BCAA a waste of money ?

[OlympiaGym]

zero evidence they do anything at all in people who are already consuming whole protein sources. Review of relevant literature:
https://builtwithscience.com/bcaas-benefits/

so i ask again, whats the point? Why do people insist on trying to justify being ripped off? supplement marketing is devastatingly effective i guess. Whether its $1 a serving or $5, it doesn't matter - they dont do anything for you that you're not already getting. Put it into proper perspective, you're paying someone else to rip you off, not paying for a product you will get utility out of.

I like your style

[IroNat]

I know this has and always will be discussed here .....


But Ben Pakulski says that BCAA is the number one sup in the top 5 Muscle growth list .  


Do you agree ?  Do you use it regularly ?

WooSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH

For somone like him who is juiced to the gills they are a convenient way to get more protein.  The drugs enable him to utilize it.

For natties they are no better than eggs or any other complete protein source.  The idea of needing excess amounts of protein is worthless for natties.

[LurkerNoMore]

Waste of money.  BCAA's are like the "fuel additive" you buy for your car.   Does it help?  Yes, but to a micro degree most likely.  But look at the price, a gallon of it would be 10x (or more) the cost of a gallon of gas.  Despite the high price and hype, unlike gas, you can't run your car off it.

BCAA's are the same way.  They help but hardly to any noticeable degree.  And despite the high price, they can never replace food or simple whey.    Think of it like this, if you locked two people in a room for 30 days, one with water and BCAAs and the other with water and whey, only one would (most likely) be alive at the end. 

[falco]

Doing some quick math, the same amount of money spent in testoviron, will held 100 times better results.

[Marty Champions]

your gut turns food into bcaas via enzymes , chemical reactions ect

[oldschoolfan]

go4it has a good point you can go to sams club and get 8 lbs of chicken breast for 16 bucks

[Hypertrophy]

Eat natural foods, get enough plant based fiber, take in 1-1.5 gms of protein a day per pound bodyweight, take in more natural fats than carbs and stay away from refined carbs.  Lift weights and get sufficient sleep each night. No such thing as a magic supplement unless you have a genetic deficiency or a disease.

That’s all you can really do as a natural bodybuilder.  Not that different from a drug assisted bodybuilder except they have more tolerance to heavy training and a less strict diet. And of course they will get bigger and faster.

[Coach is Back!]

go4it has a good point you can go to sams club and get 8 lbs of chicken breast for 16 bucks

Because that's not practical for most. Most people have jobs, don't have time to eat whole food meals, etc. Sure, solid meals are preferable but that's what supplements are for.

[Ropo]

your gut turns food into bcaas via enzymes , chemical reactions ect

True. So why eat aminos from the jar? What is the timeframe difference between food vs amino drinks? Well, you don't need to digest the amino drinks, they are absorbed much faster than your gut can process your food, and this is only real reason to use amino drinks. That is only reason why there is supplements to use, you dumb fuck. You get what you need, but faster than you can get it from food. You see, that anabolic window is a fackt, so there is timeframe what and when you should do to optimize your development.

[Van_Bilderass]

For muscle growth it's probably not ideal
to train "on empty", and Milos' idea of having
amino acids in the blood during training probably has
something to it, along with the idea of having elevated
insulin levels (even if just through food). There are several
theoretical reasons for this, some supported by science. But this is what I was going to say: if you typically have a protein shake after training it's better to have it *before* the session especially if it was several hours since you ate before the workout. Whey digests at something like 7g/hour so having a shake say 30 minutes before will elevate blood levels during as well as after training. It can't hurt.

But none of this micromanagement matters if you don't work hard.

[pellius]

Because that's not practical for most. Most people have jobs, don't have time to eat whole food meals, etc. Sure, solid meals are preferable but that's what supplements are for.

When I use to work at a nutrition store (Vitamin Shoppe) the district manager once asked me what I thought was the best reason I should tell the customers why they should use supplements. I answered with one word: "Convenience."

Not everybody, in fact, few people have, the luxury to make an omelet with vegetables and cheese, along with potatoes and fruit for breakfast. It would be great to have nice nutritious meals throughout the day. But sometimes you just need to throw some frozen strawberries, banana, protein powder, fiber and a bit of Olive oil in a blender and just down that sucker in a New York minute.

BTW, the DM did not like my answer.

[IroNat]

When I use to work at a nutrition store (Vitamin Shoppe) the district manager once asked me what I thought was the best reason I should tell the customers why they should use supplements. I answered with one word: "Convenience."

Not everybody, in fact, few people have, the luxury to make an omelet with vegetables and cheese, along with potatoes and fruit for breakfast. It would be great to have nice nutritious meals throughout the day. But sometimes you just need to throw some frozen strawberries, banana, protein powder, fiber and a bit of Olive oil in a blender and just down that sucker in a New York minute.

BTW, the DM did not like my answer.

Agree.  Convenience.

