BCAA's or Branch Chain Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein. BCAA's assist in muscle building and recovery from heavy exercise. In addition these building blocks also ensure that the brain and muscles are firing messages efficiently back and forth to each other. I take them, I love them, there are good ones and not so good ones, and you need to know how and why to take them.
BCAA's are not just supplemental. You invest them in practically everything you eat and sometimes they can be in high quantities if you eat organic and unprocessed food. Primarily BCAA concentrations are highest in meat, fish, poultry, and legumes. With this being said, these essential pieces to your nutrition should be in your system before during and after training.
The pre and post workout debate is one that has been fought for some time. What to take and when. To appropriately answer this question you must first know what the THING is your taking and what it does to your body. Fat, for instance, drives brain and neurological function and does not produce any high speed energy dumps so you can assume that immediately before and after your training it can be minimized. Protein, now that is different. Protein and BCAA's are something that the muscle tissue uses to constantly run during exercise. Adequately loading the system with protein before and after training will ensure that your muscles have it to grab!
Timing is also all about you!! Trying different things is an important aspect of being a optimal athlete. Most days you may like taking in your BCAA's after your workout or vice versa. Different training day require different demands on the body as well! On straight lifting days or skill days, you may not need to replenish the BCAA's as much as days when you hit the longer, more intense workouts. So test the water my friends.
Most BCAA powders are dosed appropriately for one time use. If you are a competition athlete or someone who is doing a long duration marathon or paddle then you may want to space 2-3 separate doses of equal volume over the course of a few hours. Supplementation dosage like BCAA's and Carbohydrates need to be thought of in perspective of the demands on the body... So once again... test it out friends.
Combining Electrolytes and BCAA's can help with hydration and cellular repair.
Combining Carbohydrates can give you an 'on the go' fuel for long duration work.
Combining BCAA's and Protein up to 50 g is a perfect recovery amount for post training.
Combining BCAA's and Creatine can speed up delivery and recovery time to muscles and reduce soreness and increase performance.
Baseline:
Rotator Cuff and Lat Band Mobility
25-15-10 -AFAP
DB Renegade Rows
Alternating Knee To Elbow
Skill Development:
4 Rounds Not For Time
10 GHD Sit Up
12 Barbell Bent Over Rows 135/95
10 GHD Hip Extension
12 Floor Press
WOD:
10 RFT
1 Legless Rope Climb
11 Burpee
22 Double Unders
* Compare to 1/27/16 and 4/22/16
