Hi - I keep hearing about these, and I know they're in whey, meat, and eggs, but additionally to these sources, how much and when (ie before and/or after lifting, before and/or after cardio) should I take to promote muscle growth and prevent muscle catabolism due to cardio activities?

I already take 5g glutamine post-ANY activity, and 35g whey protein post lifting.

And what kind do I get - is it a powder? A liquid? A capsule?

Thanks folks!

- Built

Dan, help us out here... I'm getting my BCAAs mixed up with MCT oil, which I know one can buy. Not the same thing, right?

Branched Chain Amino Acids

Medium Chain Triglycerides... ??

My post WO drink says it has BCAAs in it (ABB Pure Pro), as does my Designer Whey. Not sure how much you need or if you should supplement.

Hopefully someone more knowledgable will join in.

Or, go to bodybuilding dot com or any other bodybuilder website and do a search. I don't want to post the link I found as it may annoy our sponsors.

Cheers.

Friday

OMG - I LOVE your sig about the SMARTass chip! ROFLMFAO!

MCTs are in coconut oil. Lovely stuff, but no, not the same thing.

I did a Google search before I asked, but there's nothing like actually talking to someone who TAKES them, and not just what the company SELLING them has to say...

Besides, I always wonder if there might be some slightly different recommendations for women, or for low-carbers, or both.

Plus I like to over-think things...



Thanks Friday!

BUMP for TrainerDan!

Hrm, at the risk of thread-jacking, I've combed through a few of your posts and checked your pics. OMG, I'm in love! I SO want your upper body!

So, If you don't mind a few pointed Qs, enquiring minds would like to know...

What's your current bodyfat percentage? You're an inch taller than I am, but my lean mass is darn near all of your listed weight. I've worked hard for my lean, and I'm not keen on giving any of it up. I'd like to hit 17%-19% and see what I feel like from there.

In terms of lifting, I'm somewhere past newb but nowhere near expert. I'm having to switch over to free weights (yeah, I know they're better but those big guys scare me) because I'm maxing out the lower-body machines. I'm currently reading BSBW and planning to give it a go starting Monday. Any comments? Do you have your lifting schedules posted anywhere?

From the standpoint of a woman with small hands, I'm running into some problems where my grip on the bar is limiting my lifts even though the rest of the muscles can take it. It's been suggested that I strap the bar to my hands but that sounds like begging to drop something and tear an arm off. What do you think? And how do you do the second one once the first is strapped anyways? For that matter, how do you get loose when you're done? (LOL, I can just see myself bent over, both hands strapped to a bar, saying "umm... help?")

Once I'm done building and cutting, how much does lifting does it take to maintain?

May I ask your waist, hip and thigh measurements? Feel free to post this stuff in my journal if you don't want any of the info out on the board.

As for iron, I *love* lifting. I'm one of the lucky ones who can get the runner's high from lifting. Never, ever had it during years of track or cardio, but lifting does it for me, especially on leg day.

Cheers,

Friday

Friday, threadjack away. I think I love you.

Bodyfat percentage - I've GOTTA get that tested. I have NO CLUE.

I use straps when I do deadlifts and chins. It's tricky, but you DO figure it out. And they let go by themselves, so no worries.

<chortle!>

Have somebody at a BB supply store or a gym show you how to get into "lifting bondage" - I'm pretty dyslexic (why is that word so hard to spell?), and it took me a while to get it figured out.

last time I took my measurements, about a month before the pix were taken, this is what they were:

calf: 15.5
thigh: 24.5
hip (low waist): 32
butt: 39
waist: 26.5
lower chest: 29
bust: 34
bicep: 12.5

I've dropped 5 pounds since the pix, and I know my waist is down to 26, but I don't know about the rest.

Now - maintenance!!???? You're kidding, right? You actually think you're EVER going to get to a point where you say to yourself "Well, that's great. I look PERFECT now. From this point forward, all I have to do is worry about maintenance".

Don't you KNOW how addicting iron is?



I go 3 times a week and don't change, 4 times and make progress. How's that?

I don't know what BSBW is - you'll have to enlighten me!

To maintain your mass, keep lifting hard, eat right, get lots of sleep, and avoid excessive cardio.

And DO switch over to freeweights as you feel comfortable - maybe learn one new movement every few days until you have made the switch. You WILL have to lift lighter at first, while the stabilizing muscles catch up, but you'll get a much better workout. It's kinda like the difference between driving standard and automatic.

This is my current routine: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showpost...47&postcount=23

BSBW - The Body Sculpting Bible for Women. The diet advice there is kind of sucky, but a female friend I trust (Natrushka)likes the lifting regimen.

