How does creatine work?
So, to understand how to take protein, creatine and BCAA, you need to gain knowledge about what each supplement is individually.
In bodybuilding, creatine is included in the diet to increase strength and endurance. However, an additional bonus will be an increase in muscle hardness and volume. Creatine retains water inside muscle fibers, which leads to an increase in their size.
Contrary to what many people think, creatine does not retain water in fat cells and does not make you look “flooded” or puffy. When taking this supplement, the athlete’s body becomes rigid, but without a bright relief. Don't forget that the main purpose of taking a supplement is to give you more strength.
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Scientific data
When it comes to BCAAs, many studies have shown that they have many beneficial properties. First and foremost, BCAAs help reduce muscle damage and soreness and reduce muscle recovery time.
However, there is not much evidence that a supplement is necessary, since most people get enough BCAA from food. While BCAA supplements can help stimulate muscle building after strength training, other muscle-building supplements are much more effective. As long as you're getting BCAA's in your body, you're good to go, no matter what the source: BCAA supplements, whey protein, or good old chicken breast.
When it comes to creatine supplements, they also have many benefits. Research shows that creatine can increase strength, power and muscle mass, and also help reduce fatigue. One study found that taking creatine during strength training can increase muscle strength by 8%. But there are also side effects. Consuming creatine can lead to weight gain due to water retention in the muscles. And if you don't have enough water, stomach cramps can occur, so be sure to drink enough.
How do BCAAs work?
Unlike creatine, BCAA amino acids are not taken to develop strength, but to restore, grow and protect muscle mass from destruction. Essential amino acids occupy approximately 40% of muscle components. More specifically, this is:
- L-Leucine – an amino acid that prevents post-workout catabolism;
- L-Isoleucine – promotes hemoglobin synthesis and stabilizes blood sugar levels;
- L-Valine – accelerates metabolism and replenishes energy reserves.
From here we can safely conclude that BCAA is one of the main muscle builders.
By slowing down the production of cortisol as a result of consuming amino acids, the process of post-workout loss of lean muscle is blocked.
So, in this combination of sports nutrition, BCAA are responsible for the restoration, growth and protection of muscle mass.
It would be quite appropriate to ask: is it possible to take creatine with BCAA? The answer is clear - definitely! These two supplements will go well together and complement each other.
- Creatine – increases endurance and strength, allows you to increase weight;
- BCAA - protect muscles during intense training and restore after.
But still something is missing. Taking essential amino acids is essential, but your body also needs the full spectrum of these nutrients that protein can provide!
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Total information
Okay, first things first, what are these supplements?
Let's start with BCAA. BCAA (or branched chain amino acids) are three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. Essential amino acids are amino acids that the body does not make and therefore must be obtained from foods such as meat or cheese, or from dietary supplements.
According to some studies, combining BCAAs and strength training can help increase muscle mass and speed up fat burning, maintain hormonal balance and reduce muscle soreness, and speed up recovery.
Creatine (creatine monohydrate) consists of two amino acids: arginine and methionine. Unlike leucine, isoleucine and valine, they are not essential amino acids, meaning the body produces them naturally. Even though creatine is produced naturally, it is one of the most popular and well-studied supplements and is supposed to have a ton of benefits.
Taking creatine supplements has been shown to improve performance, increase energy and help increase muscle mass, as well as reduce the likelihood of injury during exercise.
Not bad in words, right? But which is better? There's only one way to find out. It's time to look at the science.
How does protein work?
Now it’s clear whether creatine can be mixed with BCAA, but can protein be added to them?
Protein can easily compensate for the lack of protein for the body, which is ideally obtained from regular food. It serves for the high-quality formation of bone, muscle and cartilage tissue, which, in turn, is very important for the growth of high-quality mass and training.
Protein in the body is broken down into amino acids, which are then sent to specific needs (the same creatine, which is energy for muscles, arginine, which improves nitrogen synthesis, etc., is synthesized from them).
Many people believe that there is no point in drinking BCAA with protein, since the latter already contains essential amino acids. But the fact is that for high-quality results you will need to take 30 g of BCAA per day, and the daily intake of protein powder cannot give you that much. BUT, if your budget is enough for either protein or BCAA, then you should choose the latter.
