BCAAs? has anyone noticed a difference in the speed of recovery and not aching so much after?
sammiewammie444
Posts: 58 Member
i have been recommended to take bcaas to speed up my recovery from weight lifting as i can get very sore muscles the next day. just wanted more opinions. has it worked for you?
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Replies
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sammiewammie444 wrote: »i have been recommended to take bcaas to speed up my recovery from weight lifting as i can get very sore muscles the next day. just wanted more opinions. has it worked for you?
They will not help at all. They are useless. Don't waste your money. Adequate protein intake is all you need.
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-016-0128-9
http://physiqonomics.com/bcaas/
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sammiewammie444 wrote: »i have been recommended to take bcaas to speed up my recovery from weight lifting as i can get very sore muscles the next day. just wanted more opinions. has it worked for you?
They will not help at all. They are useless. Don't waste your money. Adequate protein intake is all you need.
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-016-0128-9
http://physiqonomics.com/bcaas/
can i just ask, are you saying this from experience and have you actually tried it?
theres always different information on the internet that contradicts each other so i dont know which is right and which is wrong.
my sister is currently taking bcaas and she says it helps her alot, but just wanting more opinions from people who have tried it to see how many people it has actually worked for before i decide whether to buy it or not. i am currently taking protein shakes to up my intake, but recovery can still be slow6 -
sammiewammie444 wrote: »sammiewammie444 wrote: »i have been recommended to take bcaas to speed up my recovery from weight lifting as i can get very sore muscles the next day. just wanted more opinions. has it worked for you?
They will not help at all. They are useless. Don't waste your money. Adequate protein intake is all you need.
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-016-0128-9
http://physiqonomics.com/bcaas/
can i just ask, are you saying this from experience and have you actually tried it?
theres always different information on the internet that contradicts each other so i dont know which is right and which is wrong.
my sister is currently taking bcaas and she says it helps her alot, but just wanting more opinions from people who have tried it to see how many people it has actually worked for before i decide whether to buy it or not. i am currently taking protein shakes to up my intake, but recovery can still be slow
You can gather first-person anecdotes from as many people as you want, but if you're going for facts, you really are better off looking at actual studies like the two linked above (if you click through you'll see they come from a peer-reviewed journal, not Wikipedia or Some Dude's Instagram). Your sister is likely experiencing the placebo effect, which is certainly a real thing, but not the same as science.12 -
My first hand experience is inconsequential. As is your sister's. The studies tell the story. I suggest you read them.5
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I had this issue. I've been working out like 7 or 8 times per week for the last 8 months while on a calorie deficit (down 71LBS). After about a month of this, I was having a ton of issues with recovery. After doing a lot of reading on this. I decided to pump up my protein intake (between 40 - 50% of my calories). Not only is my recovery much improved, but I'm making strength gains while on a large calorie deficit. I get most of my protein from meat, whey protein (isopure brand), and protein bars. Also, as a bonus, the increase in protein is making me way less hungry between meals. I've been doing the protein thing for about 7 months now.4
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mmapags- i am looking for a yes or no from people who have tried it
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I tried both BCAA and L-Carnitine as all I do is lift weights. L-Carnitine is what helps with sore muscles, and I know that it helps. BCAAs I really dont know what they do. I know what they claim to do but I do not feel any different.3
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sammiewammie444 wrote: »i am looking for a yes or no from people who have tried them
No you do not need them. I thought when I first started exercising that I needed them. I couldn't tell any difference taking them along side food as opposed to just eating food. My recovery nor performance was enhanced by consuming BCAA's.
I eat a min protein amount everyday, even on my rest/recovery days. If you lack protein through food, choose a whey protein supplement these have all the BCAA's you need in them.5 -
Norris7493 wrote: »I had this issue. I've been working out like 7 or 8 times per week for the last 8 months while on a calorie deficit (down 71LBS). After about a month of this, I was having a ton of issues with recovery. After doing a lot of reading on this. I decided to pump up my protein intake (between 40 - 50% of my calories). Not only is my recovery much improved, but I'm making strength gains while on a large calorie deficit. I get most of my protein from meat, whey protein (isopure brand), and protein bars. Also, as a bonus, the increase in protein is making me way less hungry between meals. I've been doing the protein thing for about 7 months now.
how do you manage to lose weight while upping your protein so much? i am trying to lose weight but i find protein bars have too many calories in them if they have a decent amount of protein. im currently taking impact whey protein and eat chicken and eggs most days. i usually have around 100g of protein0 -
I was tempted in as I have exhaustion and pain from rowing / going from unfit to fit. It game me serious headache. I threw them in the bin. On searching it up on google it was of course anecdotal that it can give you a headache, but it was my experience, and it wasn't a normal headache, it was quite severe with feeling of things being a little bit unreal and my vision felt slightly off. I also considered creatine but it's hard on your liver.
