Supplements yes or no?
abs1970
Posts: 235 Member
Curious to know opinions on supplements like BCAA's and Creatine. I don't take either currently but wondering if I should to help me reach my goal of losing body fat & building lean muscle.
2
Replies
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You need to eat more calories if you want to gain muscle...1
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There is no need for bcaa if you get enough protein in your diet1
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TavistockToad wrote: »You need to eat more calories if you want to gain muscle...
We've established that! And I'm making a real effort to increase them
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RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »There is no need for bcaa if you get enough protein in your diet
Thanks for this - I don't know anything about supplements so this is really helpful
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Spend some time on https://examine.com and look up any supplements you're curious about.1
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I don't take any supplements (besides some occasional protein powder to hit my macros) .. I am not recomping but I just finished a very successful bulk where I clearly gained significant muscle. So are they necessary? No. Do some people find them helpful.. sure. But I would have calories, macros and training in line first... Supplements would be the very last thing on the hierarchy of importance. Where is that Helms pyramid...
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I really don't consider BCAA a supplement just like I wouldn't consider protein powder a supplement. I love BCAAs and I take them every day with my lifting workout. It wakes me up and it helps with muscle recovery. I love them and they taste amazing!Curious to know opinions on supplements like BCAA's and Creatine. I don't take either currently but wondering if I should to help me reach my goal of losing body fat & building lean muscle.1 -
Mycophilia wrote: »Spend some time on https://examine.com and look up any supplements you're curious about.
Thanks - great website. Just had a look.0 -
I don't take any supplements (besides some occasional protein powder to hit my macros) .. I am not recomping but I just finished a very successful bulk where I clearly gained significant muscle. So are they necessary? No. Do some people find them helpful.. sure. But I would have calories, macros and training in line first... Supplements would be the very last thing on the hierarchy of importance. Where is that Helms pyramid...
Thanks for this - think it's telling me exactly what I kinda know.... sort my calories and they won't be necessary!
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Supplements should only be a very small portion of your diet. Making your calorie goals is the most important. I do love my BCAA for help with soreness, and being away at college I don't always get enough protein in due to crappy caf food so it's useful. My protein powder is also very convenient. If possible, when you're curious about a supplement, research it specifically and try to get your hands on a week worth of samples.1
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Right now I only take BCCA ( I don't consider protein shakes to be supplement). I don't even drink pre-workout. If I wasn't doing 18:6 IF I don't think I would take BCCA's either.
I have taken creatine in the past. It has helped with strength and muscle growth.1 -
BCAA'S unnecessary if you have adequate protien intake.
No reason not to take creatine if you have healthy kidneys.1 -
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »Right now I only take BCCA ( I don't consider protein shakes to be supplement). I don't even drink pre-workout. If I wasn't doing 18:6 IF I don't think I would take BCCA's either.
I have taken creatine in the past. It has helped with strength and muscle growth.
I agree with you about protein shakes not being a supplement - I try to have at least one a day0 -
BCAA's are good to take, especially if you're on a "high-this, low-that" kind of diet. Your body needs 20 essential amino acids, but only makes 11 of them naturally, the other 9 you get from food. Creatine is good too, 5g a day, and I think the whole "loading" phase is unnecessary. They're both about the cheapest supplements you can get, and they definitely won't hurt your training.2
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »Right now I only take BCCA ( I don't consider protein shakes to be supplement). I don't even drink pre-workout. If I wasn't doing 18:6 IF I don't think I would take BCCA's either.
I have taken creatine in the past. It has helped with strength and muscle growth.
I agree with you about protein shakes not being a supplement - I try to have at least one a day
Yep. It's very hard for me to get 160 grs of protein from food alone in 6 hour feeding window.
Creatine sometimes causes a little water weight gain though, keep that in mind if you wanna try it.0 -
CaptainHandsome wrote: »BCAA's are good to take, especially if you're on a "high-this, low-that" kind of diet. Your body needs 20 essential amino acids, but only makes 11 of them naturally, the other 9 you get from food. Creatine is good too, 5g a day, and I think the whole "loading" phase is unnecessary. They're both about the cheapest supplements you can get, and they definitely won't hurt your training.
BCAA supplements are composed of three essential amino acids - leucine, isoleucine and valine. All of which are found in any complete protein source in the diet. If you already have adequate dietary protein intake, BCAAs provide no additional advantage.0 -
Examine.com has links to and summaries of the research on various supplements...3
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »Right now I only take BCCA ( I don't consider protein shakes to be supplement). I don't even drink pre-workout. If I wasn't doing 18:6 IF I don't think I would take BCCA's either.