[ratherbebig]

When I use to work at a nutrition store (Vitamin Shoppe) the district manager once asked me what I thought was the best reason I should tell the customers why they should use supplements. I answered with one word: "Convenience."

Not everybody, in fact, few people have, the luxury to make an omelet with vegetables and cheese, along with potatoes and fruit for breakfast. It would be great to have nice nutritious meals throughout the day. But sometimes you just need to throw some frozen strawberries, banana, protein powder, fiber and a bit of Olive oil in a blender and just down that sucker in a New York minute.

BTW, the DM did not like my answer.

perfectly good answer IMO, i suspect he wanted you to sell the idea of a magic pill but even today for a lot of customers surely convenience is a perfectly good reason to buy

[drmarkp]

.. The real list; whole foods & PEDs

[oldschoolfan]

Because that's not practical for most. Most people have jobs, don't have time to eat whole food meals, etc. Sure, solid meals are preferable but that's what supplements are for.

lame excuse, it is easy to meal prep takes a few hrs at best i have a job , and i do it .

[pellius]

lame excuse, it is easy to meal prep takes a few hrs at best i have a job , and i do it .

I'm with Coach 100%. I'm not sure what kind of job you have and other commitments to your time and you don't know what Coach, I, or anybody else has regarding the demands on our time. But like all things in life, it's about trade-offs, when you do one thing you can't do something else. Sure I can get up an hour early and do "meal prep" but for me, it's not worth it. I'd much rather have that extra hour of sleep by far. My break at work is only 15 minutes. Not enough time for me to even eat a burrito without wolfing it down. I don't wolf, but I can leisurely drink a "Lean Body" or whatever and still chat with my fellow workers.

I know, and prove, that when all is said and done, it's going to make zero difference in my physique and health, whether I have a balanced breakfast or a protein smoothie. As long as my body is getting the adequate macronutrients as well as vitamins and minerals I'm good. Time is very, very important to me and I would like to minimize "meal prep" time in favor of other things in life. Also, I hate cooking and doing dishes.

[Van_Bilderass]

Some people still do not understand or refuse to believe that whey protein is food or that it can be a "better" source
of protein than some solid foods. Sure, foods like eggs contain nutrients such as choline, b-vitamins, vit D, selenium and so on. But say you compare whey to tuna
or vegetarian sources of protein? Whey is a food and one of the best sources of protein there is - looking at it from some aspects it's better than many other sources most look at as "real food". Look at infant formulas or medical foods in powder/liquid form used in hospitals for sick people. Whey features heavily. Whey is not just a much inferior, but more convenient, source of protein than some solid foods, it's better. Some drink liquid egg whites thinking it better. But how is it better with a 50% bioavailability compared to close to 100% with whey?

[pellius]

Some people still do not understand or refuse to believe that whey protein is food or that it can be a "better" source
of protein than some solid foods. Sure, foods like eggs contain nutrients such as choline, b-vitamins, vit D, selenium and so on. But say you compare whey to tuna
or vegetarian sources of protein? Whey is a food and one of the best sources of protein there is - looking at it from some aspects it's better than many other sources most look at as "real food". Look at infant formulas or medical foods in powder/liquid form used in hospitals for sick people. Whey features heavily. Whey is not just a much inferior, but more convenient, source of protein than some solid foods, it's better. Some drink liquid egg whites thinking it better. But how is it better with a 50% bioavailability compared to close to 100% with whey?

Always breaking things down to common sense. I never got this concept of "real food". Is whey or casein unreal?

Some months ago I was buying a Muscle Milk while in the gym. The guy behinds ask, "So does that stuff work?"
I reply, "What do you mean?"
"You know, does it help put on muscle?"
"Brah, It's just food. Food in liquid form. Protein, carbs and fat. It's like asking me
if a Jumbo Jack 'works'".
"Well, I just figured..., you know, because they sell it in a gym....?"
"That's why I'm buying it. They don't have Jumbo Jacks here."

[Go 4 It]

Some people still do not understand or refuse to believe that whey protein is food or that it can be a "better" source
of protein than some solid foods. Sure, foods like eggs contain nutrients such as choline, b-vitamins, vit D, selenium and so on. But say you compare whey to tuna
or vegetarian sources of protein? Whey is a food and one of the best sources of protein there is - looking at it from some aspects it's better than many other sources most look at as "real food". Look at infant formulas or medical foods in powder/liquid form used in hospitals for sick people. Whey features heavily. Whey is not just a much inferior, but more convenient, source of protein than some solid foods, it's better. Some drink liquid egg whites thinking it better. But how is it better with a 50% bioavailability compared to close to 100% with whey?

Come on man, first off theres no assurance what is on the label of whey is actually in the bottle, second they have tons of artificial sweeteners and fillers, three theres studies showing they contain heavy metals. Hospitals serve the worst food dude, powdered eggs, sandwiches, Ensure, so them serving whey to patients doesn't make it some supreme healing food. Maybe for a convenience standpoint, but if you are going the dairy route, why not just drink real milk, or have Greek yogurt or cottage cheese..all of these are just as easy to transport with you to wherever you are going and require no preparation.