To answer your question, I didn't find it help with recovery but perhaps I wasn't taking them long enough. What I have read that works best is a light work out to help keep the blood moving through the muscles. So active rest days/stretching. Epson salt baths. And to work out every second day if that is best for you. I get you on wanting a faster recovery, I'm in my mid-40s and this getting fit isn't for wimps lol.
When I got overwhelmed from the pain I took a full 2 week break from the gym. Went for a heavenly massage. And came back a lot stronger and faster. Looking back 1 week would have been enough but I was a bit burnt out and very pressed for time getting ready for Christmas.1 -
sammiewammie444 wrote: »Norris7493 wrote: »I had this issue. I've been working out like 7 or 8 times per week for the last 8 months while on a calorie deficit (down 71LBS). After about a month of this, I was having a ton of issues with recovery. After doing a lot of reading on this. I decided to pump up my protein intake (between 40 - 50% of my calories). Not only is my recovery much improved, but I'm making strength gains while on a large calorie deficit. I get most of my protein from meat, whey protein (isopure brand), and protein bars. Also, as a bonus, the increase in protein is making me way less hungry between meals. I've been doing the protein thing for about 7 months now.
how do you manage to lose weight while upping your protein so much? i am trying to lose weight but i find protein bars have too many calories in them if they have a decent amount of protein. im currently taking impact whey protein and eat chicken and eggs most days. i usually have around 100g of protein
FYI - just in case you aren't aware your whey protein is 25% BCAAs.5 -
sammiewammie444 wrote: »mmapags- i am looking for a yes or no from people who have tried it
So, you prefer individual anecdotes over peer reviewed scientific studies? Why?5 -
Definitely read the peer-review, that's a good gauge of what's true and what's not. Although some studies will actually result in a "maybe" type of answer.
BCAA's basically contain components of protein. You can get this in a Whey Protein supplement and definitely meat and other animal protein sources. Are they necessary? No, not by any means. For some folks it's a mental thing and if you need that support then go for it. Some people swear by them but that doesn't mean there's a correlation to effectiveness. The peer-review on Placebo effect is incredibly interesting if you ever have time to read-up on that topic.
RE L-Carnitine: I'm curious about the studies related to muscles soreness. That was not my understanding of how that supplement functions. More a long the lines of supporting Lipolysis. Anybody has anything related to muscle soreness I'd love to read it.4 -
I only use them when I dont get enough protein in my diet and I am doing body weight or lifting. otherwise I dont use them.0
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sammiewammie444 wrote: »mmapags- i am looking for a yes or no from people who have tried it
So, you prefer individual anecdotes over peer reviewed scientific studies? Why?
^I agree with mmapags and wonder the same question because the studies are going to give you the answer you actually need.
As for personal anecdotes -> no, they don't "speed up recovery." Aside from a placebo effect, I'd be willing to also put out there that your sister's body probably got used to working out and the DOMS just naturally subsided as it does.4 -
PikaJoyJoy wrote: »sammiewammie444 wrote: »mmapags- i am looking for a yes or no from people who have tried it
So, you prefer individual anecdotes over peer reviewed scientific studies? Why?
^I agree with mmapags and wonder the same question because the studies are going to give you the answer you actually need.
As for personal anecdotes -> no, they don't "speed up recovery." Aside from a placebo effect, I'd be willing to also put out there that your sister's body probably got used to working out and the DOMS just naturally subsided as it does.
i prefer to see what people actually think to it rather than read studies that may or may not be accurate. there is so much info on the internet that contradicts each other. one study will say one thing and then another will say the opposite.
i dont think that is the case with my sister as she was saying today that she missed out on her bcaas the other day and she was really sore. she doesnt usually get that sore when taking it and she can feel the difference10 -
I've been adding BCAA's to my morning shake for a few months and have seen absolutely no difference in muscle soreness. I'm still sore pretty much every day and so far the only effective solution I've found is foam rolling and buttloads of ibuprofen.2
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Whelp. Sounds like your mind is made up, so why would anybody else's opinion matter?