I have taken creatine in the past. It has helped with strength and muscle growth.
I agree with you about protein shakes not being a supplement - I try to have at least one a day
Yep. It's very hard for me to get 160 grs of protein from food alone in 6 hour feeding window.
Creatine sometimes causes a little water weight gain though, keep that in mind if you wanna try it.
Damn- I don't want anything that'll give me water weight
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »Right now I only take BCCA ( I don't consider protein shakes to be supplement). I don't even drink pre-workout. If I wasn't doing 18:6 IF I don't think I would take BCCA's either.
I have taken creatine in the past. It has helped with strength and muscle growth.
I agree with you about protein shakes not being a supplement - I try to have at least one a day
Yep. It's very hard for me to get 160 grs of protein from food alone in 6 hour feeding window.
Creatine sometimes causes a little water weight gain though, keep that in mind if you wanna try it.
Damn- I don't want anything that'll give me water weight
But it's only water... not fat...
if you're trying to gain muscle you will gain fat and of course scale weight...0 -
I'm not too worried about my scale weight - I'm around 49kg but that goes up & down slightly over the month.0
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »Right now I only take BCCA ( I don't consider protein shakes to be supplement). I don't even drink pre-workout. If I wasn't doing 18:6 IF I don't think I would take BCCA's either.
I have taken creatine in the past. It has helped with strength and muscle growth.
I agree with you about protein shakes not being a supplement - I try to have at least one a day
Yep. It's very hard for me to get 160 grs of protein from food alone in 6 hour feeding window.
Creatine sometimes causes a little water weight gain though, keep that in mind if you wanna try it.
Damn- I don't want anything that'll give me water weight
Haha..knowing you, that's why I mentioned it lol2 -
CaptainHandsome wrote: »BCAA's are good to take, especially if you're on a "high-this, low-that" kind of diet. Your body needs 20 essential amino acids, but only makes 11 of them naturally, the other 9 you get from food. Creatine is good too, 5g a day, and I think the whole "loading" phase is unnecessary. They're both about the cheapest supplements you can get, and they definitely won't hurt your training.
BCAA supplements are composed of three essential amino acids - leucine, isoleucine and valine. All of which are found in any complete protein source in the diet. If you already have adequate dietary protein intake, BCAAs provide no additional advantage.
Hence the "high-this, low-that" part of my post.1 -
Ironandwine69 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »Right now I only take BCCA ( I don't consider protein shakes to be supplement). I don't even drink pre-workout. If I wasn't doing 18:6 IF I don't think I would take BCCA's either.
I have taken creatine in the past. It has helped with strength and muscle growth.
I agree with you about protein shakes not being a supplement - I try to have at least one a day
Yep. It's very hard for me to get 160 grs of protein from food alone in 6 hour feeding window.
Creatine sometimes causes a little water weight gain though, keep that in mind if you wanna try it.
Damn- I don't want anything that'll give me water weight
Haha..knowing you, that's why I mentioned it lol
Lol - you know me 0 -
BCAAs - seem to have a strong placebo effect for some... Unnecessary/pointless IMHO if you have adequate protein in your diet, if you don't have adequate protein then better to fix with a protein shake (or food) rather than BCAAs anyway.
Creatine - extremely well researched and a bargain basement price. Worth trying but it doesn't work for everyone, I got absolutely nothing from it either good or "bad". No performance improvement or water weight gain.2 -
Although I usually get enough protein, I eat one meal a day, so I take BCAA's in the morning, it seems to help with a boost throughout the day, and definitely helps with DOMS!0
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »Right now I only take BCCA ( I don't consider protein shakes to be supplement). I don't even drink pre-workout. If I wasn't doing 18:6 IF I don't think I would take BCCA's either.
I have taken creatine in the past. It has helped with strength and muscle growth.
I agree with you about protein shakes not being a supplement - I try to have at least one a day
Yep. It's very hard for me to get 160 grs of protein from food alone in 6 hour feeding window.
Creatine sometimes causes a little water weight gain though, keep that in mind if you wanna try it.
Why are you consuming 160g of protein? That is more that I need, and I am a 173 lb male. Most women only need 100-130g. Generally, anything in the 1.5-2.2g/kg is sufficient (at that is largely in a cut). If you are in maintenance or recomping, the lower end of that is adequate.
I have protein powders, but only because I cook with them. I mostly use it as a buffer and am satiated more when I am at 1g/lb.
