Home » Blog » BCAA and Creatine – The Ultimate Stack?
Many people looking to enhance their results in the gym are turning to a stack of BCAA and Creatine. Generally speaking, these supplements should be high on your priority list regardless of current trends. Taking both of these supplements in conjunction with each other will speed up recovery time and increase your performance dramatically.
This unique combination of supplements will allow you to break through plateaus. BCAA's will improve your rate of recovery, meaning you're less at risk of over-training. Creatine will guarantee that your muscles have an abundance of recyclable energy, optimising your training.
The Journal of the international Society of Sports Nutrition published a study in 2009. But how exactly was this study conducted?
This was a double blind study. Meaning participants did not know if they were receiving whey protein or branch-chained-amino-acids.
8 weeks of resistance training followed, then lab results. The study was fairly conclusive, with the athletes using BCAA's outperforming the other athletes in strength. The BCAA group also gained more lean muscle-mass. The final conclusion of the study was that whilst whey protein supplementation would net favourable results over 'sports drinks', BCAA supplementation was more effective.
Another study was published much earlier; in 2003. Conducted by the journal of strength and conditioning research, this study analysed the results of creatine supplementation.
With an average increase of 8-14% in strength against placebo candidates, the benefits of creatine supplementation are clear.
Leucine enhances the rate at which your body can synthesise protein. When your body synthesises protein, it breaks it down to it's constituent compounds. These compounds are then sent to damaged muscle tissue where they're used to literally stitch the muscle fibres back together. Micro-tears or Micro-abrasions are required to increase muscular size and density.
This inhibits muscle catabolism, which is the process of your body breaking down muscle tissue for fuel and energy. It is very difficult to gain muscle mass when your body is frequently breaking your muscles down for energy, so this compound is ideal in that respect.
This compound also has a similar anti-catabolic effect. When your body cant break down muscle for energy it is more likely to target fat, meaning you'll look better than ever too.
Creatine enables you to train more efficiently. When you exert yourself more and cause more micro-abrasions, you can pack on mass much more efficiently. The process of stitching your muscle fibres back together is what causes your muscles to get bigger.
Creatine can encourage the production of a hormone known as Insulin-growth-factor-1, also known as IGF-1. This hormone encourages anabolic muscle growth and is vital for packing on mass.
This combination of supplements will also enhance your recovery times. Meaning you have less of a waiting period before you can train at full capacity again. This means that you'll see results much quicker on a month-by-month basis as you can afford to invest more time in the gym without running the risk of over-training. Over training can actually cause you to stop progressing all together.
Quicker results aren't just great for those pressed for time. You'll find that you actively have much more motivation to work out when you're constantly seeing progress – instead of feeling like you're wasting valuable man hours in the gym, you'll feel like you're actively striving towards a reachable goal.
Can you mix Creatine And BCAAs?
Yes, creatine is normally taken as a daily food supplement, as are BCAA's. Many creatine powders are also unflavoured, meaning they blend well with most other powdered food supplements.
Can Amino Acids Help Hair Growth?
Whilst it's true that certain amino acids aid the production of keratin, you will not find them in a BCAA product. These amino acids are not included in BCAAs because they do not directly aid muscle growth as effectively as the three common ones found in these supplements.
As long as your BCAA mixture does not also contain caffeine or any kind of stimulant. Taking BCAA's before bed is ideal because it can prevent some of the muscle catabolism that happens naturally during a sleep cycle. If you're looking for a pre-sleep recovery aid however, our first recommendation would be casein.
When Should I Take BCAAS And Creatine?
Generally speaking, as long as you consume them daily, you'll see significant results. However, if you're looking to optimise, a serving half an hour prior to a workout and half an hour post workout can net significant results. Just remember to experiment with it and stay well hydrated throughout.