New Research on BCAAs-Don't waste your money.

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Replies

  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Additional info from Alan Aragon re: BCAAs with a list of 8 supporting studies and a jissn article. The consensus is they are not only not beneficial but can potentially inhibit the optimal use of ingested amino acids.

    https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=alan aragon
  • robbyh501
    robbyh501 Posts: 20 Member
    edited December 2017
    Glutamine and Taurine are the most abundant amino acids in muscle. Studies have shown glutamine (both orally and intravenously) to be far more beneficial than BCAA's in preserving muscle tissue in patients with muscle-wasting diseases as well as those who's limbs are immobilized for long periods through being bedridden by other illnesses or injuries.

    Personally, I have never bought into the theory that we need lots of extra BCAA's to build extra muscle or increase muscular performance. I think the only folk that are likely to see the benefits of taking BCAA's in doses way above what would be considered a RDA would be bodybuilders or other athletes taking steroids that enable far greater (unnaturally so) utilization and uptake into muscles of the extra nitrogen they are ingesting which, of course, will usually manifest itself in greatly increased muscle mass.

    Interestingly, in my mid-20s I used glutamine caps sublingually as recommended by an article in a well-known bodybuilding publication when the case for ingesting glutamine for muscle growth first came to light a couple of decades ago. During that time (about 6 months), I reckon I made my greatest gains, although admittedly there may have been other factors at play such as my (back then) very regimented and disciplined training protocol and likely much higher natural testosterone levels.

    I guess looking back I was silly to suddenly stop taking glutamine in light of the fact that I was making great gains at the time. It was just I felt the monetary expense was a little too great at the time, and I noticed that the price of glut increased dramatically as more and more athletes began buying it upon hearing of it's potential benefits.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    Additional info from Alan Aragon re: BCAAs with a list of 8 supporting studies and a jissn article. The consensus is they are not only not beneficial but can potentially inhibit the optimal use of ingested amino acids.

    https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=alan aragon

    so even if you are getting a "placebo" effect it might be best to just stop...interesting.

    I have never personally used it but I know lots who do...
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    Additional info from Alan Aragon re: BCAAs with a list of 8 supporting studies and a jissn article. The consensus is they are not only not beneficial but can potentially inhibit the optimal use of ingested amino acids.

    https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=alan aragon

    so even if you are getting a "placebo" effect it might be best to just stop...interesting.

    I have never personally used it but I know lots who do...

    Yup. The interesting thing to me is that there is a mentality of needing to "supplement" in the fitness culture. Most of them are useless and those that aren't give a very small advantage. A good balanced diet with adequate protein and exercise covers is really all that is necessary to improve fitness and body composition.
  • jesspen91
    jesspen91 Posts: 1,383 Member
    I don't understand the people saying that they taste good. I tried one that came free with my protein powder and it was awful. I felt like I was drinking pure sugar! Maybe I didn't dilute it enough? Or was it just a bad product?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    Additional info from Alan Aragon re: BCAAs with a list of 8 supporting studies and a jissn article. The consensus is they are not only not beneficial but can potentially inhibit the optimal use of ingested amino acids.

    https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=alan aragon

    so even if you are getting a "placebo" effect it might be best to just stop...interesting.

    I have never personally used it but I know lots who do...

    Yup. The interesting thing to me is that there is a mentality of needing to "supplement" in the fitness culture. Most of them are useless and those that aren't give a very small advantage. A good balanced diet with adequate protein and exercise covers is really all that is necessary to improve fitness and body composition.

    Those are my thoughts too.

    I only use protein powder in the summer in my smoothie as I eat eggs with ham most of the winter.

    Other than that...nada...coffee is my preworkout...

    However I get grief given as I don't use supplements...guess I am not "hard core" enough for some.
  • gym4life64
    gym4life64 Posts: 824 Member
    Just curious ....are there any studies showing that they do help with recovery?
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    gym4life64 wrote: »
    Just curious ....are there any studies showing that they do help with recovery?

    There are studies which can “show” most things.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    gym4life64 wrote: »
    Just curious ....are there any studies showing that they do help with recovery?

    Not that I've seen. For recovery why use BCAAs though? Why not a whole protein with full amino acid profile?
  • gym4life64
    gym4life64 Posts: 824 Member
    A study done at the University of Illinois observed the effects of supplementing with BCAAs in between meals (4). The researchers found that the individuals supplementing with BCAAs in between meals were able to stimulate a far greater amount of protein synthesis! A greater amount of protein synthesis will, in time, lead to greater muscle building.
  • gym4life64
    gym4life64 Posts: 824 Member
    Guess it just comes down to what your own feelings are leaning towards. Personally, I mix BCAA or EAA with Gatorade to drink during my training. Does it work? I don't know.....but it can't hurt
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    edited December 2017
    gym4life64 wrote: »
    Guess it just comes down to what your own feelings are leaning towards. Personally, I mix BCAA or EAA with Gatorade to drink during my training. Does it work? I don't know.....but it can't hurt

    Did you read Aragon's article or any of the studies?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    gym4life64 wrote: »
    Guess it just comes down to what your own feelings are leaning towards. Personally, I mix BCAA or EAA with Gatorade to drink during my training. Does it work? I don't know.....but it can't hurt

    how do you know it can't hurt???