It actually sounds like you want to hear what you want to hear rather than the facts.
I'll just add one more data point, which references several of the studies already discussed/linked in layman's terms: http://physiqonomics.com/bcaas/9 -
Here you go. I tried it a few months back. It did not help at all IMHO. I then increased my protein macro to 40% of daily. This did help.
Now that is only a personal experiment and not scientific in the least. Still, it matches the current studies.2 -
sammiewammie444 wrote: »PikaJoyJoy wrote: »sammiewammie444 wrote: »mmapags- i am looking for a yes or no from people who have tried it
So, you prefer individual anecdotes over peer reviewed scientific studies? Why?
^I agree with mmapags and wonder the same question because the studies are going to give you the answer you actually need.
As for personal anecdotes -> no, they don't "speed up recovery." Aside from a placebo effect, I'd be willing to also put out there that your sister's body probably got used to working out and the DOMS just naturally subsided as it does.
i prefer to see what people actually think to it rather than read studies that may or may not be accurate. there is so much info on the internet that contradicts each other. one study will say one thing and then another will say the opposite.
i dont think that is the case with my sister as she was saying today that she missed out on her bcaas the other day and she was really sore. she doesnt usually get that sore when taking it and she can feel the difference
A couple of points. First, you choose to put credibility and weight in what some strangers on the internet say?
2nd, I could continue to post objective data, including a meta-analysis of this topic, but you would discount it?
Do people on the internet not disagree with each other?
Can you, or anyone, show any peer reviewed studies that disagree with the lack of effectiveness of BCAA's.
Sorry, but your logic fails me.10 -
So now anecdotes are "accurate" and science is not. FML.
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Just a little additional data from the objective sources that the OP discounts.
1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27175106
2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22451437
3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20110810
4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15930475
5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25429252/
6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26388782/
7) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28444456
8) http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/5/2/366 -
sammiewammie444 wrote: »Norris7493 wrote: »I had this issue. I've been working out like 7 or 8 times per week for the last 8 months while on a calorie deficit (down 71LBS). After about a month of this, I was having a ton of issues with recovery. After doing a lot of reading on this. I decided to pump up my protein intake (between 40 - 50% of my calories). Not only is my recovery much improved, but I'm making strength gains while on a large calorie deficit. I get most of my protein from meat, whey protein (isopure brand), and protein bars. Also, as a bonus, the increase in protein is making me way less hungry between meals. I've been doing the protein thing for about 7 months now.
how do you manage to lose weight while upping your protein so much? i am trying to lose weight but i find protein bars have too many calories in them if they have a decent amount of protein. im currently taking impact whey protein and eat chicken and eggs most days. i usually have around 100g of protein
Part of the issue is you don't need to eat a candy bar with some protein sprinkled in, most of the ones you get are either really expensive or full of cheap proteins like gelatin and collagen that aren't the best quality proteins. Many of them are also inflating the nitrogen numbers (a process called amino spiking) so don't have near the protein stated.
You are getting 100g of protein a day, that's not hard to get with chicken, turkey, cottage cheese etc, so if you can't budget the protein bar in then don't worry, just find another source that comes from real food.2 -
Here's my anecdote.
I'm on an aggressive cut. So aggressive my diary is closed unless you're my friend. I get 140-170g of protein per day easily, while dropping weight, lifting heavy *kitten* *kitten* and do not need BCAAs. And I know from experience they would do nothing but just taste kind of nice during a workout.4 -
Here's my anecdote.
I'm on an aggressive cut. So aggressive my diary is closed unless you're my friend. I get 140-170g of protein per day easily, while dropping weight, lifting heavy *kitten* *kitten* and do not need BCAAs. And I know from experience they would do nothing but just taste kind of nice during a workout.
Oh, they must be amazingly good at covering the leucine lol. If the devil served food in hell it would taste like leucine!
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So, a little objective data. The original theory behind BCAAs was that they would help MPS (Muscle Protein Sythesis). When studied, they didn't. They showed that they, ingested alone, could actually, have a negative effect on MPS. It is because they are incomplete and as such are ineffective. It is like trying to start a fire without heat, oxygen and fuel. Elements are missing that work in the whole but not individually.
If one would read the studies, this is all spelled out.2 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Here's my anecdote.
