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Thread: can bcaa substitute for (some) extra protein

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    255

    Default can bcaa substitute for (some) extra protein

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    Male, 47, 195lb, 25%bf, late intermediate, squat 350x5.

    A lot of the time when you're talking about protein in various podcasts and videos, it sounds like one of the big goals is to make sure you get enough leucine to trigger MPS.

    You've recommended 1.5g+ of protein per pound of bodyweight for older lifters, and I'm making myself miserable trying to even break 1g/lb. So I'm wondering if supplementing BCAA directly can make up for some of that, even if suboptimal.

    My "natural" diet (what I'd eat if I wasn't tracking macros and trying to stuff more protein down) has less than 100g per day, and I'm making myself miserable trying just to get 200. Whey isolate makes me feel pretty bad (instant headache and a couple hours of feeling bloated and generally yucky), and knowing that eating something lower-protein just means more whey later frankly sucks all the joy out of eating. I'm not going to be able to keep this up long term, and it doesn't seem to help with the DOMS, which is why I started in the first place.

    So the short version of my question is whether and how much I can lower my protein macro goal if I supplement BCAA. It may taste like Satan's armpit, but it only takes a minute and then it's over.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    10,199

    Default

    Just eat more animal. Should be able to get to 150g/day and the other 50g will come from trace proteins in carbohydrates and fat sources.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
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    Southeast
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    190

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    Jordan, not sure if I've heard this around the forums much, but for me avoiding excessive amounts of beef seems to help with keeping the digestive system moving and promoting more frequent feedings. I love beef, but even quality cuts of meat that are lower in fat tend to make me less prone to want to eat again for at least 4-5 hours. I was stubborn for a long time before learning to eat more chicken/fish. Is your experience similar?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    10,199

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    Quote Originally Posted by Euby View Post
    Jordan, not sure if I've heard this around the forums much, but for me avoiding excessive amounts of beef seems to help with keeping the digestive system moving and promoting more frequent feedings. I love beef, but even quality cuts of meat that are lower in fat tend to make me less prone to want to eat again for at least 4-5 hours. I was stubborn for a long time before learning to eat more chicken/fish. Is your experience similar?
    Not at all.

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