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Should i take bcaa's on cardio days?

jbryand101b said:
This person sums it up nicely:

"The difference comes with the type of Insulin response. BCAA's will stimulate acute Insulin response from the turning on or beginning of protein synthesis. Unlike a heavy carbohydrate or carbohydrate + protein meal, BCAA's will not cause a lasting Insulin response. When you ingest Glucose, for instance, the Insulin response is both acute and long-lasting, as there is an initial response by the Pancreas and then a continual response to the blood until the blood Glucose gets back to a normal. Now, it's a lot more complicated than this and obviously depending what is consumed can greatly change this response, but the latter, chronic Insulin release is why the typical metabolically deranged person will develop Type II Diabetes and other issues.

To answer your specific question, I think BCAA's before "fasted" cardio is an interesting debate. I think the arguments can be made on both sides, both on the "inhibits fat burning" and "spares muscle tissue" side of the fence. In my opinion, I am a big fan of the use of BCAA's, but I do agree that Physiologically it DOES inhibit some metabolizing of stored fatty acids. Here's my implementation...

If I'm someone with a great deal of muscle mass and I'm concerned about preserving this, I'd tend to use the BCAA's and just be content with even 25% of my fat burning ability.

If I'm someone with a great deal of fat to lose, you have to accept that much of your "functional muscle" you develop just to support the excess fat is going to be lost while burning fat. If fat loss is your goal, roll with that, don't worry about BCAA's and just do straight up fasted cardio.

Everyone should be using BCAA's in supplement form or those found in Whey Protein (or both together) post-workout. No doubt about that."
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I like it
 
BCAAs will obviously block fat burning transiently. If the BCAAs are oxidized for fuel, that's that much less glucose/lipids that are being oxidized from body stores. BCAAs may prove useful in a state of glycogen depletion, however: Invalid Link Removed.
 
study cy posted said:
. Branched-chain amino acids supplementation enhances exercise capacity and lipid oxidation during endurance exercise after muscle glycogen depletion.

Gualano AB, et al. Show all

J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2011 Mar;51(1):82-8.

School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. [email protected]

Abstract AIM: It has been demonstrated that branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) transaminase activation occurs simultaneously with exercise-induced muscle glycogen reduction, suggesting that BCAA supplementation might play an energetic role in this condition. This study aimed to test whether BCAA supplementation enhances exercise capacity and lipid oxidation in glycogen-depleted subjects.

METHODS: Using a double-blind cross-over design, volunteers (N.=7) were randomly assigned to either the BCAA (300 mg . kg . day -1) or the placebo (maltodextrine) for 3 days. On the second day, subjects were submitted to an exercise-induced glycogen depletion protocol. They then performed an exhaustive exercise test on the third day, after which time to exhaustion, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), plasma glucose, free fatty acids (FFA), blood ketones and lactate were determined. BCAA supplementation promoted a greater resistance to fatigue when compared to the placebo (+17.2%). Moreover, subjects supplemented with BCAA showed reduced RER and higher plasma glucose levels during the exhaustive exercise test.

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, BCAA supplementation increases resistance to fatigue and enhances lipid oxidation during exercise in glycogen-depleted subjects.

PMID 21297567 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Full text: Minerva Medica
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:$ :-
 
BCAAs are good to take on workout days as well as cardio days. There's nothing wrong with these actually. They work really well together stacked with other things. I'm really a fan of them.
 
You could but it isn't necessary or mandatory to see results. Extra bcaas would never harm you but if you did t want to spend the extra money on them, don't.
 
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