Creatine is the most studied and most proven supplement on the market. For many it will provide additional benefit during lifting. But I personally won't try it again (last time I was having severe stomach cramping) until I have maxed out my noob gains. If I show little to no progress in my lifts, that is when I will try to incorporate it. BCAA's are noted are overblown. Some like pre-workouts as they are loaded with caffeine (another proven supplement).
There are other supplements that are proven like; vitamin D, multivitamin, fish oil, etc.. but those are more directly related to health, as opposed to gym performance.
I would also recommend looking at www.labdoor.com for quality supplements if you buy any.1 -
BCAAs - seem to have a strong placebo effect for some... Unnecessary/pointless IMHO if you have adequate protein in your diet, if you don't have adequate protein then better to fix with a protein shake (or food) rather than BCAAs anyway.
Creatine - extremely well researched and a bargain basement price. Worth trying but it doesn't work for everyone, I got absolutely nothing from it either good or "bad". No performance improvement or water weight gain.
Thanks for this - great advice. It sounds like I actually don't need to be thinking about supplements at all!0 -
Ironandwine69 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »Right now I only take BCCA ( I don't consider protein shakes to be supplement). I don't even drink pre-workout. If I wasn't doing 18:6 IF I don't think I would take BCCA's either.
I have taken creatine in the past. It has helped with strength and muscle growth.
I agree with you about protein shakes not being a supplement - I try to have at least one a day
Yep. It's very hard for me to get 160 grs of protein from food alone in 6 hour feeding window.
Creatine sometimes causes a little water weight gain though, keep that in mind if you wanna try it.
Why are you consuming 160g of protein? That is more that I need, and I am a 173 lb male. Most women only need 100-130g. Generally, anything in the 1.5-2.2g/kg is sufficient (at that is largely in a cut). If you are in maintenance or recomping, the lower end of that is adequate.
I have protein powders, but only because I cook with them. I mostly use it as a buffer and am satiated more when I am at 1g/lb.
Creatine is the most studied and most proven supplement on the market. For many it will provide additional benefit during lifting. But I personally won't try it again (last time I was having severe stomach cramping) until I have maxed out my noob gains. If I show little to no progress in my lifts, that is when I will try to incorporate it. BCAA's are noted are overblown. Some like pre-workouts as they are loaded with caffeine (another proven supplement).
There are other supplements that are proven like; vitamin D, multivitamin, fish oil, etc.. but those are more directly related to health, as opposed to gym performance.
I would also recommend looking at www.labdoor.com for quality supplements if you buy any.
My protein goal is 151g - are you saying that's too much?0 -
Ironandwine69 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »Right now I only take BCCA ( I don't consider protein shakes to be supplement). I don't even drink pre-workout. If I wasn't doing 18:6 IF I don't think I would take BCCA's either.
I have taken creatine in the past. It has helped with strength and muscle growth.
I agree with you about protein shakes not being a supplement - I try to have at least one a day
Yep. It's very hard for me to get 160 grs of protein from food alone in 6 hour feeding window.
Creatine sometimes causes a little water weight gain though, keep that in mind if you wanna try it.
Why are you consuming 160g of protein? That is more that I need, and I am a 173 lb male. Most women only need 100-130g. Generally, anything in the 1.5-2.2g/kg is sufficient (at that is largely in a cut). If you are in maintenance or recomping, the lower end of that is adequate.
I have protein powders, but only because I cook with them. I mostly use it as a buffer and am satiated more when I am at 1g/lb.
Creatine is the most studied and most proven supplement on the market. For many it will provide additional benefit during lifting. But I personally won't try it again (last time I was having severe stomach cramping) until I have maxed out my noob gains. If I show little to no progress in my lifts, that is when I will try to incorporate it. BCAA's are noted are overblown. Some like pre-workouts as they are loaded with caffeine (another proven supplement).
There are other supplements that are proven like; vitamin D, multivitamin, fish oil, etc.. but those are more directly related to health, as opposed to gym performance.
I would also recommend looking at www.labdoor.com for quality supplements if you buy any.
My protein goal is 151g - are you saying that's too much?
You probably don't need that much.. but is it too much for the body, no. In a given give, I get 140-200g of protein. I am 173 @ 15% bf (~147lb of lean body mass). 1g per lb of lbm is more than sufficient. When I cut, I err on the side of caution and go up to 1g per lb (both of which fall in the 1.5g-2.2g/kg range).
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/apnm-2015-05490
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