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Are You Wondering When to Take BCAAs for Maximum Fitness Results?

Are You Wondering When to Take BCAAs for Maximum Fitness Results?

We hope you love our guide about when to take bcaa or the best time to drink bcaa. And few recommendations! Please be informed if you buy something through this guide, we may get a share of sales.

Looking to get really fit and sexy?

Or maybe you just want to increase your endurance for a competition you’ve been looking forward to?

Well, there is no better way to achieve all these fitness goals than to hit the gym, right?

Well, many people might say yes but the statement is wrong.

It is not because hitting the gym and training hard won’t help you but because you are probably not taking BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids) or you are taking them but not at the right times.

Taking BCAA for Fitness

We show tips about the best time to drink bcaa for maximum results…

BCAAs are essential amino acids.

They aid in lean muscle growth, in supercharging metabolism, in boosting endurance, and in reducing muscle soreness.

In other words, your body needs them for you to realise the fitness benefits you are looking for.

And it needs them at the right times for you to get the specific benefits you want.

In this post, I tell you every important detail you need to know about BCAAs dosing.

By the end of it, you will know for sure the best times to get it.

The best times to get BCAAs for bodybuilding, for fat loss, and for endurance.

Let’s begin.

Whether you are a gym enthusiast, a cross fit athlete, a bodybuilder, a professional athlete, or just a regular Jane or Joe looking to get fit, you can meet your training goals much faster with BCAAs supplementation.

As I mentioned earlier, these amino acids increase endurance naturally and reduce muscle soreness.

These two benefits alone can help you improve your performance tremendously.

However, you will have to take BCAAs at the right time to realise the benefits.

According to multiple studies, the best time to take BCAAs is before workouts. This is the reason why many BCAA supplements are considered pre-workout supplements.

Taking BCAAs before working out will provide you with the energy you need to train harder, the nutrients you need to prevent muscle breakdown, and the elements you need to kick-start recovery.

Other times when BCAAs can also be taken include during workouts and after workouts.

  • When is the best time for women to take BCAAs

The best time for women to take BCAAs is 30 to 20 minutes before training.

So there is no major difference between the time men should take the supplements and the time the women should.

Nevertheless, women should not take the same dose as men.

They should stick to no more than 5 grams per day.

They should try to take the dose not more than twice in the same day. Go here to view complete bcaa for female report!

  • When is the best time for men to take BCAAs

The best time for men to take BCAAs is also between 30 to 20 minutes before working out.

Nevertheless, men have a higher daily dose limit because they’ve got more muscle.

Men can take between fifteen to twenty grams of BCAAs in a day.

And they can take it in six to eight servings to ensure that they enjoy the benefits of BCAAs throughout the day. Click to read detailed BCAA for men report!

  • What is The Best Time to Take BCAA for Bodybuilding?

Considering the fact BCAA supplements work almost immediately after it is taken and that the goal of bodybuilding is to build as much lean muscle as possible, it is important for bodybuilders to take high quantities of BCAA throughout the day.

Taking BCAAs throughout the day will provide you as a bodybuilder with adequate amino acids for fitness improvement.

Nevertheless, you should at least ensure that you take the powder immediately before going to the gym and during intense training sessions to ensure maximum lean muscle gains.

  • Do You take BCAA Before or After Workout?

There is no difference really whether you take BCAAs before or after workouts.

Several studies have been done and have proven this.  (1)

For example, one recent study investigated the effect of taking BCAAs before and after workouts.

In the study, 10 grams of branched chain amino acids were given before and after training.

The study revealed that those who received BCAAs before workouts experienced slightly better results compared to those who received BCAAs supplementation after training.

Similarly, in another authoritative study, in which individuals received 5.5 grams of BCAAs daily for ten weeks either before or after heavy training, the results were the same for the two groups.

The results showed that both those who received BCAAs before and those who took them after heavy training experienced the same improvements.

In conclusion, there is a slight advantage in taking BCAAs before workouts.

However, taking it even after training will still result in very good results.

  • When Should You Take BCAA for Fat Loss?

The best time to take BCAA for fat loss is before an intensive workout.

Many people usually do fasted cardio or exercise to increase the quantity of fat they burn during exercise.

However, training in the fasted state has the drawback of muscle catabolism (the body breaking down muscle tissue for use as fuel).

