BCAAs before morning cardio?

[rikishi]

Will taking BCAAs before morning fat burning cardio impact the amount of fat burned? BCAAs, though small in amount (5-10 g) digest rapidly and I would assume give off somewhat of an insulin response. Will this insulin release impact the amount of fat burned during cardio? I like to take a lot of BCAAs while dieting to preserve muscle loss.

 

[sonicwaste]

Will taking BCAAs before morning fat burning cardio impact the amount of fat burned? BCAAs, though small in amount (5-10 g) digest rapidly and I would assume give off somewhat of an insulin response. Will this insulin release impact the amount of fat burned during cardio? I like to take a lot of BCAAs while dieting to preserve muscle loss.

Ask 5 people and you'll get 5 different answers. The person I trusted the most on this subject is Lyle McDonald, as he has done extensive research regarding his cardio protocols. He strongly recommends against BCAA's before and during fasted cardio.

The impact on insulin response is small, but may be enough to negatively impact lipolysis. And if you are using yohimbine pre cardio it will most definitely affect the yohimbine according to lyle.

Your best bet is to try it both ways for 1-2 weeks and see if it negatively impacts it for you.

If not doing fasted, then shouldn't be an issue.

You could play it safe, and just drink water during cardio. It's a short portion of your day and you can drink them afterwards just fine.

 

[rikishi]

Ask 5 people and you'll get 5 different answers. The person I trusted the most on this subject is Lyle McDonald, as he has done extensive research regarding his cardio protocols. He strongly recommends against BCAA's before and during fasted cardio.

The impact on insulin response is small, but may be enough to negatively impact lipolysis. And if you are using yohimbine pre cardio it will most definitely affect the yohimbine according to lyle.

Your best bet is to try it both ways for 1-2 weeks and see if it negatively impacts it for you.

If not doing fasted, then shouldn't be an issue.

You could play it safe, and just drink water during cardio. It's a short portion of your day and you can drink them afterwards just fine.

Great post, thanks! Do you think that not taking the BCAAs will result in muscle loss? Or should I be OK?

 

[sonicwaste]

Great post, thanks! Do you think that not taking the BCAAs will result in muscle loss? Or should I be OK?

You'll definitely be fine with BCAA's. Before I got the updated version of Lyle's Stubborn Fat Protocol, I was using the original protocol that had me waiting 1 hour post intense cardio to even eat... No muscle loss at all. Of course I was on TRT and taking anti-cortisol supps.

But, if you are really worried... Just make sure your post cardio nutrition is good. A fast acting protein shake at the very minimum with some BCAA's and you will surely be okay.

What style cardio are you doing in the AM? and are you on low carb?

 

[rikishi]

You'll definitely be fine with BCAA's. Before I got the updated version of Lyle's Stubborn Fat Protocol, I was using the original protocol that had me waiting 1 hour post intense cardio to even eat... No muscle loss at all. Of course I was on TRT and taking anti-cortisol supps.

But, if you are really worried... Just make sure your post cardio nutrition is good. A fast acting protein shake at the very minimum with some BCAA's and you will surely be okay.

What style cardio are you doing in the AM? and are you on low carb?

I usually "fat walk" for an extended period of time (anywhere from 30-60 minutes, depending on the day). I usually walk between 3.0 and 4.0 with a 5.0 degree incline. I am not really on low carb; I eat around 300 g of carbs a day coming from ezekiel bread (the best carb source in my opinion for a variety of reasons) but it is certainly a restricted carb diet because I weight a lot (about 250 lbs.)

What type of anti-cortisol supps were you taking, and did they work well for you?

 

[sonicwaste]

I usually "fat walk" for an extended period of time (anywhere from 30-60 minutes, depending on the day). I usually walk between 3.0 and 4.0 with a 5.0 degree incline. I am not really on low carb; I eat around 300 g of carbs a day coming from ezekiel bread (the best carb source in my opinion for a variety of reasons) but it is certainly a restricted carb diet because I weight a lot (about 250 lbs.)

What type of anti-cortisol supps were you taking, and did they work well for you?

I use lean xtreme for anti-c... but there are tons of other ones. LX has some more ingredients I like, so that's why I roll with it.