Amino Acid / Protein / Creatine

[Lightningonoceans]

Amino Acid / Protein / Creatine

I've been told that these three things are the most important for someone looking to gain muscle. My questions are this

1. How much?

2. When?

I'm not happy with the gains I've made in the past 10 months. I'm not armed with a new workout schedule and I'm ready to re-vamp my diet. Do I really need 2x my body weight in grams of Protein? How much Amino Acid should I take? I have Amino 1000 by GNC. The directions say I should take 3 pills 3 times a day!!! INSANE!! That's 9 pills per day! And these are huge pills. What gives? Full-Spectrum Amino acid. Is Amino acid truly something I should take? I have Creatine Monohydrate. I take a dose of thise 30 minutes prior to working out. Is that right? Is my timing okay? How much of this stuff is a joke and how much of it really works?

I appreciate any/all advice and thank you for reading my post!

-Dave

[Suareezay]

2x bw in protein is overkill for a natural trainee. 1 to 1.5x is plenty.

supplementing with amino acids is a pointless waste of money assuming protein intake is sufficient.

take creatine post workout with carbs (and protein.)

[ecke70]

2xbodyweight is ok if you measure in kilos.

everything contains aminoacids to some degree so as long as your eating food you should be good to go.

[walls]

Eggs are your friend if you are worried about not getting the full range of amino's...

The whole egg that is....

[Lightningonoceans]

Okay cool.. killing the Amino acid pills will save me $20/month. I figured 2x my bodyweight in protein was much. Someone told me I'd poop about 1/2 of that out anyway because the body will only absorb so much at a time.

Now, I hear different stories for the creatine.

A. 30 minutes prior to the workout

B. Before bed, after waking up

C. and now... after the workout.

Which one is it?

Thanks so much for your time!

[BIGmike12790]

some creatines have like a "loading phase". so ud take it like twice in a day.
normaly people take the first 5 days 2 servings once you wake up with a morning shake and then after your work out to load your body with it then u can cut back to once after a work out.

just make sure YOU DRINK A **** LOAD of water or your gonna **** yourself up and its not gonna be pretty. it happened to me......

[Skarhead1]

I think BCAA consumption during workout (about 20gs) wouldn't be a waste as it should help recovery.

[ecke70]

I think BCAA consumption during workout (about 20gs) wouldn't be a waste as it should help recovery.

yeah but he could just drink a glass of milk and get the bcaa.. or regular protein powder.

[ecke70]

btw the main reason im againg bcaa supplement is because they have taken something that exists in almost every food.... put a small amount in a pill and sell it really high price.. its almost like they are robbing those who train, but instead of a gun they got sophisticated ads.

[bigmitch69]

Don't most DECENT protein shakes include BCAA? I know the ones i drink do.

[Suareezay]

Don't most DECENT protein shakes include BCAA? I know the ones i drink do.

leucine, isoleucine, and valine - the 3 BCAA's - are present in all proteins.

[bigbuffstaples]

When I used to take Creatine Monohydrate, I'd do 5g of creatine with 1 heaping spoon of dextrose and 2 scoops of gatorade powder and mix it all with water.

I would start sipping on it as i began my workout and after each set, i would alternate from the mixed creatine/dextrose/gatorade and just plain old water. After about 15 minutes, I would down the creatine mix and just continue my workout.

Best pumps I've ever had from doing it that way. Maybe cause i had such a **** load of sugar that my body would absorb the monohydrate so fast. But it worked for me.

Also they've linked studies to Creatine Monohydrate being good for PWO because of recovery. I've never personally tried it because I just stick with glutamine.

Just my 2 cents.

[rainman1503]

damn i wish i read this an hour ago, i just bought a bottle of bcaa's and it says to take 5 to 10 grams, but there is no grammage on the pill or the bottle. it says serving size is 4 pills. also i got creatine plus, i didnt read close enough, should i keep the receipt and go back and get monohydrate? or is it no biggie?

[Suareezay]

damn i wish i read this an hour ago, i just bought a bottle of bcaa's and it says to take 5 to 10 grams, but there is no grammage on the pill or the bottle. it says serving size is 4 pills. also i got creatine plus, i didnt read close enough, should i keep the receipt and go back and get monohydrate? or is it no biggie?

