Need advice on BCAAs

phillipdean299
phillipdean299 Posts: 113 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I need to start taking a good BCAA. Could you advise me on a good one to buy?

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    They're not necessary at all... some people are going to point that out.

    I've found that with the brands which have a smaller quantity of BCAA's, they have a better taste - Cellucor's Alpha Amino has 5g of BCAA's and I presume it will taste good.

    I just picked up BSN Amino X in fruit punch and blue rasp, they have 10g of BCAA's per serving... fruit punch tastes good but blue rasp is a bit better.

    Some good brands for BCAA's are BSN, Optimum Nutrition, MyProtein, Scivation.

    There was an offer on bodybuilding.com, if you get a 30 serving tub of BSN Amino X you get a second one for half price...
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    phillipdean299 wrote: »
    I need to start taking a good BCAA. Could you advise me on a good one to buy?

    If you are getting adequate protein throughout the day then there's really no need to supplement with BCAAs.
  • phillipdean299
    phillipdean299 Posts: 113 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    phillipdean299 wrote: »
    I need to start taking a good BCAA. Could you advise me on a good one to buy?

    If you are getting adequate protein throughout the day then there's really no need to supplement with BCAAs.


    I'm still in fat loss mode and am eating at a caloric deficit while doing a lot of cardio. I was looking at BCAAs to make sure I'm burning fat rather than loosing lean mass. I've lost 60 pounds of fat and am about to start strength training. Both my trainer and nutritionist are recommending BCAAs until I increase my calorie intake.

    That being said, I'm new to strength training and will gladly consider any advice the food folks at MFP have to offer.

  • Soundwave79
    Soundwave79 Posts: 469 Member
    I've used BSN Amino X (Fruit Punch is my fav) for about a year now. I can't honestly say it does anything. I feel like it helps with soreness and muscle recovery but it could just be placebo effect. But I love the taste of it and for me it's like drinking kool aid with benefits. If you can find it cheap I think it's worth it
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    edited August 2015
    So just to expound and restate what @SideSteel said, protein consists of Branch Chain Amino Acids and essential amino acids, so if you are getting adequate protein in your diet throughout the day, then there is no reason to spend money on additional "partial" protein supplementation. If protein is lacking, then adding in whole food sources or whey protein (for convenience) is preferred as its whole protein. BCAAs would be a conciliatory choice if there was no other options for protein.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited August 2015
    phillipdean299 wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    phillipdean299 wrote: »
    I need to start taking a good BCAA. Could you advise me on a good one to buy?

    If you are getting adequate protein throughout the day then there's really no need to supplement with BCAAs.

    I'm still in fat loss mode and am eating at a caloric deficit while doing a lot of cardio. I was looking at BCAAs to make sure I'm burning fat rather than loosing lean mass. I've lost 60 pounds of fat and am about to start strength training. Both my trainer and nutritionist are recommending BCAAs until I increase my calorie intake.

    To expand on the advice others have offered so far...

    Let's say you currently weight 180 lbs.

    180 lbs. x 0.60-0.80 grams protein per 1 lb. bodyweight = A goal of 108-144 grams protein per day

    4 calories in 1 gram of protein means that the calories consumed from protein alone will be 432-576 calories per day.

    If your total daily calorie goal is something like 2,200 calories per day then calories from protein alone will only be 20-26% of your total caloric intake, which is rather low considering that is all your body requires and the other macros will be of higher percentages.

    In short, you don't need BCAAs if you are getting anywhere between 0.60-0.80 grams protein per 1 lb. bodyweight per day. The caloric load from this macronutrient should be fairly low, even on a drastic 20% cut from TDEE (maintanance calories).
  • JennieBennie7
    JennieBennie7 Posts: 7 Member
    I really like BCN AminoX blue raz flavor in about 20ounces of ice & water. I also use it while lifting in a fasted state.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited September 2015
    Could someone educate me (and this is a genuine question) why would partial protein be a better choice than a complete protein to help retain muscle? I mean if you are getting those aminos and more, isn't it the same? It feels like a ploy to market less expensive ingredients for a better profit margin.
  • 3stepsahead
    3stepsahead Posts: 56 Member
    I like Xtend by Scivation I take them pre workout , I do cardio practically on an empty stomach besides a scoop of whey and a serving of BCAA to prevent muscle loss. The results have been great

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