BCAAs, Unfair Metabolism, Not Training Hard Enough
“When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.”
I’ve been churning out content on my Instagram page and through my weekly newsletter. If you aren’t following along, what are you waiting for? You should totally do that (just click here for Instagram and here for the newsletter).
Regardless, if you only check the site and don’t keep up with me on other mediums, I don’t want you to miss out on all the fun. So, here is a conglomeration of the fitness facts, tips, and stories I’ve shared this past week. Enjoy.
Q: “I’ve been taking BCAAs and they’re awesome! I don’t feel nearly as sore. What do you think?”
A: If you’re eating enough protein, I think they’re trash.
BCAAs, or branched chain amino acids, are one of the most popular and well-marketed “muscle building” supplements. They’re also one of the worst.
What is it supposed to do?
Improve muscle growth
Decrease soreness
Reduce fatigue
Does the research support it?
Branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s) or leucine, isoleucine, and valine, specifically, wins the prize for “flashiest marketing, slightest effects.” If you trust the magazine ads or your local bodybuilder lugging around a gallon of windshield cleaner blue liquid, BCAA’s are your secret ticket to muscle and strength gains. If you trust the science, they're just a colorful and expensive water enhancer.
Research has shown that supplementing with BCAA’s:
Increases muscle growth
Preserve muscle mass during a diet
Reduces fatigue
Boosts immune function
Reduces soreness
…but nearly every study that shows these benefits included only subjects that were consuming inadequate amounts of protein. Yet another example of research findings not telling the whole story.
In other words, supplementing with amino acid supplements is useless as long as you consume enough protein.
That being said, the only two situations you might benefit from amino acid supplementation is when:
You train fasted (even then, you’d be better off drinking a protein shake instead) (39-42).
You consume a very low protein diet (remember, all of the above studies that found a benefit of supplementing with BCAAs were in those consuming inadequate amounts of protein).
In general, you probably won’t experience any benefit from taking BCAAs.
For more on the supplements you should and should not take, check out these articles here:
You’re probably not training hard enough.
I’ll never forget the first time I trained to failure. After I wiggled my body out from under the bar and counted my lucky stars that my neck had not been crushed, I had a realization.
💡
I thought I was working out hard, I wasn’t. It’s likely you’re not, either.
Here’s WHY: Researchers have found that most don’t workout nearly as intensely as they think.
If you continue to make this huge mistake, you’ll leave big time muscle and strength gains on the table.
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In the study (PMID: 29112055), the researchers asked people to estimate what weight they could bench press for exactly ten reps.
Then, they put it to the test. Participants did a set to absolute muscular failure - aka, to the point that they couldn’t do another rep if their life depended on it.
☠️
On average, they performed 5 MORE REPS than expected. In other words, they were able to do 50% more reps and were training at least 5 reps short of failure.
They thought they were pushing it to the limit, but in reality most weren’t even at the precipice of effective training. In fact, only 22% of subjects were accurate (with 2 reps) of their self-estimation.
🤯
The question is - are you falling victim to training harder than you think?
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The SOLUTION - every now and then, find true failure. Every few weeks or months, take your last set of an exercise to failure.
You may find that you were able to get 3-5 or more reps than expected. If you do, you’ll know you need to bump up the intensity for optimal results!
☑️
Good rule of thumb - you should take most sets to 2-4 reps short of failure. If you do, you can rest assured that you’re working hard enough to gain muscle and strength.
Don’t compare your metabolism to your friend’s.
The more people I coach, the more I see that calorie burn is highly individual.
You know at least one person that can eat the entire fridge and maintain his/her bodyweight. You also know a person that gains 5 lbs after a single cookie.
Before, I thought the difference between a “slow metabolism” and “fast metabolism” was way overblown. Now, I’m starting to see more truth to it.
There a million things that affect calorie burn, including daily activity, body composition, food choices, and genetics, just to name a few. Then, you also need to consider previous calorie intake and “metabolic damage.” It’s complicated stuff.
I’ll be honest, I have a lot of reading to do in this area. I’m going to study up on “metabolic damage” and fill you in once I have a better understanding. In the meantime, check out these articles if you’d like to learn more:
The Metabolic Adaptation Manual: Problems, Solutions, And Life After Weight Loss
“Metabolic Damage” and “Starvation Mode,” Debunked by Science
Wrap Up
Thanks for stopping by. If you enjoy my weekly updates, I’d love for you to share the website with your friends and family.
As always, please give me feedback. What do you want more of? Any other suggestions? (Really, let me know - I love it!) Just let me know at solokasfocus@gmail.com.
Thanks for your time,
John
GIFS (giphy.com): BCAAs Bench Press
