Calorie Counting Question

[marshbomb]

Do bulk BCAAs, glutamine and creatine count when you are figuring your daily calorie intake?

For instance if I take 30g of BCAA, 10g of glutamine and 10g of creatine a day totaling 50g do I multiply that 50 by 4 and count it as 200 calories towards my daily intake?

 

[JJC]

I wouldn't think so because the amino acids are free form.

Proteins are made up of amino acids. Your body needs to break apart these proteins to use the amino acids. Since the aminos are already in their "most broken down" state, it doesn't take energy to metabolize them and also there aren't any bonds to break to release energy.

 

[faerieeyes3]

Prolab's Glutamine has 18 calories per serving (4.5 gr) on it's nutrition info. But I don't think I'd count it if I were counting calories.

 

[Palo Alto Labs]

Prolab's Glutamine has 18 calories per serving (4.5 gr) on it's nutrition info. But I don't think I'd count it if I were counting calories.

Amino acids and creatine do not have calories. Some formulas and products do have some calories bc they add sugar/carb source for flavoring (good thing bc otherwise they would be disgusting). Its the same as a multivitamin = 0 calories.
Calories are a unit of heat. 1 calorie is a measured amount of heat potential that a food source has. Amino Acids, creatine, vitamins, etc do not have this characteristic.

 

[p951]

Amino acids and creatine do not have calories. Some formulas and products do have some calories bc they add sugar/carb source for flavoring (good thing bc otherwise they would be disgusting). Its the same as a multivitamin = 0 calories.
Calories are a unit of heat. 1 calorie is a measured amount of heat potential that a food source has. Amino Acids, creatine, vitamins, etc do not have this characteristic.

BCAA's and Glutamine do have calories as they are both Amino Acids. They each contain 4 calories per gram. Creatine doesn't contain calories as long as it doesn't include sugar. However, even if you take 25 grams of BCAA's and Glutamine combined, you only end up with about 100 extra calories. As it takes about 3500 calories in addition to a maintenance diet inorder to gain a pound, I would not be too concerned with this. Take your BCAA's and Glutamine - No worries! Best time is pre and post w/0

 

[JJC]

BCAA's and Glutamine do have calories as they are both Amino Acids. They each contain 4 calories per gram. Creatine doesn't contain calories as long as it doesn't include sugar. However, even if you take 25 grams of BCAA's and Glutamine combined, you only end up with about 100 extra calories. As it takes about 3500 calories in addition to a maintenance diet inorder to gain a pound, I would not be too concerned with this. Take your BCAA's and Glutamine - No worries! Best time is pre and post w/0

Hmmmm...I'm not sure that they actually can be used for energy like that(meaning, I don't know if they actually have calories).

Regardless of whether they do or not, it really isn't something to worry about.

Also, to clarify....that 3500 extra calories is spread through the week! Or 500 extra calories a day. At first I was like, 3500?!? Haha...sometimes I amaze myself...

 

[p951]

Hmmmm...I'm not sure that they actually can be used for energy like that(meaning, I don't know if they actually have calories).

Regardless of whether they do or not, it really isn't something to worry about.

Also, to clarify....that 3500 extra calories is spread through the week! Or 500 extra calories a day. At first I was like, 3500?!? Haha...sometimes I amaze myself...

So if I eat 500 mints but they are only 4 calories each, they won't contribute to my calories. I think not. You will still get the same 2000 calories from them as you would food. BCAA's are the same. However, like I said, the calorie content of even 25 grams of BCAA's is so low (~100 calories) that it wouldn't affect your calorie count all that much.

 

[JJC]

So if I eat 500 mints but they are only 4 calories each, they won't contribute to my calories. I think not. You will still get the same 2000 calories from them as you would food. BCAA's are the same. However, like I said, the calorie content of even 25 grams of BCAA's is so low (~100 calories) that it wouldn't affect your calorie count all that much.

But the mints have complete carbohydrates that provide energy when they are broken down.

In a similar fashion, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins need to be broken down into their constituent amino acids in order to be used by the body. Since the amino acids are already free form, there is no release of energy.

At least that is how it makes sense to me.

 

[p951]

But the mints have complete carbohydrates that provide energy when they are broken down.

In a similar fashion, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins need to be broken down into their constituent amino acids in order to be used by the body. Since the amino acids are already free form, there is no release of energy.

At least that is how it makes sense to me.

Don't make sense to me

 

[young_squatter]

Do bulk BCAAs, glutamine and creatine count when you are figuring your daily calorie intake?

For instance if I take 30g of BCAA, 10g of glutamine and 10g of creatine a day totaling 50g do I multiply that 50 by 4 and count it as 200 calories towards my daily intake?

I personally do not count them towards calories although they do have caloric value.