MPS doesn't happen until 5 hours after a workout and you are just adding unneccessary calores by
gulping down a huge Whey shake and it's excess baggage of calories. I've proved that Leucine heavy BCAAs at 5am, 7am, 9am (workout 5am) are keeping my muscle from breaking down until the big meal happens at 11am. Who would have thunk? Thank you very much Vanguard for the IF heads up. Still trying to digest (excuse the pun) the Layne Norton stuff. Some of it is conjecture that MPS drops away as insulin drops away so take more carbs and BCAAs in between.

The best times to take bcaa's is morning, pre-workout and post-workout.
For example this is how I dose them:
Morning protein shake I add 5 extra grams of glutamine and bcaa's
Pre-workout with jack3d or any other PWO I add 5 grams of bcaa's
Post-workout protein shake I add 5 extra grams of glutamine and bcaa's
Bed time with casein shake or cottage cheese I add 5 grams of glutamine