Thoughts & Dosages on BCAAs

T-nationers,
I know this thread has probably been started before, but I missed it. Here is my take.

1.Does anyone have trouble with the BCAA’s dissolving? and hints on how to help the process from being to grainy?

  1. Dosages…personally I am at 220 LBM, what would a typical dosage be in a caloric restriction phase?

As of now…25g post workout…and 2 separate dosages of 10g during the day.

Thoughts and help are needed,
SP

You might want to spread that 25g out throughout your workout.

BCAA won’t dissolve because its hydrophobic, its afraid of the water, man.

I put it in spoonfuls under my tounge then take a gulp of water to get it down.

Of the branded and bulk BCAA powders I’ve used, none would mix from stirring, as the powder would sit at the top of the liquid. All, however, would rapidly mix when shaken vigourously for 30 seconds in a water-filled bottle.

I thought I had been using bunk-powder when I read many people’s issues with mixing powders, as I had always shaken. I tried mixing by spoon thereafter, and it was near impossible.

Is there a decent tasting brand? My problem is if i drink anything while working out i throw up… a lot.

[quote]strongFB wrote:

1.Does anyone have trouble with the BCAA’s dissolving? and hints on how to help the process from being to grainy?
[/quote]

It doesn’t. I either put the powder in my mouth dry and then drink a glass of water. Or I shake and swirl it in water in a shaker bottle and immediately drink it, but even then sometimes you have to add a little more water to clean out the bottle and get every little bit.

[quote]strongFB wrote:

  1. Dosages…personally I am at 220 LBM, what would a typical dosage be in a caloric restriction phase?
    [/quote]

I’m 240, and I follow CT’s lead on this one, and I’ve been pretty diligent it has worked well. 25g spread through out the day. 5g morning, 5g pre/during/post workout, and 5g before bed. Lately I’ve been doubling it peri-workout, but it hasn’t been long enough to asses efficacy.

Thanks for the replies…

During a recent strength cycle…got up in bodyweight.

Dosages I followed:
waking=10g
in between meals = 10gx2-3 servings
during workout = 20g
post workout = 15g added to PWS
pre-bed = 5g

I blew up, without too much sloppyness. Used some creatine 2-5g per day, but i feel the bcaa’s were the main reason i hit the pr.

SP

ps…If anyone cares, b/c my fatass friends didnt…I hit 510 bench Raw @259…no wraps…only a belt…now i need to lean out and get down to 230

[quote]texass wrote:
BCAA won’t dissolve because its hydrophobic, its afraid of the water, man.

I put it in spoonfuls under my tounge then take a gulp of water to get it down.[/quote]

You must use a different brand than I do because I would rather eat dog vomit than spoon fulls of the straight BCAA powder I use.

I use ICE by Xtreme Formulations/Black Star.

It is not miserable, but in high doses, it tastes like cough medicine

[quote]etaco wrote:
You must use a different brand than I do because I would rather eat dog vomit than spoon fulls of the straight BCAA powder I use.[/quote]

Nope, my stuff is nasty, but I’m obviously just really hardcore.

Not really, putting it under your tounge and gulping a lot of water at once makes it go down without hitting many tastebuds. Though when I did start doing it I had to do it over the sink because sometimes it didn’t go down so easily and the taste would make me gag. You get used to it though.

Agreed.

If you use an old protein scoop and fill it with your BCAA’s/creatine/glutamine/other powders (if you’re not mixing it in a shake) you can pop all those powders in your mouth at once, slam a water or grape juice and be done with it. You don’t really taste anything if you do it fast enough.