BCAA's or Leucine on it's own?

Dtlv74 · 13-09-2007 02:55 PM

Title of the thread sums it up really... there seem to be some people who swear by taking BCCA's (leucine, valine, isoleucine, normally at a 2.1.1 ratio) around training and others who use only Leucine.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of either approach?

**Orinoco** · 13-09-2007 03:53 PM

This might be useful, it's written by Charles Poliquin on his website....

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For over fifteen years, I have strongly recommended branch chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) for use while you train. These supplements can increase your lean body mass. I learned this trick a while ago from Drs. Serrano and Di Pasquale. I have used it with athletes who have difficulty increasing their mass.

How does it work? There could be a variety of reasons, namely:

- Leucine is an important regulator of protein synthesis through reducing protein degradation in humans. Leucine is also very good at sparing glucose as a fuel.

- bcaa promote protein synthesis in the fat-free body mass.

- bcaa consumed during training raise both growth hormone and insulin at the same time, hence the increased anti-catabolism and anabolism.

- The bcaa, unlike the other amino acids, are used as a form of energy by muscle cells.

- The study by Carli et al. (1992) showed that supplementing with branched chain amino acids prior to a workout not only prevents a decrease in post-workout testosterone levels, but actually allowed testosterone levels to increase following exercise.

- bcaa administration has an anti-catabolic effect by favoring a better testosterone/cortisol ratio.

- bcaa administration also reduces the exercise induced increase in the muscle concentration of tyrosine and phenylalanine, therefore indicating a decreased net rate of protein degradation during exercise.

- There is a serious decrement in post workout soreness when you use bcaa during the training unit.

- An Italian study on natural bodybuilders showed that 0.2 g of bcaa per kg of bodyweight 30 minutes before workout and 30 minutes after workouts lead to greater increases in lean body mass and strength in the bench press and squat.

- bcaa decrease body fat (especially visceral fat, the fat that accumulates inside the abdomen and results in that beer gut look).

- A group of researchers through three different studies demonstrated that bcaa supplementation might also improve exercise-induced declines in some aspects of mental functioning.

- Prolonging endurance performance in the heat.

How much bcaa should you take?

I recommend taking 0.44 g per Kg of bodyweight. Take half of this dosage within 30 minutes before training. Take the other half right after training.

For example, if you weigh 90 kilograms (198 lbs), take 40 grams of branch chain amino acids. If you are on a restricted budget, use at least 20 grams. Otherwise, don’t bother. Using this type of dosage, it is not uncommon for some of my clients to gain 9 lbs of lean body mass in just 3 weeks using this protocol.

Some people have recommend taking bcaa during traditional sleeping hours, waking during the night to take some tablets. In this case, the rationale is that a greater anabolic state will be created. That idea is completely worthless. Sleep should not be interrupted no matter what! As soon as you wake up for more than three seconds, you suppress completely the production of melatonin, the restorative, anti-aging hormone.

bcaa are best used as an « intra-workout » workout supplement.

Poliquin recommends a 4:1:1 ratio because:

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It's the exact ratio of 4 Leucine to 1 isoleucine and 1 valine that exercises physiologists recommend for promoting exercise recovery and anabolism.

It's worth noting that Poliquin only uses this ratio for intra-workout supplementation. The 2:1:1 ratio as sold by MP has many studies backing it up, which usually involve it being taken in even doses throughout the day.

I personally take 4 doses of 8gms of BCAA's in the 4:1:1 ratio over a workout and 10 gms of leucine added to my PWO shake. I used to tinker with this ratio by adding more leucine, but the above research is based on the 4:1:1 ratio, so I'm not sure that just leucine on its own would have the same positive effects on test/cortisol ratios. Also there was a recent post by forum member TARTULHO on page 3 of the following thread......

http://forum.myprotein.co.uk/showthr...?t=9831&page=3

........pertaining to Leucine supplementation that further solidified my view that 4:1:1 is the way to go for intra-workout supplementation, and 2:1:1 ratio at all other times for anti-catabolic duties. It also would seem from tartulho's post that spiking protein shakes with leucine might be a good practice too.

Dtlv74 · 13-09-2007 04:27 PM

Thanks Orinoco, that was a very good post (repped)!

The thread was also very relevant as I'm a pre-bed casein person!

Have noted that you yourself supplement with leucine/isoleucine/valine at 4.1.1... how profound do you personally consider this to be, and would you reccommend it as a priority supplement (ie to someone who eats well and chooses only minimal supplementation)?

**Orinoco** · 13-09-2007 04:57 PM

Well, I guess anyone who's been lifting for any length of time will tell you that you can hit some stubborn sticking points. I've only been using BCAA's since March. At first I used 8.8 gms (2:1:1) over a workout and found it excellent at reducing DOMS.

I currently take 32 gms in the 4:1:1 ratio during a workout (plus a further 10 gms of leucine added to my PWO shake ) and have put an 1/8 inch on my arms this last 6 weeks or so. What's more surprising is that I'm dieting on 1900cals a day.

I would say that it was once I hit 20+gms over a workout that I noticed things move up a level with an increase in work capacity and even greater recovery.