Thread: when to take and how much BCAA

Usually, the best time to take is right around the time you work out.

Other good times to take are first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and before bed.

just training days or everyday...how many grams is appropriate

5 grams immediately post training and in the middle of the night when you get up to urinate.

Originally Posted by heavyiron

5 grams immediately post training and in the middle of the night when you get up to urinate.

how comes you recommend in the middle of the night?

Originally Posted by dsc123

how comes you recommend in the middle of the night?

Post training and in a fasted state both allow the BCAA's to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Follow it up with your post workout meal or breakfast when you get up and you are good to go.

a lot of people might also say just get it from your diet, bcaa should be found in most proteins and good diets but even then i still take some before gym and during and also at night before bed and right in the morning. during the day just try to get as much natural bcaa from food sources. BTW new extend is good stuff!! love it.

I do 6-10g PostWO...

Pre and post workout only, 10-15g each.

I use ON BCAA and Aminos and i take them:
morning, night, before workout, post workout. And when i get up to piss at night (as Iron said).

I take it preworkout

You guys should be getting your Bcaa's from solid foods throughout the day...

Post workout should be whey protein...

Xtend is best used intra workout... Sip while your working out in between sets...

You are better off eating solid food or protein powders any other time of the day...

Q: When's the best time to consume Xtend?
A: Two university studies suggest that Xtend is significantly effective at increasing muscle mass and strength, and reducing body fat when consumed during exercise or immediately prior to and after training.* It's recommended that you begin consuming Xtend immediately prior to, and continue sipping on Xtend throughout your training or competition. Many users also report significantly improved gains when Xtend is consumed immediately upon waking-up in the morning and/or sipping on Xtend throughout the day.

In red it says "university studies" show benefit of consuming durring excercise... Although you will benefit taking it post and pre workout, you will benefit more using whey protein pre and post and the cost per serving is much cheaper...

Notice the blue part says "users report"... They basically want you to use as much of the product so you buy more...

At the price per serving it is not in your best interest to use it other than intra work out...

SciVation Xtend at Bodybuilding.com: Lowest Prices for Xtend

I am not spamming^^^ Just showing where I got the data from...

If there's one supplement I have researched to death, and have lots of experience with, it's BCAAs.

BCAAs 'work' because of the leucine in them. The isoleucine and valine in the mix are sort of like the mortar for the leucine 'bricks'. Leucine works because it is a key component in one of the body's signalling systems. A leucine blood level spike tells the body that you ingested a decent-sized, good quality source of protein. That signal puts the body into a more anabolic mode, which in turn means your body will either build more muscle (be anabolic) or tear down less lean mass (less catabolic).

BCAAs pre- or during a workout will stop the body from burning muscle for energy. BCAAs after a workout will, combined with the stimulus from the exercise, send a very strong signal to the body that it should build more muscle.

One key aspect of understanding how to best use BCAAs is knowing that the body only really responds to a spiked increase in blood BCAA concentration. 5 grams of BCAAs will give you a good spike, and will increase muscle growth for 90 to 120 minutes. Then you wait a few hours for blood BCAA levels to fall and take another 5 grams for another anabolic spike. Now, you might think that keeping blood BCAA levels constantly high would mean a constantly elevated rate of muscle growth. WRONG. And that's the counter-intuitive part about BCAAs. If you keep ingesting BCAAs for say, 16 hours, you will still only get that 90 to 120 minutes of growth signal. You have to 'pulse' BCAAs. The body only responds to an INCREASING level, not an INCREASED level, of BCAAs.

Ok, so knowing the above, what's the best way(s) to take them?

5 grams of BCAAs is the most you really need for a dose.

If your meals are at least 3 and a half hours apart (to allow time for amino levels in the blood to fall back to normal), taking 5 grams of BCAAs with each meal will send a stronger "there's protein available" signal, thus increasing muscle growth more than the meal alone would.
Adding 10 grams to your water you drink while working out will 'fool' your body into thinking it doesn't need to tear down muscle for energy, thus sparing lean mass (i.e. it has an anti-catabolic effect).
Sipping water with BCAAs throughout the day is not effective. It doesn't let the levels of BCAAs in the blood fall to normal, and you don't get enough at once to cause a big enough spike for the body to respond.

Now remember that 5 gram dose is NET. Most products have lots of crap in them besides BCAAs, so be sure to read the label and adjust accordingly.

i like intra workout

Originally Posted by dsc123

i thought i would give some bcaas a try, ive ordered some xtend, not the cheapest i no but seem popular and ment to taste nice! when is the most effective time to take and how much ed?
much appreciated

While everyone is different, bcaa's are imo best taking pre and post workout. They can be taken anytime though. I have tried all kinds from cheap to high cost, powder to pills and liquid. If you get a chance try Scivation's Xtends. One if not the best all around one around. Good luck.

theres a lot of mixed responses! i think ill just take xtend 11g during my work out and on non training days just before what is normally my prework out meal.

Good choice bro like I said go with your gut. After I kept seeing Xtends every way I looked lol I tried it and was hooked. Good luck. Orbit runs some deals on stuff every week so give them a look when you can.