# BCAA'S....when best to take them??



## Shadowsire (Mar 20, 2007)

*Thanks for the previous advice guys. I'd like to ask another question if i may. *

* When is the best time to take BCAA'S? pre or post workout? when i get up or later in the day?*

*Cheers*

*Bruce:beer1: *


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## chrisj22 (Mar 22, 2006)

Many people take them in the morning & after training. When dieting, BCAA'S can be taken prior to cardio.


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## Shadowsire (Mar 20, 2007)

*So, when on the bottle it advises one serving, say of four tablets, would you take two pre and then two post workout, or take two seperate servings i.e 8 tabs:brick: ???*


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## Karl(Reflex) (Jun 12, 2006)

Pre-during and post workouts are when i use them.


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## Tinytom (Sep 16, 2005)

BCAAs are only necessary at times when catabolic situations are a danger or you want an anabolic response.

Therefore before training - cardio or weights (anti catabolic)

After Training (anabolic response)

possibly before bed but I never bother with this.

I use between 5-10g depending on if I'm dieting or not.


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## scott134 (Jan 31, 2007)

You've probably got the same BCAAs as me, I use the Inner Armour tablets and that says take 4 a day (1 serving). So I take 2tabs pre-workout and 2 after.


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## invisiblekid (Jun 18, 2006)

Is there any benefit to the caps over powder? Would adding powder to a either a pre or post workout shake be a sensible thing to do?


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## Karl(Reflex) (Jun 12, 2006)

invisiblekid said:


> Is there any benefit to the caps over powder? Would adding powder to a either a pre or post workout shake be a sensible thing to do?


No. Powder will usually workout better value for money, however the taste of powdered BCAAs is pretty bad and they dont mix very well, usually just floating on top the liquid.


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## ethos (Apr 5, 2007)

For cheap Bcaa (powder form) go to www.myprotein.co.uk and put www.bulkpowders.co.uk in the online price matcher. 1kg for £35.99 which is the cheapest I've seen it, even with a trade account at protrainer.com.

No benefit to caps over powder apart from spending a lot more money on them. Bcaa powder tastes pretty bad but if you just slam it in your mouth and chase with water it's fine.

Here are some opinions of some of the guys over at T-nation:

*Christian Thibaudeau's BCAA Protocols*

Christian Thibaudeau is on the high end of the scale, but the results speak for themselves:

"Over the past year, I've had several clients gain up to 8 pounds of lean mass in 2 weeks using my protocol. While most of my clients don't gain 8 pounds in two weeks, most will gain an average of 1-2 pounds per week over the first 8 weeks of use."

Here's what Christian recommends:

5 servings of 5-10 grams per day (i.e. about 4 to 8 Biotest BCAA tablets):

1. Upon waking up (especially if you engage in pre-breakfast cardio).

2. Between breakfast and lunch.

3. Between lunch and supper.

4. Mid-evening.

5. Before going to bed.

"Each serving would ideally be 10 grams; that will give you the best gains by far. The results are very close to being drug-like, and I'm not one to say this lightly. I put my reputation on the line."

* Chad Waterbury's BCAA Protocols*

Chad Waterbury has devised several BCAA protocols for his clients, some as high as 20 grams per serving and some as low as 3 grams per serving.

One of his favorites, though, is his "Mid-Sleep BCAA Protocol for Cutting or Bulking."

"I've long stressed the importance of night-time feedings for growth and recovery. Problem is, most people don't want to get up in the middle of the night and have a protein shake. But with a good BCAA supplement, all they need to do is have the pills sitting next to their alarm clock with a glass of water. They wake up briefly, take the pills, and they're back asleep."

Chad's nighttime protocol calls for 1.5 grams of BCAA per 25 pounds of lean body mass. In other words, a 200-pound man would take roughly 8 Biotest BCAA tablets upon awakening.

Chad is also big on using BCAA for cutting, for which he prescribes 0.75 grams of BCAA per 25 pounds of LBM four times a day, between meals. (That equals about 4 Biotest BCAA tablets 4 times a day, for the prototypical 200-pound man.)

* John Berardi's BCAA Protocols*

While Christian and Chad probably represent two ends of the BCAA dose spectrum, nutritionist John Berardi's preferences lie somewhere in the middle.

For muscle gain or athletic performance, John recommends:

Non-Training Days: 4 Biotest BCAA tablets (roughly 5 grams), 2 or 3 times a day, split evenly throughout the day.

Training days: 4 Biotest BCAA tablets upon waking, 4 tablets during training, and 4 tablets after training, the two latter doses being in addition to a serving of Biotest's Surge.

However, John also has a pretty interesting protocol that he uses on himself every couple of years to get super ripped. Get this, John Berardi, Mr. "Massive Eating" himself, will occasionally go on a stint where he eats 3 meals a day, totaling about 2,000 calories, interspersed with three 10-gram "feedings" of BCAA.

The large amounts of BCAA offset any potential muscle loss from the fairly severe bout of calorie restriction.

As you can see, the recommended dosages vary. However, I think it's absolutely clear that BCAA are a valuable and indispensable tool for building muscle, improving athletic performance, or maintaining muscle while losing body fat.


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## myprotein (May 15, 2004)

Best to take before and during training.

Adding BCAA's to slightly warm water aids the mixing. The taste can be easily masked with a strong coridal etc.


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

Wow, that was some fun reading.


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