BCAA & Catabolism

[iambrian]

How many grams of bcaa does it take to stop catabolism?

[Dinahlady]

What do you mean by catabolism? 

 

[nate225]

Nothing stops catabolism....it's part of the complex biochemical cycle in your body, well more accurately there's a truckload of different catabolic pathways, as well as anabolic ones.

Assuming you're talking about minimising catabolism of muscle tissue during/post training? Some people believe BCAA's help, others don't. Controversial topic really.

Personally I use around 30g BCAA and a similar amount of Glutamine spread through key times of the day. I haven't lost too much muscle during my competition cut, though what % of that I can attribute to BCAA's versus food versus other supps is questionable.

[Dinahlady]

Nothing stops catabolism....it's part of the complex biochemical cycle in your body, well more accurately there's a truckload of different catabolic pathways, as well as anabolic ones.

Assuming you're talking about minimising catabolism of muscle tissue during/post training? Some people believe BCAA's help, others don't. Controversial topic really.

Personally I use around 30g BCAA and a similar amount of Glutamine spread through key times of the day. I haven't lost too much muscle during my competition cut, though what % of that I can attribute to BCAA's versus food versus other supps is questionable.

+1

catabolism refers to 1000s of processes in your body that are always going on, It isn't one thing.

I've read some studies recently on human starvation and to be honest - skeletal muscle catabolism is the last thing that your body EVER wants to do. Skeletal muscle is valuable as fark, is not calorie dense and you don't have very much of it in the body. In the words of one of the analysists in the study: an organism "is in deep trouble", in terms of their mortality, if they start using skeletal muscle as a fuel. It took roughly a week of no food at all for cases bodies to start utilising skeletal muscle. Your body will do everything in its power to not use muscle as fuel, which is one of the reasons ketosis exists. 

BCAAs Imo might HELP muscle growth, but probably not any more than some steak and carbs. You're not going to lose muscle without them. They are also pretty good as a pre workout for a boost and a pump.