Tit for tat, quid pro quo or name your reciprocity metaphor: Keep in mind that all of these will have a range of error, some more than others for different individuals. I track bf% through measurements at:

www.leanandstrong.com calc link is low down on the left side. I'm dyslexic too. That's the hand with the wedding ring for me Use circumference, not YMCA.

www.nocarbzone.com

www.mybodycomp.com

nocarbzone seems most accurate for my body type (tavern wench), but others swear by leanandstrong or mybodycomp. Mybodycomp seems to run high. I had a caliper test once or twice and it squared fairly well with nocarbzone. Mybodycomp is great for keeping track of progress measurements, tho, bf% aside. leanandstrong also has a neat gizmo called "optimum weight' (drop down menu off the calcs) where you enter your current bf%, your current weight and your desired bf% and it tells you how many lbs you need to lose.

Oh, there's another bf calc at the dave draper site, but it doesn't work at all well for me. Said I was at 22% when I weighed well over 200 lbs. Maybe it's more accurate for the ppl who actually *are* super lean.

Lifting Bondage.... I may have found my new sub-title when I become a contributing member. Do the straps come in black leather?

Thanks for the info!

Cheers,

Friday

Coolios! Thanks Friday!

Hi, Dan,

Giving this a bump and hoping you'll be able to give us the scoop.

Cheers,

Friday

technically, in everyone but some "older" women, dextrose responds the same way in anyone's body... or so says powermanDL... if i'm remembering correctly.

after cardio i usually have read to wait an hour and then either have a shake or a real food meal.

Do you take the BCAAs with the dextrose then?

Hmm, I have been taking BCAAs and dextrose together, though purely by accident since my post-WO drink has BCAAs and I eat a few rolls of Smarties (Rockets in Canada) with it.

I am a total dextrose junkie when it comes to lifiing though. The few times I have lifted on LC without a hit of dextrose beforehand were wimpy. My lifts were off by as much as 10%. My 4 yr old even knows to raid my gym bag if he's scrounging for a treat, LOL.

I did ready that soy protein has more naturally occurring BCAAs than whey, but whey may make up for it in terms of faster absorption. *shrug* Hope Dan weighs in..... no pressure Dan... really.... *grins*

haha yeah sorry that WAS totally off topic!

here's a wealth of info, and no i don't.

http://forums.1fast400.com/topic1292.html

you might also like this: http://www.1fast400.com/?ingredients_id=59


friday: AVOID soy because of its estrogenic properties.

Cool, I'll check out those threads, too. As a rule, the only soy I get is in the occasional slice of LC soy-flax bread. My protein supplements are all whey.

BTW, I'm very glad to see you two ladies here. We need more female lifters! That way we can trade off answering newbie questions and tag team when we have to smack the cr~& out of the occasional doofus who says women can't lift.

Cheers,

Friday

BCAA's ....

1. Branched Chain Amino Acids immediately following the workout, as soon as your last set is done. These provide important raw materials and put the hormones into a state that is prepared to receive the next step. A small amount of glucose can be added for certain people depending on the goals.

2. Fast Acting Food- 45 minutes after workout, Whey protein and glucose for those who want to gain size or endurance athletes, these sources are quickly absorbed and provide more nutrients for the system to grow and recover.

Specific dosages will depend on many things and people should ask you how to determine those amounts. A carb sensitive person may find that oatmeal works better than glucose.

Whey is quickly absorbed that is why it is good at this time, but it is not as great for most people as a meal replacement because it does not provide a prolonged nutrient release.

3. A complete food meal should be consumed 2 hours after the workout, what this meal consists of depends on many factors; this should be the largest meal of the day.

You want the BCAAs to do their work first without any interruptions.

Fast Acting Food will trigger a digestive system response that will take blood into the lower intestine and away from the muscles where it is most helpful.

I will post more as far as doseage and such when I am home and near my research materials.

More BCAA ...

The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; valine, isoleucine, and leucine) are the major nitrogen source for glutamine and alanine synthesis in muscle. Synthesis of glutamine, alanine, and BCAA use is activated in critical illnesses such as in sepsis, cancer, and trauma. The use of glutamine often exceeds its synthesis, resulting in the lack of glutamine in plasma and tissues. In critical illness, resynthesis of BCAA from branched-chain keto acids is activated, particularly in hepatic tissue. The BCAA released to circulation may be used for protein synthesis or synthesis of alanine and glutamine. Glutamine and/or alanine infusion has an inhibitory effect on the breakdown of body proteins and decreases BCAA catabolism in postabsorptive control, endotoxemic, and irradiated rats. Decreased protein breakdown also was observed when glutamine synthesis was activated by ammonia infusion. In conclusion some favorable effects of BCAA supply can be explained by its role in the synthesis of glutamine and some positive effects of glutamine exogenous supply can be explained by its effect on metabolism of BCAA.

Nutrition. 2002 Feb;18(2):130-3., Relation between glutamine, branched-chain amino acids, and protein metabolism

Holecek M.