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What are BCAA amino acids
Branched-chain amino acid or simply BCAA is a sports supplement that contains three branched chain amino acids. BCAA amino acids contain three main components:
- Leucine;
- Isoleucine;
- Valin.
These amino acids play a vital role for muscles. They are responsible not only for growth and weight maintenance, but also for any physical activity. Therefore, we should consider why BCAA amino acids are needed not only from the perspective of sports, but also from the biological role for the human body as a whole. Muscles consist of 33-35% BCA, which makes them the most important resource for muscle tissue. In terms of effectiveness and importance, BCAA are the best amino acids that are part of protein when it comes to physical activity.
The most important component of the supplement is Leucine. This amino acid is considered essential due to its effect on biological processes in the body. When it is deficient, catabolic processes in muscle tissue are activated and accelerated, aimed at replenishing Leucine. This amino acid is more beneficial in terms of energy production and ATP production than glucose. This means that the body will try to more actively oxidize muscle tissue, which will entail a number of negative consequences. To prevent the breakdown of muscle fibers, it is necessary to maintain leucine levels, especially during and after exercise.
Important! In addition to accelerating muscle growth and preservation, Leucine has an effect on joint tissues, skin, increases the level of growth hormone, and also accelerates fat burning processes. This explains why it is needed in BCAA and why its concentration is always higher than that of other components of the complex.
Isoleucine is another amino acid in the bundle that works synergistically with Leucine. Accelerates muscle recovery, normalizes sugar and cholesterol levels. It is considered the most important element for the synthesis of hemoglobin. Increases stamina and energy levels.
Valine is an essential element that takes part in the regenerative processes of muscles and the action of the immune system. Able to increase endurance and accelerate the growth of pure muscles. It also improves sleep quality, protects the central nervous system from stress, and eliminates nervousness.
The basis of the complex is always Leucine; other substances are contained in proportion to it. Among the most frequently encountered ratios are:
- 2:1:1;
- 4:1:1;
- 6:1:1;
- 8:1:1.
Popular combinations are 2:1:1 and 4:1:1. They are suitable for any type of physical activity and have the greatest scientific evidence base. Although, if the main goal is to increase your Leucine intake, you can choose complexes with a higher ratio.
BCA is often confused with amino acid complexes, which is a mistake. The only difference between BCAA and amino acids is the number of components in the composition and the amino acid profile. BCA contains only three amino acids, but in higher dosages. General complexes usually include all protein amino acids, but their BCAA content is much lower. The absorption rate of both supplements is the same.
How to combine creatine and BCAA together?
In order to get the expected result, you need to know how to take creatine and BCAA correctly. By the way, such a “partnership” will be effective not only when gaining muscle mass, but also when cutting.
We know for sure whether it is possible to mix BCAA and creatine, we just need to find out how best to do it. In fact, there is nothing abstruse here, given the entire component composition of these two supplements, we can conclude that they can be taken even in one dose. And it is best to do this with sweet juice, since sweet juice contains sugar, which is a transport system for them.
The process of absorption of creatine and BCAA in joint action occurs within half an hour. You can take these supplements by simply throwing one serving into a shaker before your workout.
We have decided on the combination of supplements, now we need to figure out how to drink BCAA and creatine accompanied by protein.
BCAA amino acids should be taken together with creatine!
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- Sets with discount
- What is creatine?
- The purpose of taking creatine in conjunction with BCAA
- Get a promotional code for a 20% discount!
These two sports products can be taken simultaneously if your goal in sports is rapid recovery after intense physical activity.
An additional effect of the combination of BCAA and creatine is that BCAA stimulates the production of insulin, which ensures better and more complete absorption of Creatine by the athlete’s body.
To achieve and maintain high physical performance, a whole range of sports supplements is used. If an ordinary person has enough healthy, nutritious food, then a serious load requires doubling or even tripling the rate of nutrient intake.
Considering that it is quite difficult to eat such an amount of food that would cover all the needs of an athlete, there is only one way out - to get additional elements from sports supplements. At the forefront of sports nutrition are supplements such as BCAA and creatine, which work best in conjunction with protein: BCAA plays the role of a builder, creatine provides energy and strength for the construction process, and protein acts as the “building blocks” for building muscles.
