15 Nov BCAA without artificial sweeteners
Note this blog was originally published in 2013 but was updated April 24th 2017
There is a tremendous benefit to adding BCAA’s to intense workouts. Just find a BCAA without artificial sweeteners.
Have you noticed a reduction in muscle mass lately while on a reduced calorie nutrition plan?
This is the double-edged sword of dieting. You reduce your caloric intake to lose weight and lean out, but the leaner a body gets, the harder it works to hold onto fat stores.
Dieting is what’s called “catabolic”, which means it can lead to muscle breakdown. Your body would rather tap into existing muscle than fat for energy!
The leaner you get, the more lethargic you might feel, which means your workouts will suffer.
With less lean muscle mass, your metabolism will slow down. You’ll feel too weak or tired to lift hard, meaning you won’t be challenging your muscles and they’ll need less energy.
So what, you say? So this means you’re not gaining lean muscle mass, you’re just starving away, and nobody likes that look.
What is the answer?
First of all, don’t even worry about this if you’re at the start of your nutrition and fitness journey. All I want you to focus on is sticking to a targeted and healthy eating plan and establish a regular exercise routine that will challenge you on a daily basis.
Once you’ve hit your weight loss goals and started to lean out, especially if you’re an athlete, you may need to consider supplements that will help fight this muscle loss effect. If you are following the 12 Week Super Shred program, or my STRONGER program then YOU fall into this category.
There is a reason BCAA’s have a great reputation with athletes.
Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) Supplements may actually be useful in gaining or preserving muscle mass. BCAA’s stimulate protein synthesis, increase synthesis of the cellular machinery responsible for carrying out the process of protein synthesis, reduce the rate of protein breakdown, and help improve workout intensity by reducing the amount of Tryptophan that enters the brain (think of the lethargic effect produced by Thanksgiving turkey having tryptophan).
Bottom line: this means BCAA’s increase both the rate of protein synthesis, as well as the cell’s capacity for protein synthesis, while decreasing protein breakdown. You may also be able to work out harder and longer due to reduced serotonin production – it’s a perfect combination! The problem has been finding a BCAA without artificial sweeteners… until now 🙂
If you’re at the point in your training where decreased lean muscle mass might be 
an issue, consider supplementing with BCAA’s.
There are many brands to chose from; some in pills, some in powders. As always, do your OWN research to see what brand makes the most sense for you. I have tried several. The problem I originally encountered was finding a good BCAA without artificial sweeteners.
Personally, my current favorite is AMPED RECOVER because it does NOT use artificial sweeteners the way SO MANY BCAA brands do! AND it is complete containing L-Leucine, L-isoleucine, L-valine, L- Carnitine tartrate, L-Glutamine, L-Tyrosine and L-histidine. This brand is totally gluten free, sugar free and dairy free. Normally BCAA brands use artificial sweeteners to mask the bitter taste of L-Leucine but this one does not need it! thee is a bit of stevia and dextrose- but don’t worry! This 5 grams of sugar is NEEDED after an intense workout 🙂
When you train in any type of exercise and your muscles are under load, ammonia builds up causing you to fatigue faster. By including THAT ingredient in AMPED POWER endurance can be increased! PLUS, I am not gonna lie, I LOVE the flavors (um, raspberry lemonade…YUM!)
To learn more about Amped Power go HERE
Excuses or SOLUTIONS, YOU decide! ~ Natalie Jill
