Supplement - What, When, Why and How

[tzanghi]

Lol, does the label not say anything? If there's no fillers like carbs, glutamine, etc. then 5g will give you 2.5 g of leucine and 1.25 of the isoleucine and valine. You just have to find out what else is in there.

Maybe I misstated my question. It's 100% BCAAs, my problem is just determining what unit of measurement of volume will yield 5g of BCAAs. So I was wondering what the normal dosage is. Does that make sense?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Is it possible to be a non-responder to creatine? I've taken it before and observed no difference. Any thoughts?

BTW am in week 3 of your diet recommendations and ditched IF 2 weeks ago. Was an adjustment but things are rolling now/strength is going well while my bodyfat seems to be declining slowly.

Totally possible. I believe from the last time I looked at it, about 30-40% are "non-responders" in the sense that you can get some more force production out of using it, but the health and bioenergetic benefits of using it are fairly well documented. And it's cheap. I'd keep it on my playlist if I were you.

Maybe I misstated my question. It's 100% BCAAs, my problem is just determining what unit of measurement of volume will yield 5g of BCAAs. So I was wondering what the normal dosage is. Does that make sense?

Ahh. This is gonna sound super nerdy, but I just add my bcaas to an empty nalgene or water bottle while it's on a food scale and see how many grams I've got. Since it's pure bcaas, 5g=5g, ya dig? Other than that, a rounded tablespoon is more than enough. Not like you're going to OD on it either.

[tzanghi]

Ahh. This is gonna sound super nerdy, but I just add my bcaas to an empty nalgene or water bottle while it's on a food scale and see how many grams I've got. Since it's pure bcaas, 5g=5g, ya dig? Other than that, a rounded tablespoon is more than enough. Not like you're going to OD on it either.

I don't have a food scale =(. I'll figure out some way to figure this out for the love of God. I will err towards the side of a tablespoon rather than a teaspoon in the mean time.

[DV]

I don't have a food scale =(. I'll figure out some way to figure this out for the love of God. I will err towards the side of a tablespoon rather than a teaspoon in the mean time.

I have two food scales and for a while considered getting a third, when I was being super strict with macros. I'd go out on a limb and say that it's impossible to accurately hit your macros without one. Also because you will find that measurements like a "cup" or a "tablespoon" actually vary quite a bit.

[tzanghi]

I have two food scales and for a while considered getting a third, when I was being super strict with macros. I'd go out on a limb and say that it's impossible to accurately hit your macros without one. Also because you will find that measurements like a "cup" or a "tablespoon" actually vary quite a bit.

I agree for the most part, especially the variance in a tablespoon of supplements.

However for macros, I generally only eat meat, oil, and fibrous veggies, and order them in increments that I eat them in. This is the slacker's way to making macros meet. For instance, I'll make allowance for 1.5 lbs of beef in my macros and then order 3 lbs and split it over two nights. All oils come w/ volume measurements and fibrous veggies have very few macros at all(at least the ones I get). This is my poor-man's guide to macros.

Supplements are impossible without proper measurements. That's why this BCAAs thing is killing me! How can you list "take a serving" on the package and not tell how much a serving is. Blasphemy.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

If I were you I'd call those bastards and get a serving size estimate. That's unacceptable.

[Jords]

Ahh. This is gonna sound super nerdy, but I just add my bcaas to an empty nalgene or water bottle while it's on a food scale and see how many grams I've got. Since it's pure bcaas, 5g=5g, ya dig? Other than that, a rounded tablespoon is more than enough. Not like you're going to OD on it either.

Yo Jordan, I thought you were using Xtend? What brand of pure BCAAs do you use?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I do use Xtend, I was just commenting on tzanghi's stuff, which is "pure". Alas, mine is spiked with glutamine and electrolytes :-(

[Jords]

I do use Xtend, I was just commenting on tzanghi's stuff, which is "pure". Alas, mine is spiked with glutamine and electrolytes :-(

Ok gotcha. Is there a reason you don't just use pure BCAAs, beside the taste? Cause I was thinking after I was through with my current batch of Xtend, I'd by some instantized pure BCAA powder and just mix it with sugar free cordial or what you guys would call kool aid.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Ok gotcha. Is there a reason you don't just use pure BCAAs, beside the taste? Cause I was thinking after I was through with my current batch of Xtend, I'd by some instantized pure BCAA powder and just mix it with sugar free cordial or what you guys would call kool aid.

I bought a metric ton of it at a really good price. And yea, it tastes awesome.