1. take the BCAA's back.
2. If its GNC's creatine plus, that is creatine monohydrate. It has some other crap thrown in like arginine and glutamine, which are essentially useless, but the creatine is the important part. Take it post workout with protein and carbs.

[rainman1503]

the bcaa's are just a money scheme ey? and yeah its gnc's creatine plus. I almost got a bottle of arginine cause the muscle and fitness book said to get it, and it seems like there is 500mg of that just in my soy protein. i do half soy and half whey.

[Reap]

You can get tons of Arginine in yourself just by eating walnuts or peanuts. I have some 4Ever Fit creatine monohydrate powder and it has a lot of arginine and other amino acids in it as well. I'm going to start taking it again because its been like 5 months since I last used it. I started loading it and got tired of mixing it all the time because of work and everything else.

[billas333]

The BCAA's are great to take prior to training because amino acids are proteins. Taking them prior to training, you keep the most important supply of aminos the BCAA's available for the muscle in which you are breaking down during your work out.

Leucine is the most important and you want to take 2x as much as the valine or the isoleucine. There has been a 2:1:1 ratio rule for the BCAA's for a long time.

2 products I like to use are the Animal Pak M Stak or the Ultimate Nutrition's Amino Bolic. Neither are overly expensive and they give a good workout

[Suareezay]

The BCAA's are great to take prior to training because amino acids are proteins.

oh, well that explains it.

[billas333]

oh, well that explains it.

Its true LOL so it makes sense.

[Suareezay]

Its true LOL so it makes sense.

not really. proteins are composed of linear chains of amino acids. this is not the equivalent of "amino acids are proteins".

there is no data showing showing amino acid supplementation provides any benefit over a a diet with adequate protein.

[juced_porkchop]

not really. proteins are composed of linear chains of amino acids. this is not the equivalent of "amino acids are proteins".

there is no data showing showing amino acid supplementation provides any benefit over a a diet with adequate protein.

i agree and disagree.
it depends on goals and uses.
if your cutting up on low cals and/or do cardio.workouts on an empty tummy specialy in the morning then BCAA's and VARY GOOD!! you not adding cals your tummy is still on empty cept for some bcaas helping from being to catabolic. i think its great!!!
now i think genrally its a waste of money whe way most use it.
eg. this guy right hear hest tryin put on size bulk up well then bcaas are a wast of cash u need to go with a protien drink before work out and another after work out after a sugary drink u have right after work out if it isnt already some weaght gainer crap.

also gnc is a rip off for almost EVERY thing in the place. go look at truprotien.com much better . and theres others like it out there.

now me i have about 10 bottles if bcaa's from lion from a priz i won and am using it along with my protien drinks as im cutting. but other wise i wouldent wast my $$$ id just get a pure whey powder ot gamma powder "pea protien".the creatien at truprotien is alot cheaper that site should save you a shitload. use discount code :AXG639 for an extra 5% off

[billas333]

not really. proteins are composed of linear chains of amino acids. this is not the equivalent of "amino acids are proteins".

there is no data showing showing amino acid supplementation provides any benefit over a a diet with adequate protein.

Are you serious in what you just said? Think about it! when you take in any amino acid say 1000mg worth in pill form. Thats 1000mg worth of one giant linear chain of that specific amino making up a protein. And by the way proteins are chains of aminos however they are not linear they fold into a 3d structure.

[Suareezay]

Are you serious in what you just said? Think about it! when you take in any amino acid say 1000mg worth in pill form. Thats 1000mg worth of one giant linear chain of that specific amino making up a protein. And by the way proteins are chains of aminos however they are not linear they fold into a 3d structure.

i dont know what youre referring to, i made two statements. but no, individual amino acids are not proteins. proteins are made up of amino acids, not the other way around. i dont know how else to put this.

[billas333]

i dont know what youre referring to, i made two statements. but no, individual amino acids are not proteins. proteins are made up of amino acids, not the other way around. i dont know how else to put this.

Ok I see what you are saying. This might make more sense in what I meant. Amino Acids are not proteins in the sense that if you take one single molecule of an amino acid like Valine then yes thats an amino acid. However if you are taking an amino acid supplement then you are taking protein because you are taking in a long chain of that particular amino acid which makes it a polypeptide chain thus a protein.

A amino acid supplement in pill form is just an isolated chain of that particular amino acid however it is a protein.