[Repost] Do BCAAs belong in a preworkout product? Here are my thoughts on that question, as offered in response to a private message I received earlier today: Questioner: Ian, With all the banter back and forth between Dr. Jim Stoppani and Joe Donnelly/Advanced Molecular Labs regarding Leucine in preworkout formulas, whats is YOUR stance on Leucine preworkout? Good or bad? Ian: I appreciate the question, as Ive been thinking about this a lot lately. (Note that Im going to refer to BCAAs throughout this response, rather than just leucine, as even the biggest fans of leucine agree that it shouldnt be consumed in the absence of the other two BCAAs.) First of all, lets keep in mind that BCAAs are relatively expensive - about 25 cents for a 5g serving, if I recall correctly. That probably doesnt sound like much, but it comes to five dollars of additional cost for a twenty-serving preworkout product. As such, if BCAAs are going to be included, I think most people would agree that they should have a very clear, significant benefit. So, what might BCAAs do in a preworkout? Well, supposedly they decrease fatigue by decreasing serotonin (good!). Problem: they also decrease dopamine, as they compete with tyrosine for transport (not good!). As such, it seems to me that the effects of preworkout BCAAs are very marginally good at best, and significantly negative at worst (as theyll drive down dopamine, making you feel tired and depressed). Given the above, I dont think there exists good reason to include BCAAs in a preworkout formula. More than that, I think its probably wise to deliberately avoid them in that context. As such, I dont think I will ever formulate a preworkout product containing BCAAs - the money is better spent elsewhere.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 23:54:36 +0000
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