    I've seen pretty healthy folks who have recently started stacking and bam...sometime happens...

    not saying it's the cause of the supplements aka BCAA's or Powder or preworkout etc...

    but I don't think that there are enough studies on some of these things at all and yet people are rushing out to get them and put them in their bodies.

    Note this does not apply to protein powder or creatine.
  • gym4life64
    gym4life64 Posts: 824 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    gym4life64 wrote: »
    Guess it just comes down to what your own feelings are leaning towards. Personally, I mix BCAA or EAA with Gatorade to drink during my training. Does it work? I don't know.....but it can't hurt

    Did you read Aragon's article or any of the studies?

    No, I haven't. But like I said....it can't hurt. I aim for 275-300g of protein a day so I am sure I am not lacking.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    edited December 2017
    gym4life64 wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    gym4life64 wrote: »
    Guess it just comes down to what your own feelings are leaning towards. Personally, I mix BCAA or EAA with Gatorade to drink during my training. Does it work? I don't know.....but it can't hurt

    Did you read Aragon's article or any of the studies?

    No, I haven't. But like I said....it can't hurt. I aim for 275-300g of protein a day so I am sure I am not lacking.

    I'd suggest you read it before further comment so that you can comment with full information. If you had read it, you'd have read Aragon's suggestion from the info contained in some of the studies that BCAAs can potentially inhibit the use of ingested amino acids. So possibly it can hurt.

    At the very least, they are unnecessary and show no benefit. Especially for someone who is getting 275 to 300 grams of protein per day.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    gym4life64 wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    gym4life64 wrote: »
    Guess it just comes down to what your own feelings are leaning towards. Personally, I mix BCAA or EAA with Gatorade to drink during my training. Does it work? I don't know.....but it can't hurt

    Did you read Aragon's article or any of the studies?

    No, I haven't. But like I said....it can't hurt. I aim for 275-300g of protein a day so I am sure I am not lacking.

    I'd suggest you read it before further comment so that you can comment with full information. If you had read it, you'd have read Aragon's suggestion from the info contained in some of the studies that BCAAs can potentially inhibit the use of ingested amino acids. So possibly it can hurt.

    At the very least, they are unnecessary and show no benefit. Especially for someone who is getting 275 to 300 grams of protein per day.

    In addition to this. 300g of protein is extremely high for someone even if they are heavy, lean and on anabolics.
  • gym4life64
    gym4life64 Posts: 824 Member
    At the very least, they are unnecessary and show no benefit. Especially for someone who is getting 275 to 300 grams of protein per day. [/quote]

    That honestly has been my argument for a long time. My BCAA/EAA w/Gatorade has only been maybe the last three months. Pushing myself hard, harder than ever, trying to break some goals. Throwing this in during training which can some days last three hours to see if it helps. Truth.....is I don't know. There is no magic pill or powder.

    I just like that people read things and take buy into them so much. Creatine....good, then bad, then good again. Coffee...bad, very bad, then good. EGGS! Remember when eggs literally killed people! Now...they are OK.

  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    edited December 2017
    gym4life64 wrote: »
    At the very least, they are unnecessary and show no benefit. Especially for someone who is getting 275 to 300 grams of protein per day.

    That honestly has been my argument for a long time. My BCAA/EAA w/Gatorade has only been maybe the last three months. Pushing myself hard, harder than ever, trying to break some goals. Throwing this in during training which can some days last three hours to see if it helps. Truth.....is I don't know. There is no magic pill or powder.

    I just like that people read things and take buy into them so much. Creatine....good, then bad, then good again. Coffee...bad, very bad, then good. EGGS! Remember when eggs literally killed people! Now...they are OK.

    Seriously? Read things and buy into them so much? It's evident that you haven't read any of the resources posted so I guess you'd rather defend your ideas than take in any new information. There is a meta analysis in my original post, a study posted by someone else, Alan Aragon's article with 8 studies and a scholarly article linked at the bottom. Not exactly like someone reading an article on BB.com and running with it. But hey bro, believe what you chose. If you want to keep spending money on a useless supp while ingesting more than enough protein for all them gainz, help yourself.
  • gym4life64
    gym4life64 Posts: 824 Member
    LOL...Ok...you win. You're right. I'm wrong
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
    In 2017 I gave BCAAs and pre-workout a try, and both were a waste of money.