I'm on an aggressive cut. So aggressive my diary is closed unless you're my friend. I get 140-170g of protein per day easily, while dropping weight, lifting heavy *kitten* *kitten* and do not need BCAAs. And I know from experience they would do nothing but just taste kind of nice during a workout.
Oh, they must be amazingly good at covering the leucine lol. If the devil served food in hell it would taste like leucine!
What, the BCAAs? They do taste good tho. Little fizzy.0 -
sammiewammie444 wrote: »mmapags- i am looking for a yes or no from people who have tried it
So, you prefer individual anecdotes over peer reviewed scientific studies? Why?
You're responses are coming off kind of "douchey" and I'm sorry professor if you don't like the word "douchey" it's a non dictionary word that I enjoy using and it applies to your type of responses. Not trying to cause an argument or anything here, but I recommend you change your tone, if I were this girl and read your response I would find the process of discovery a lot more discouraging than when I started with the question in my head. Relax there buddy. Some people want just a general response of how people view something, yes peer reviewed journals are evidence based and provide the most factual information, although even those aren't always 100% reliable but that's for another separate issue altogether. Maybe you can lead her into the direction of curousity to read more than making it sound like the way she's approaching her question sound "dumb" because that's how I interpret your two responses. Thanks
and to the OP, I wasn't trying to speak on behalf of you because maybe you didn't have the same reaction I did, but this was my interpretation. Good luck. As for myself I don't use BCAAs and never have and every time I ask someone whether they like BCAAs (instead of reading peer reviewed journals all day), they give me several responses. I find that my recovery and improvements are fine without it so I don't bother. Plus as others stated earlier, most protein powders have some BCAAs already in their product so they claim. 18 -
sammiewammie444 wrote: »mmapags- i am looking for a yes or no from people who have tried it
So, you prefer individual anecdotes over peer reviewed scientific studies? Why?
You're responses are coming off kind of "douchey" and I'm sorry professor if you don't like the word "douchey" it's a non dictionary word that I enjoy using and it applies to your type of responses. Not trying to cause an argument or anything here, but I recommend you change your tone, if I were this girl and read your response I would find the process of discovery a lot more discouraging than when I started with the question in my head. Relax there buddy. Some people want just a general response of how people view something, yes peer reviewed journals are evidence based and provide the most factual information, although even those aren't always 100% reliable but that's for another separate issue altogether. Maybe you can lead her into the direction of curousity to read more than making it sound like the way she's approaching her question sound "dumb" because that's how I interpret your two responses. Thanks and to the OP, I wasn't trying to speak on behalf of you because maybe you didn't have the same reaction I did, but this was my interpretation. Good luck. As for myself I don't use BCAAs and never have and every time I ask someone whether they like BCAAs (instead of reading peer reviewed journals all day), they give me several responses. I find that my recovery and improvements are fine without it so I don't bother. Plus as others stated earlier, most protein powders have some BCAAs already in their product so they claim.
With all due respect dude, it's not my job to lead anyone in any direction. The data is the data. How you read my tone is up to you.9 -
sammiewammie444 wrote: »mmapags- i am looking for a yes or no from people who have tried it
So, you prefer individual anecdotes over peer reviewed scientific studies? Why?
You're responses are coming off kind of "douchey" and I'm sorry professor if you don't like the word "douchey" it's a non dictionary word that I enjoy using and it applies to your type of responses. Not trying to cause an argument or anything here, but I recommend you change your tone, if I were this girl and read your response I would find the process of discovery a lot more discouraging than when I started with the question in my head. Relax there buddy. Some people want just a general response of how people view something, yes peer reviewed journals are evidence based and provide the most factual information, although even those aren't always 100% reliable but that's for another separate issue altogether. Maybe you can lead her into the direction of curousity to read more than making it sound like the way she's approaching her question sound "dumb" because that's how I interpret your two responses. Thanks and to the OP, I wasn't trying to speak on behalf of you because maybe you didn't have the same reaction I did, but this was my interpretation. Good luck. As for myself I don't use BCAAs and never have and every time I ask someone whether they like BCAAs (instead of reading peer reviewed journals all day), they give me several responses. I find that my recovery and improvements are fine without it so I don't bother. Plus as others stated earlier, most protein powders have some BCAAs already in their product so they claim.
With all due respect dude, it's not my job to lead anyone in any direction. The data is the data. How you read my tone is up to you.
Maybe you shouldn't answer at all then and post links if it's not your job to help anyone. lol.10
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