Thus, it is best to take BCAA supplementation before fasted cardio or any other exercise in a fasted state.

The body will utilize the readily available amino acids as fuel instead of muscles.

This will help you lose fat while maintaining your muscle mass.

  • When to Drink BCAA: How Many Times a Day Should I Drink it?

You can drink BCAAs at any time of the day.

They are just like food.

They provide the nutrients provided (in little quantities) by natural foods.

So there is no harm in taking them.

However, you should not take too much or the amino acids could bring about side effects.

For example, if you are a woman, you should restrict yourself to taking no more than 12 grams of BCAAs in total per day.

You should also take all the 12 grams of amino acids at once. Space them out in four to five drinks.

If it is your training day, make sure you take one of the drinks just before workout and another not more than two hours after working out. This will ensure maximum benefits.

If you are a man, you should restrict yourself to taking no more than 20 grams of BCAAs per day.

You should only take this much branched-chain amino acids if you train like a beast in the gym.

However, if you train lightly or averagely, you should use lower quantities of the supplement. You should probably take utmost 12 grams of BCAAs daily if you are of average weight.

Most of the times, they are available in powder form, so it is difficult to estimate the exact amount of powder to consume.

Nevertheless, most BCAA supplements come with a scooper.

Most of the product makers usually recommend mixing only one scoop with water or a favourite beverage.

So don’t worry about whether you are taking the right dose as the scooper is probably made to scoop an amount that is scientifically proven to be effective.

  • Should I Take BCAA Before Bed?

Before I talk about whether you should take BCAAs before bed or not let me just give you an overview of when to take it.

There are two important time windows when you should ideally take BCAAs: pre-workout and post-workout.

Before you hit the gym, make sure you take a pre-workout shake that includes BCAAs.

When taken before workouts, the amino acid is used by the body as fuel.

This prevents muscle catabolism during intense workouts.

The next time window is the next two to three hours after working out.

Taking it after working out is very important because it provides your muscles with the “instruments” they need to recover quickly.

Now that you understand when to take BCAAs for fitness results, let me answer the question.

Should you take BCAAs before bed? Yes, you should!

WHY?

Because taking it before bed is kind of the same as taking them in the post-workout window.

This is because it will provide your body with amino acids to build proteins and to repair and grow muscles.

However, you should be careful about the BCAA supplements.

Avoid those that contain caffeine or any other stimulant. They will keep you up and make it very difficult to sleep.

If your BCAA supplement contains caffeine, you should take it as a pre-workout supplement.

It will charge you up and get you totally psyched for what’s to come.

  • How Much BCAA Should a Woman Take Daily?

Not much. Women are different from men in many ways.

One of the ways is in their muscle composition.

The average woman has way less muscle than the average man.

She, therefore, needs less supplementation than the average man.

Otherwise, there will be excess amino acids in the system and this could be problematic.

It has been found out that the most optimum BCAA dosage for women is three to five grams per day.

In other words, women should take approximately two glass of BCAA powered drinks per day.

Normally, each glass is made using a scoopful of branched-chain amino acid powder. Taking a BCAA-powered drink twice a day will give you the maximum results.

  • How Long Do BCAAs Take to Work?

What is so amazing about BCAAs is that they work very fast. This is because they are quickly absorbed into the body and get to muscles very fast to start work.

This is why BCAAs are primarily considered a pre-workout drink.

Some studies also show that they are fast enough to be used intra-workout.

So you can actually take your BCAAs during workout because within a few minutes they will kick in and your body will start realizing the benefits.

  • Should I Take BCAA Pills or Powder?

You should go for BCAA powder.

WHY?

The reason is a bit complicated but I will try to explain it as simply as possible.

Your body needs between five to ten grams of BCAA to produce a significant positive response.

Five to ten grams of BCAA is equivalent to about ten to twenty BCAA tablets.

Who wants to pop in this many tablets just to get fit? Probably no one.

This is why you should go for BCAA powder.

Literally, one scoop of BCAA powder will probably give you as much active BCAA as about ten tablets of the branched chain amino acids.

Moreover, BCAA powder products are more potent than tablets.

They are also generally tastier.

In fact, most of them come in very interesting flavors.

You can probably easily find a flavor that you like after only a couple of minutes of searching.