If everything is clear about the advisability of taking supplements, it’s worth delving into the depths of a sports diet and understanding the nuances. Just 4 years ago, there was no useful information on the Internet about whether you could take creatine with BCAAs. Only contradictory posts from “experienced” people on forums, and perplexed comments from newcomers and “opponents of professional sports”.
Today there is more than enough information; all that remains is to structure it and present it in an understandable form. This is what this article is devoted to.
How to take protein, creatine and BCAA together?
As stated above, all three supplements have their own function for building muscles, therefore, there are optimal regimens for taking such a tandem of supplements. It is recommended to drink BCAA in the morning, as this will serve as a blocker of the catabolism process. During the day, the athlete should absorb about 30 grams of amino acids (4-5 doses).
Creatine should be loaded 2 times a day, 5 grams. Protein should be taken 2-4 times a day - between meals and after training. But still, the question remains: is it possible to mix BCAA with creatine and protein after training?
So, the most effective scheme is this:
- BCAA - in the morning, before and after training (together with creatine);
- Protein – between meals, after training (with one serving of BCAA);
- Creatine - before and after training (together with BCAA).
Do not forget that each human body is special and any combination will affect everyone differently. Therefore, it is recommended to experiment with the use of such supplements.
If you want to learn in more detail about the rules for taking sports nutrition, which will increase the effectiveness of its work, we recommend reading the article: How to take sports nutrition correctly.
What to take with BCAA, protein and creatine?
BCAA, protein and creatine are not a complete sports nutrition complex. You should also supplement it with the following basic supplements:
- Vitamins and minerals – necessary to support all body functions and immunity in particular;
- Fatty acids help maintain healthy metabolism, heart and endocrine system function, and immunity.
By adding a vitamin complex and the right fats to protein and BCAA, you get a complete basis for high-quality recovery.
If we are talking about supplements to creatine, then it should be considered as a supplement to improve the quality of the training process. And this means that additions to it should also be training. One of the specialized supplements that can significantly improve the quality of your workouts is a pre-workout supplement. It often also contains creatine, plus many other components to increase energy, endurance, strength and concentration.
We highly recommend reading the article: How to take a pre-workout supplement.
You can supplement your pre-workout supplement intake with a product such as nitrogen donors or pills. They will not only give you a spectacular pump, but will also improve the delivery of nutrients due to increased blood circulation.
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What is creatine
Creatine is a carboxylic acid that plays a critical role in the body's metabolism. In its pure form, the substance is found in animal meat, but with constant physical activity, athletes feel a lack of creatine. Many athletes find it very difficult to make progress, even if eating meat is part of their regular diet.
In such a situation, creatine in the form of a sports supplement comes to the rescue. It is needed primarily in order to reduce the use of glycogen reserves in the muscles. In this case, it becomes a source of additional strength and energy and restores ATP molecules.
Effect of creatine
The primary purpose of creatine is to provide the body with energy during heavy training on a regular basis. The effect of using the supplement appears over time, when taken daily.
Regular use of creatine will have a positive effect on:
- Increased muscle mass. Many bodybuilders use creatine to gain muscle mass. The athlete’s muscles begin to quickly increase, and due to the accumulation of fluid in the cells, they acquire a rounded beautiful shape. In addition, lean muscle growth occurs, without fat.
- Endurance. During hard training, endurance is the most important aspect of progress, and it increases with creatine supplementation. Muscle recovery after training occurs much faster, and athletic performance in the gym progresses.
- Strength. Creatine supplement restores ATP molecules and also reduces the use of glycogen in muscles. This increases all strength indicators and will allow the athlete to quickly move on to increasing the load.
- Vessels. Consuming creatine reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. This strengthens the cardiovascular system and reduces the risk of various diseases.
- Heart. Creatine regulates the correct rhythm of contractions and improves heart function.
- Hormonal system. The product causes the secretion of testosterone and growth hormone.
Thanks to this product, you can also avoid muscle breakdown when losing weight. Creatine during cutting will help you achieve a beautiful and slim figure, but for weight loss it can only be used for the purpose of increasing the intensity of your workouts. Otherwise, the product will be useless for fat burning.
