10g BCAA before Fasted Workout

[perpetual_injuries]

Hey guys. I've just started trying the IF methods from leangains.com. So far finding it really interesting. Not noticing and 'blood sugar lows' and my workouts haven't been negatively effected by low energy even when I've had to fast for up to 17 hours before exercise. Will be a few weeks before i can say whether it's helping with loosing that bit of belly fat though.

My question atm if related to BCAA consumption. The leangains guide recommends taking 10g pre-workout as a means if slowing/preventing possibly catabolism during the workout. I also have about 8g in my post-workout protein shake.

I did a bit of quick research into BCAA supplements and non of the health/supplement shops in Dunedin sold anything but the pill form of BCAAs. These would work out to be really expensive if i'm consuming 10g of them (20 pills), price approx $55.00 per 150pills. Leangains recommended a powder supplement called Xtend, however i can't find that in NZ. I did however find these (http://eatme.net.nz/supplements/bcaa-powder-500g.html).

1) Does anyone know why the pill forms have so little BCAAs and are so expensive for so little?

2) How good is the 'Eat Me' stuff?

3) Is 10g pre-workout and unrealistic amount or perfectly reasonable?

Thanks in advance guys.

Mike.

[OnlyHuman]

I am doing IF.

Try here

http://www.nzmuscle.co.nz/shop/Shop+by+ ... Xtend.html

I like the flavor of xtend.

[perpetual_injuries]

Cheers man. How's the IF going for you? Do you notice the effect of taking the BCAAs pre-workout?

[Chemo]

you can goto purebulk for cheap bcaas but i really do recommended xtend, ive tried heaps of cheaper variants and now im back to xtend and happy about it.

With your fasted workout, what does fasted really mean? As in no foods or even whey powder before your workout?

How do you find cramming your maintainance calories in after the workout?

[drizzt]

I use Xtend as well (can buy here), but have also recently started using Optimum's Essential Amin.O. Energy which is pretty good too. Kinda flitting between the tubs depending on which flavour I feel like really.

My flatmate uses Modern BCAA from USP Labs, but I haven't tried that yet.

To answer your 3rd q, yep, "1 serve" (a couple scoops) of Xtend gives you slightly over 10g I think (don't have the bottle on hand), and I reckon that's perfectly reasonable. Same with the Optimum and I believe also with the USP one.

Differences between Optimum vs Xtend are that the Optimum one has added Green Tea/Coffee extract, as well as a bit of caffeine, so I'd recommend this if you were after a bit of a boost alongside the BCAAs.

Both brands taste great, haven't had the straight powder form of BCAA but I hear that's a bit tougher on the old tastebuds...

My energy has always been great for workouts when fasted/on BCAAs for the past few months :nod:

[vracula]

Bcaa powder is vomit inducing to say the least even 10 gms,either buy the caps,Or buy the powder and mix it with some thrifty and let stand for 45 mins in the fridge,thats what I do.eat me or stuff from bodybuilding.co.nz is top notch.

[OnlyHuman]

Cheers man. How's the IF going for you? Do you notice the effect of taking the BCAAs pre-workout?

Good so far, however it has only been like 3 weeks.

I think it suits my lifestyle / eating habits at the moment.

I can't say I notice much difference with the BCAAs prior to work out. Maybe not so much DOMS but I can't say for sure.

[perpetual_injuries]

Thanks for the all the replies and info guys. It's been really helpful.

@ Chemo: The fasted training requires at least 16 hours without food. I'm doing more atm as it's what works around my uni schedule. I generally have my last meal at 7pm then fast (no food at all) till working out at 12pm. The recommendation is to take 10g of BCAAs 5-15min before the workout. That's the only time you 'break the fast' and this isn't really counted as the BCAAs are extremely unlikely to be converted into energy.

Re: post workout I have the biggest meal of the day. For me this is:

- 30g Balance WPI Unflavoured blended with 1/2-1 cup of coconut cream, some roasted pumpkin (100g approx) and a few mixed spices for flavour.

- 1/2 cup of yoghurt mixed with 10 almonds and 1/2 cup of frozen berries (normally boysenberries)

- A salad containing meat (normally chicken thigh 120-150g), courgette, tomato, mayonnaise (homemade), avocado, and some cheese (10g).

Protein shake i take immediately after ending workout and then i eat the other two when i get back to Uni about 5 min later after biking from the gym.

I'll then have another meal with scrambled eggs, salad and tuna about 4pm, and finish with dinner about 7pm also containing 150g of meat min and assorted veg.

[JOSEF RAKICH]

Dont do a fasted workout, i dont understand why anyone would want to do this..

[Phedder]

Dont do a fasted workout, i dont understand why anyone would want to do this..