[IroNat]

Come on man, first off theres no assurance what is on the label of whey is actually in the bottle, second they have tons of artificial sweeteners and fillers, three theres studies showing they contain heavy metals. Hospitals serve the worst food dude, powdered eggs, sandwiches, Ensure, so them serving whey to patients doesn't make it some supreme healing food. Maybe for a convenience standpoint, but if you are going the dairy route, why not just drink real milk, or have Greek yogurt or cottage cheese..all of these are just as easy to transport with you to wherever you are going and require no preparation.

Agreed.

[Van_Bilderass]

Come on man, first off theres no assurance what is on the label of whey is actually in the bottle, second they have tons of artificial sweeteners and fillers, three theres studies showing they contain heavy metals. Hospitals serve the worst food dude, powdered eggs, sandwiches, Ensure, so them serving whey to patients doesn't make it some supreme healing food. Maybe for a convenience standpoint, but if you are going the dairy route, why not just drink real milk, or have Greek yogurt or cottage cheese..all of these are just as easy to transport with you to wherever you are going and require no preparation.

You have no idea what you are talking about. I'm not talking about the hospital cafeteria. I'm talking about medical foods that are prescribed to say cancer patients who can hardly eat due to chemo etc. As well as infant formulas where it's critical you get what's on the label.

Labeled brand name bodybuilding supplements are often mislabeled, true, but it's easy to get quality raws.

As far as artificial sweeteners, I'm positive you can't explain what they are and why they're bad for you. You just assume "man made" is inferior or dangerous.

Why do you trust cottage cheese or yoghurt? They are processed foods and by your logic you have no idea what they have mixed in them. Whey is just as much a food as cottage cheese or yogurt, all are milk products.

[Go 4 It]

You have no idea what you are talking about. I'm not talking about the hospital cafeteria. I'm talking about medical foods that are prescribed to say cancer patients who can hardly eat due to chemo etc. As well as infant formulas where it's critical you get what's on the label.

Labeled brand name bodybuilding supplements are often mislabeled, true, but it's easy to get quality raws.

As far as artificial sweeteners, I'm positive you can't explain what they are and why they're bad for you. You just assume "man made" is inferior or dangerous.

Why do you trust cottage cheese or yoghurt? They are processed foods and by your logic you have no idea what they have mixed in them. Whey is just as much a food as cottage cheese or yogurt, all are milk products.

Really? I've had family members who were placed in the hospital with cancer and they were feeding them powdered eggs, turkey sandwiches with sides of apple sauce, Ensure "protein drinks" none of them I would consider optimal foods for healing. How many meathead bodybuilders are buying "quality raw" protein powders for sure the dudes in this thread like Pellius aren't, and even if you do get a "quality raw" protein are you drinking it unflavored? If not then again you have to use flavoring systems available to you, most of them artificial sweeteners which are shown to cause, GI distress, gas, stomach distention, and various other issues. And as far as Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or milk, me personally I don't eat any dairy, I can't digest it (lactose intollerence), but at least you know for an absolute fact what is on that label of that gallon of milk is absolutely in it, theres no "protein spiking" and other bullshit which supplement companies add to these powders to make the most profit wise. If I drink a glass of whole milk I know for a fact I'm getting that amount of protein, not to mention I'm not getting any toxic metals in to me as well, which has been documented in a large study done last year in regards to protein powder. So the point is your average gym rat is not getting some "synthetic phamecutical grade" whey protein designed for hospitals they are buying the shit off the shelves.

[jjfit]

I'm natty, only used protein powder in my younger days. It's really all just a waste of money, all these supplements, I eat real food and am at the highest weight I have ever been, I don't need supplements, it's all a scam. If you want growth do roids, anything else is just incomparable and yield no real results.

[plebian]

You have no idea what you are talking about. I'm not talking about the hospital cafeteria. I'm talking about medical foods that are prescribed to say cancer patients who can hardly eat due to chemo etc. As well as infant formulas where it's critical you get what's on the label.

Labeled brand name bodybuilding supplements are often mislabeled, true, but it's easy to get quality raws.

As far as artificial sweeteners, I'm positive you can't explain what they are and why they're bad for you. You just assume "man made" is inferior or dangerous.

Why do you trust cottage cheese or yoghurt? They are processed foods and by your logic you have no idea what they have mixed in them. Whey is just as much a food as cottage cheese or yogurt, all are milk products.

fucking lol at comparing a completely unregulated, notably criminal, largely sourced from china industry products to a highly regulated locally produced industry products 

[J. Richards]

jjfit laying his cards on the table... and correctly.....  train right,,, eat right... sleep right... think right..... no magic pills... and start pinning if you want to push the limit....