If you are not sure of what BCAA supplements taste great, check out the reviews on our site and you will probably find something that tastes truly great!

Conclusion

Branched-chain amino acids are some of the most impactful supplements out there.

They can help with so many fitness goals including toning, sculpting, weight loss, endurance, and performance.

However, to make sure you get the body response you are looking for, you must take your BCAA supplement at the right time.

Generally, taking these amino acid supplements before exercise will result in the most positive results.

There are several other times when you can also take BCAA including in the morning, before bed, and after workout, depending on the effects you are looking for.

Other Related Concerns and Questions:

QUE:  Is BCAA a fat burner?

Yes, studies have shown that athletes taking BCAAs lost significant weight over a three-week testing period. (1)

BCAAs can help you burn fat in several ways.

First, they can help you burn fat by triggering lean muscle growth.

And the more muscle you have, the more calories and fat your body will be able to burn.

Secondly, it can help you shred fat by increasing your endurance levels and lowering your soreness levels. These two effects will allow you to train more and burn more calories and fat.

Lastly, most BCAA supplements contain additional fat burners such as glutamine, Citrulline Malate, coffee extract, or green tea extract.

These additional fat burners enhance the fat-burning effect and usually bring about more fat loss.

QUE:  Can BCAA make you gain weight?

No, it cannot. In fact, BCAAs have got the opposite effect. They will help you lose fat weight fast.

QUE:  What are the side effects?

According to WebMD, BCAAs are safe when administered the correct way. (2)

Nevertheless, the website argues that when BCAAs are consumed orally, some rare side effects such as loss of coordination and fatigue can occur.

Some other rare side effects include temporary bloating, nausea, vomiting, and headache.

Nevertheless, many experts agree that when taken in moderation, BCAA supplements have no risks or side effects.

BCAA for pre workoutQUE:  Is BCAA a pre-workout?

Yes, it can be used as a pre-workout supplement.

It provides an energy boost and provides muscle fuel that prevents the use of muscle tissue as fuel.

QUE:  Do BCAAs give you energy?

Most of them do.

This is because they are infused with stimulants such as caffeine.

BCAAs, on their own, can also provide you with a noticeable energy boost. You will love everything about it.

QUE:  Can I take BCAA and Creatine?

In several online forums you will see articles comparing Creatine to BCAAs.

So to many, it may seem as if the two are not compatible/ cannot be taken together. However, this is wrong.

One can indeed supplement the two and get even more benefits.

Combining creatine and BCAAs is thought to seriously enhance protein synthesis.

However, you should not make it a habit to combine the two. Since there may be some side effects that have not yet been found out.

Moreover, it is advisable that you should take a carbohydrate if you take the two to increase their absorption in the body.

QUE:  Can I Use Both BCAAs and Protein?

Yes! Proteins and BCAAs all help with muscle building because amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.

Taking it is more convenient since they are in a free and ready to use form when compared to proteins.

QUE:  How long do BCAAs take to work?

Their effects almost instantaneous. Within a couple of minutes of taking them, you should start feeling the positive effects.

QUE:  Does BCAA make you sleepy?

This effect has been noted by only a handful of people. Generally, BCAAs do not make people sleepy.

QUE:  How long should you wait to eat after taking BCAA?

You can eat almost immediately.

There is no difference really. However, giving your body about ten to fifteen minutes to absorb it will help a lot.

QUE:  Can you take BCAAs on an empty stomach?

Yes, you can. Some people already do this during fasted cardio to burn more fat faster.

QUE:  Do BCAAs reduce serotonin?

Yes, they do. A recent animal study confirmed this.

However, the study has not been done in humans so, the effect in humans has not yet been confirmed but it is suspected.

Nevertheless, even in the animal study, the reduction was not very significant.

QUE:  Can BCAA cause hair loss?

No it cannot. In fact, it has the opposite effect.

It may help prevent hair loss. The mechanisms through which it does this have not been completely understood.

QUE:  Do BCAAs make you pee more?

This is really unknown.

However, since you will be consuming it as a drink, you will probably pee more. It is just nature.

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REFERENCES:
(1) https://www.med.wisc.edu/news-and-events/2017/december/amino-acids-weight-loss/
(2) https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1005/branched-chain-amino-acids

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