Perhaps this is why?

Seems to work well for him, his clients, and many followers of IF.

[justhell]

Dont do a fasted workout, i dont understand why anyone would want to do this..

Perhaps this is why?

Seems to work well for him, his clients, and many followers of IF.

i dont see the point of working out without having food for fuel and recovery,unless you trying to lose size?

iv never seen anything about IF(dont even know what it stands for.)

[drizzt]

I wouldn't bother, Phed.

We tried to show him the fasted angle in this thread, but nothing would convince him it was any good.

[drizzt]

i dont see the point of working out without having food for fuel and recovery,unless you trying to lose size?

iv never seen anything about IF(dont even know what it stands for.)

JH - Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a way of keeping the body fat low, but muscle gain going. Check out leangains.com and have a read, it's what I've been following for the past few months. It's been really effective for me, and easy to follow which is the main thing.

On little-no cardio while I've been on the diet, I've managed to keep the body fat down, and strength increasing :nod:

[Phedder]

I wouldn't bother, Phed.

We tried to show him the fasted angle in this thread, but nothing would convince him it was any good.

My memory really is poor :doh: Maybe the boosting muscle growth study is more up his alley, which I don't think I linked last time. Either way it's up to him to read/open his mind to other views.

[justhell]

i dont see the point of working out without having food for fuel and recovery,unless you trying to lose size?

iv never seen anything about IF(dont even know what it stands for.)

JH - Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a way of keeping the body fat low, but muscle gain going. Check out leangains.com and have a read, it's what I've been following for the past few months. It's been really effective for me, and easy to follow which is the main thing.

On little-no cardio while I've been on the diet, I've managed to keep the body fat down, and strength increasing :nod:

all good drizzt,thanks for that link mate,il give it a read now,

sounds interesting.

8)

wow theres some good (results) pics on that link.

looks good,if you want to lose body fat(pre comp.)

[vracula]

i dont see the point of working out without having food for fuel and recovery,unless you trying to lose size?

iv never seen anything about IF(dont even know what it stands for.)

JH - Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a way of keeping the body fat low, but muscle gain going. Check out leangains.com and have a read, it's what I've been following for the past few months. It's been really effective for me, and easy to follow which is the main thing.

On little-no cardio while I've been on the diet, I've managed to keep the body fat down, and strength increasing :nod:

all good drizzt,thanks for that link mate,il give it a read now,

sounds interesting.

8)

wow theres some good (results) pics on that link.

looks good,if you want to lose body fat(pre comp.)

i was shocked at it first as well,but am now a believer and I am an intermittent faster too,Its going well for me.

[Chemo]

I wonder if you could break the fast with small shakes and bcaa's mixed with water and little fat carb intake. I don't know if the high amount of bcaas would act like a insulin mimetic though and break that fat burning potential.

If my fat ass can muster up the will power to do this.

And to all the IF haters, it's great for keeping lean as you would be producing a max amount of GH and using body fat as fuel.

[vracula]

I wonder if you could break the fast with small shakes and bcaa's mixed with water and little fat carb intake. I don't know if the high amount of bcaas would act like a insulin mimetic though and break that fat burning potential.

If my fat ass can muster up the will power to do this.

And to all the IF haters, it's great for keeping lean as you would be producing a max amount of GH and using body fat as fuel.

I think Martin said something below 80 calories is fine during the fasting period.I have a few almonds during my fasting period,I do have Bcaa's and green tea as well.

[Chemo]

Hmm could be a good time to sip on some EAAs or whey with some fats.

I wonder how much it would effect the success of the diet if one were to have a few meals mainly protein based before. Like whey with some fats, nothing insulin spiking, and timing the carbs for after the workout.

[drizzt]

Hmm could be a good time to sip on some EAAs or whey with some fats.

I wonder how much it would effect the success of the diet if one were to have a few meals mainly protein based before. Like whey with some fats, nothing insulin spiking, and timing the for after the workout.

Although fasted is his recommendation, he has adapted it for where you eat before. And I think you're along the right track, he recommends a smaller meal if you have to do that, and keep the largest meal of the day for afterwards.

[Chemo]

sounds great, carb control is always a good idea for controlling fat gain, maybe cycling between a purist IF and watered down IF could be doable without too much hastle.

I can see how stress from the workout and carb/glycogen depletion is gonna make you look the real deal, i mean this is almost repetitive competitive BB/fitness model prep?

[Kalishnigav]

im playing around with IF and finding what works, at the same time doing 5-3-1 which makes it really easy to see if im losing or gainig strength, aparently after 4 weeks im still gaining strength. i take the modern bcaa before and it does the job quite nicely.